Juice ‘n Beans is back in business in a new location ten months after it had closed down.

The café that built up a loyal following in six years at its former home on Front Street has reopened on Court Street.

The management is the same — mother-and-daughter team Anjula Bean and Ashley Gardener — and so is the focus on wholesome fare, including smoothies and vegetarian food.

The café opened two weeks ago in its new location at 55 Court Street, the former home of Rotis, which closed down in September this year.

The managers are backed by owner Pascal Pitchai, a chef and the former owner of Windsor Garden. Juice ‘n Beans has also hired Rachelle Grant, a former employee of Rotis, as a sales associate.

Ms Gardener said the café had long wanted to expand its offerings, but had been limited by the lack of its own kitchen at its former location.

After a long search, an investor agreed to help with expansion plans, but then pulled out two weeks later. Shortly afterwards, in January this year, the Front Street operation closed down.

Overheads will be between 30 per cent and 40 per cent lower at the new site, Ms Gardener estimated. And the premises has the added advantages of an attached kitchen and a more consistent revenue stream throughout the year.

“On Front Street, we didn’t have enough of a local following to get through the winter months,” Ms Gardener said. “A lot of the profits were eaten up by overheads.

“In our new location, we will have a more consistent revenue stream from local customers and with our own kitchen, we are now able to offer a full menu and offer breakfast and lunch. Coffee and smoothies are great, but when people are hungry, they want a full meal and now we will be able to offer them that.”

The café caters to the niche market of vegetarians and vegans, but anyone who is health conscious may find the menu appealing. Apart from the signature smoothies, there are several dishes with an Indian influence, including samosas, a popular chickpea dish, kati rolls and roti with basmati rice.

The restaurant also offers meatless chicken sandwiches and fishless fish fillet sandwiches. The substitute products are made with soy, wheat and other proteins to mimic the real thing.

Juice ‘n Beans will wait until next spring to have its grand opening at the Court Street site. Only then will the café have the equipment in place to be able to offer its full range of smoothies once again — the Mango Tango, for example, hugely popular in Front Street days, will return.

Pastries, banana bread and cream doughnuts are also on offer for those with a sweet tooth.

Ms Gardener has made good use of the time that the café has been closed. “I spent eight months taking Bermuda College’s Streetwise MBA programme and I’ve learnt so much about managing a business, about strategic thinking and what’s important to focus on,” she said. “A lot of growth has happened in the last eight months even though the café has been closed.”

Ms Gardener’s mother and co-manager Ms Bean, who previously ran the Bees Knees, a tourist-focused business on Front Street, said: “People who were our previous customers on Front Street have been so excited to find us open again. We’re looking forward to pulling people into this area.”

People who work in the numerous surrounding businesses on Court Street have welcomed the café’s arrival, she said, and the catchment area was promising for new customers, with the courts, the Bermuda Monetary Authority and Deloitte all a short walk away.

Having its own kitchen will give Juice ‘n Beans expansion options that it did not have before.

“We want to go mobile, with a trailer that offers our most popular items, such as smoothies, coffees and samosas,” Ms Gardener said.

“We’d also like to do something seasonal at Dockyard and to offer catering as well.”

Gift certificates and loyalty cards dating from the café’s Front Street days will be honoured, Ms Gardener added.

Juice ‘n’ Beans is open between 7am and 6pm from Monday to Saturday.

For more information, go to Juice ‘n Beans’ social media links: https://www.facebook.com/juiceandbeanscafe; https://twitter.com/juiceandbeans and https://www.instagram.com/juiceandbeanscafe.