Crofton Juice Bar Helps Boost Local Residents' Health

CROFTON, MD – Delicious, flavorful and healthy are just a few of the words residents use to describe the juices and other items created with locally sourced ingredients at Rutabaga, a juice bar and vegan restaurant located along Route 3 North in Crofton. The eatery’s sandwiches and bowls offer a wide variety of options perfect for people wanting a healthier bite whether they follow a vegan, paleo, or carnivore diet.

Owners Stacey and Jim Heywood opened their second Rutabaga Juicery & Eats location in Crofton after the success of their Annapolis site, which they launched in October 2015.

“We love being in Crofton. The community has been so welcoming,” Stacey Heywood told Patch. “When we started out in Annapolis, we went in with the notion that we would be happy if it just paid our bills and created a new lifestyle for us. Now we have created more than 20 jobs in the community and continue to grow every day. It is truly a blessing for us.”

People recognize that the powerful juices Rutabaga creates play an important role in their health. Three pounds of produce are juiced into each drink, which would take hours to eat whole. They have rolled out new options for the summer, too.

“We make our Summer Blender Gazpacho and can never keep it on the shelf long. It is delicious and a savory way to enjoy fresh blended summer produce. Coming very soon are kombucha floats. We have three rotating kombucha taps featuring local craft kombucha brewers with rotating flavors. Add a scoop of vegan ice cream to the top and you are in for a probiotic, health summer indulgence,” Heywood said.

Rutabaga offers a variety of juice blends combining vegetables, fruit and herbs, along with fresh salads and overnight oats. There are smoothies, more than half a dozen bowls, several different toasts and more on the menu, all made fresh daily.

“This fall we will bring in our cooler months’ menu featuring hot soups made locally and vegan. Add it to a toast and we are ready to wrap up in cozy sweaters, and just in time for the return of our pumpkin pie chia pudding and pumpkin spice smoothie bowl to pop back on the menu,” Heywood said.

Anne Arundel County residents just might see another Rutabaga site opening down the road, too.

“We love Rutabaga Juicery & Eats; it is like our baby. With that comes the want to watch it grow into all it is capable of. We just guide it as it does. If that involves another location, we will let the universe decide that,” Heywood said.