A New East Greenwich Shop is All About Fresh Juice

Dan Rubino and Patti Burton have opened a new juicery in East Greenwich. Read on to learn about Raw Bob’s fresh perspective.

What is Raw Bob’s Organic Juicery?
Raw Bob’s is an all organic juice bar where we create green smoothies, fruit smoothies and juice blends by using only fresh fruits and veggies. We have other menu offerings like wheat grass shots, probiotic puddings, organic teas and of course something for the pooch... we make organic frozen pooch pops!

How did you start juicing?
Our story is really in our name... Dan’s dad (Bob) became ill and we wanted to provide him with a healthier diet. We started making smoothies at home. After a few weeks of doing it consistently we were hooked!

How has the community reacted to your juices?
The outpouring of support and the level of excitement that we have been graced with has been overwhelming. We are thanked daily for opening and it keeps us motivated to keep working hard to enrich, educate and hopefully improve the health and well being of our customers.

What are some of the health benefits that come with juicing?
Juicing and/or having smoothies as part of your everyday diet truly changes you from the inside out. Cleansing your organs, feeding them properly and providing your body with real food has no limits in my opinion. Results that can truly be felt or seen would be an increase in energy levels, weight loss, shinier hair, glowing skin, thicker nails, clarity and on and on. (As of press) we’ve only been open 12 weeks and we have seen dramatic changes in our customers.

What do you think about juice fasting?
I don’t want to elaborate too much on this because we are not nutritionists. We do ongoing research and I think where I stand is that it is a gateway to better health. You will feel better doing a fast, you will lose weight, there will be some cleansing that will occur, but it’s only the beginning. If juice fasting introduces a person to the whole experience of having smoothies and/or juices as part of your daily diet then I am all for it. However I do feel, whether it be at Raw Bob’s or at home or wherever someone can get their hands on a juice, that cleansing happens organically over time. Our society seems to have no patience and wants a quick fix; therefore they tend to turn to these fasts for that reason.

Where do you find inspiration for new juice and smoothie flavors?
We try to look at what is in season and start from there. We have created so many cool combinations that a year ago I would have never thought to put together. We also try to come up with a theme for the drink such as one for skin, one after a late night out, one that is low in calories or high in protein and then work from there.

What tips can you give to someone who wants to start juicing?
Keep it simple. You don’t need to buy out the produce department in order to have a tasty, nutritious smoothie (or juice).

The bottom line is pay now or pay later. For some that is easier said than done, because it can be expensive. I would create a juicing budget for the week and buy what’s on sale. Like I said, sometime less is more because too many flavors can get muddied up.

What advantages does using organic produce have on your juice?
Studies have found that organic fruits and vegetables contained as much as 40% higher levels of antioxidants, which are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease and many cancers. Organics also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as zinc. And milk from organically fed herds had antioxidant levels up to 90% higher than milk from conventional herds.