Press release dated 5-26-2009 

The family that juices together also manages to have fun together. They are, from left,
Tom, Merlot, Nina, Montana and Kiera McDonald. Press Photo.

 CORONADO – Where there’s a need there’s a way, says Nina McDonald, owner of FUEL Juicebar, Coronado’s new juice and smoothie bar. She and husband Tom have
opened a hip, contemporary space that has been filled with locals and tourists since their soft opening Memorial Day Weekend.

“My daughter went to Coronado High School and kept telling me how the kids would cross the bridge to San Diego just to get a smoothie for lunch,” said McDonald. “There are probably 50 or more eating establishments on this island but none of them provide the kind of fresh fruit smoothies we thought people were really looking for,” she said. “It was a niche waiting to be filled.”  The resulting creation, FUEL Juicebar, offers six different smoothies, all made with either fresh or frozen whole fruit, a variety of freshly-squeezed vegetable and fruit juices, locally roasted Calabria and Blue Bridge coffees, Italian sodas and freshly pressed wheat grass.

FUEL Juicebar is located just off Orange Avenue, about two blocks from the Hotel del Coronado, at the corner of B Avenue and Ynez Place. The fresh new establishment also offers healthy sandwiches and salad choices, including gluten-free and vegetarian offerings prepared by Vanessa Karmo of Olive Oil Organic Café. “You won’t find fresher wheat grass juice anywhere on the island,” said McDonald. “Ours is grown in Encinitas and certified organic. It’s incredibly sweet tasting,” she said.

FUEL Juicebar is the downstairs anchor in the award winning “fish” building designed by Coronado architect Joe Cristilli. The structure’s modern edge served to inspire McDonald in the interior design of FUEL Juicebar.
“We didn’t want this to be a bright white, fluorescent space filled with noise and primary colors — what people typically think of when they hear the words ‘juice bar.’ We were going for a more urban, upscale feel,” she said.
McDonald decorated accordingly. Blue and mocha walls are accented with bright orange, fuchsia and yellow hanging lamps over granite bar, providing a cheerful, modern ambience. Plants and a waterfall by LL  Innovations add a soothing note. Paintings by local artists Joni Nies (fruit miniatures, appropriately) and Joel Brown (an Umbrian landscape) add a touch of class. Colorful cushions soften a corner bench seat.
Outside, umbrella-sheltered tables offer respite from the sun.

“I love our location,” said McDonald. “It’s so central to the historic section of downtown Coronado, it’s convenient to tourists and trolley riders, and yet we’re just far enough off the beaten path to allow for plenty of parking and to avoid the commotion and rush of the main thoroughfare, something the locals really seem to appreciate. They can actually hear each other talk on our patio, as opposed to dining on Orange Avenue.”  As a family-owned business, the McDonald’s wanted to cater to a broad range of clientele. The couple’s daughter Kiera, a certified personal trainer and experienced barista, manages the shop with a smile and makes sure the friendly staff serves clientele quickly.

In the afternoons, two other daughters, Merlot and Montana, staff the cash register and help serve up the smoothies. “We have five kids and my mom is in her 80’s,” said McDonald. “We wanted to be able
to appeal to each generation on a different level. The ‘mom club’ of morning powerwalkers can sit down for a green tea or coffee. Teens and kids coming in off the beach in the afternoons meet here and get smoothies. College students have a quiet place in the evenings to have a latte and work on their laptops. We try and tailor the music to different groups at different times of the day so everyone can feel comfortable.”

On a recent Saturday, sand-coated surfers slurped bright yellow Tropical Tango’s (a mango, passion fruit, coconut and orange smoothie) next to seniors enjoying a late morning coffee. Clients from Family Gym, located on the top floor of the building, drop in to recharge with protein-packed, peanut butter, chocolate and banana “Jet Fuel” smoothies after tough workouts. On weekdays, nearby office workers have claimed the shop as a new favorite lunch stop.

“I think we have a winning formula here,” said McDonald. “People are already asking us if we have other locations.”

FUEL Juicebar is located at 1033 B Avenue, Suite 102, Coronado, CA 92118. Summer hours are Monday through Saturday 7am-9pm, Sundays 11-6. For more information call FUEL Juicebar at (619) 435-0443

Published From www.ecoronado.com  

FUEL Juicebar Serves Up 'Wonder'

Fuel Juicebar is now serving more than just their fresh fruit juices, fantastic coffee and healthy snacks . The new book, “Live In Wonder: Quests, Quotes & Questions To Jumpstart Your Journey,” by Eric Saperston, award-winning filmmaker, visionary and inspirational speaker is now available at Fuel. The book is a product of Saperston’s Stud’s Terkel-like series of interviews and encounters on his life-changing journey across the world.
Based on an old Chinese proverb, “To know the road ahead, ask those coming back,” “Live In Wonder” is a road map and travel companion to anyplace worthwhile.
Imagine if you jumped in your car, fresh out of college and set off on a cross-country adventure. Along the way you stopped to have coffee with the most extraordinary, accomplished people in the world and they freely shared with you the secrets of their own success. This all happened because you had the courage to humbly ask smarter people for advice.
That’s exactly what happened to Eric Saperston. The further he traveled, the more people he met, the smaller the world became, until everyone was connected to everyone else.
What started out as Saperston’s personal journey to find the answers to life’s biggest questions - Why am I here? How can I find happiness? What is success? - quickly turned into something much bigger than he ever had imagined. Inspiring others to live extraordinary lives led to the creation of Saperston’s book as well as a documentary film.
The result of the collective wisdom, humor and inspiration Saperston captured on the road became an award-winning documentary film, “The Journey.” Eric has since been featured on “CNN,” “The Today Show” and “Headline News,” toured with multi-platinum rockstars and is now living in Maui producing a television series.
“It’s a great conversation starter,” said Fuel’s owner, Nina McDonald. “It’s so fun to see people pick up the book and start whole new conversations with each other. It’s a book of discovery, to help you fully explore whatever journey one is on. This would be the perfect book to share in a youth group, between kids and parents or as a present for a newlywed couple.”
Whether you're in transition from college to career, career to career, going through a challenging time or just exploring the meaning of life, everything you want to know, learn and discover about how to live the life you've always imagined is only a cup of coffee and inspired conversation away. Remember, those who ask for help rarely lose their way.
“Live In Wonder” is now available at Fuel Juice Bar in Coronado. Fuel Juice Bar, a family-owned and run business with an inspiring story of its own, invites you to bring in someone you admire and respect for a cup of coffee and pick up a copy of “Live In Wonder: Quests, Quotes & Questions To Jumpstart Your Journey” to discover the pearls of wisdom and inspiration waiting for you.
For more information on Eric Saperston’s book and film go to www.liveinwonder.com. Fuel Juicebar is located at 1033 B Ave #102 in Coronado.