A new juice bar is coming to the Benton Harbor Arts District — and it has some serious pitching power behind it.
At the corner of West Main and Pipestone in Benton Harbor, former Major League Baseball player Matt Mantei and his family are partnering to open Verde Juice Box.
Fresh and healthy foods and drinks to go – it’s a familiar concept, but in an area that’s seeing significant economic transformation. New residential lofts, upscale restaurants, cannabis retailers, and a lot of hope is what drove Mantei to make the investment.
“You know, I really love it down here. It’s growing. Everything is starting to pop up around here and we’re just hoping this will be somewhere fun where people can come get good food and relax and hang out with us,” said Mantei.
Mantei, raised in Three Oaks before being drafted by the Seattle Mariners and playing for the Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Boston Red Sox, said he, his wife and children will run the day to day operations. They plan to offer healthy salads to go, overnight oats, acai bowls, goji berries, protein shakes, and fresh juices.
Mantei is partnering with area developer Shane Franks, who says this is a test to see how far they can take the concept – and maybe, one day, sell franchises.
“We brainstormed the concept and then thought about locations. As we rode around here, we felt like with this building being new and front and center in the area, we felt like this would be a perfect area to showcase,” said Franks. “We want to have multiple locations and maybe (next) we’ll head toward South Haven, Saugatuck, and New Buffalo.”
Verde Juice Box is set to open May first.
