JOY is Coming to Shell Beach

Joy, like beauty, can be found anywhere but in this case it’s going to be located at 1801 Shell Beach Rd. in Shell Beach. JOY is not only a convenient acronym for what the store will offer, which is juice and organic frozen yogurt, it’s the word that owner Chelsea Brescia would use to describe herself. When searching for the perfect name, Brescia’s father advised her to use a name that represents her.
“During that conversation, very quickly, I said, Joy,” Brescia said. Joy would be amazing, and then I hung up the phone with him and realized, juice organic yogurt, that’s hilarious. It actually works.”
Chelsea Brescia first got into the health business for her husband, Tony. “My husband was having health issues and we started juicing for his health,” she said.
She started getting creative with recipes to get her daughter Gia and Tony to drink healthy. It eventually became a dream of hers to open a shop that sold fresh juice. When the Alcove building became available, Brescia decided to take the plunge.
“Honestly, she’s been wanting to do this for so long,” Tony Brescia said, “…when this [spot] became available, it was kind of meant to be.”
It has taken a lot of effort to bring the 1920s building into the modern age and there is still work to be done. Room expansions and a new color scheme as well as bringing the wiring up to snuff to handle industrial sized juicer are just a few of the many things that Chelsea had to tackle. True to her sustainable drive, parts of the interior décor have come from the building itself. Material from a removed wall was repurposed into a table and the multicolored counter is made of the Alcove’s floorboards and part of a friend’s fence. Brescia is planning on the shop opening up sometime in May.
Cold press juices will be sold in glass bottles that can be returned for a refund and patrons will have the ability to add all sorts of tops to the organic yogurt. The business will start with juices and yogurt and will eventually expand to chopped salads and other healthy options. Chelsea said that the community needs will dictate much of what will be provided and when.
The Alcove holds a special place in her heart, and she is glad she can be a part of the building’s history. When the family first moved to Shell Beach seven years ago, it was a tough transition for the then 6-year-old Gia. The souvenir shop had been a traditional stop on the way home from school, on her seventh birthday, Gia was allowed to finally get something. Dottie Kreowski, owner of the Alcove, told Gia she could pick something the birthday girl received a teddy bear from other shop patrons.
“That day everything changed for her. She felt part of the community,” said Brescia. “[It was] the most magical day, on her birthday, so this building means a lot to me for that reason.” Brescia added that Kreowski is still a tremendous help on the new business venture. “Dottie Kreowski still owns the building and she has been really a great supporter of this. She’s my Zen master,” said Brescia.
With a background in team building and team and customer support, Brescia knew that opening a health food snack shack would be a big change in her career, but she never realized how daunting opening up a new business would be. “Had I known what it would be like, I don’t know that I would have jumped into it,” said Brescia, “but it is better not knowing, because you’re stuck with it.” Brescia would be the first to say that she couldn’t have done it without help from family and friends.
For more information, stop by 1801 Shell Beach road or visit; www.facebook.com/joyshellbeach/
By Mark A. Diaz