Photography by Stephen Buchanan
Rutabaga co-owner Jim Heywood (far right) with the cafe's staff.
Owner Stacey Heywood offers a dare to people who have not tried Rutabaga Juicery & Eats. Taste one of the offerings of the café and you will likely come back. Heywood says many people easily get hooked this way. The business’ retention rate of new customers is about 85 percent.
“I challenge everybody to come to Rutabaga for seven days and replace your morning coffee with a juice,” she explains. “That’s all the evidence you will need. It will taste delicious.”
The café offers more than cold-pressed juices. Rutabaga’s menu also features food bowls like Strawberry Nice Cream and Cacao Protein, and toasts such as Brownie Batter and Nut Butter Banana, as well as smoothies and espresso. All selections are plant-based and additive-free. The drive-through helps the business immensely.
“We want to create food that is delicious first, but also is whole food that is healthy by nature,” says Heywood, who owns Rutabaga with her husband Jim.
The Annapolis café opened in 2015 and was successful enough that the Heywoods opened a second location in Crofton in 2018. The concept stems back quite a few years to the Adelaide Central Market while the Heywoods were living in South Australia. There, a customer could grab a meal made of fresh, local, and healthy ingredients. After moving to the Anne Arundel County, they realized that the area is a virtual health food desert dominated by chain and fast-food restaurants. That’s why they opened Rutabaga.
We talked to Stacey about using plant-based food, weighing healthy food and taste, and customer favorites.
You use whole plant-based food. How?
Everything we offer is plant-based and comes from a whole ingredient basis. Our cashew milk is an example. It’s not a store-bought cashew milk with fillers in it. We make it with cashews and water. We avoid processed food as much as possible. The ingredient list is clean.
Talk about cold pressure juices and the process?
We use raw juice. We have a big hydraulic press that slowly chews up food and crushes it under pounds of pressure. It extracts a large amount of nutrients and has a totally different texture. The juice has a very short shelf life and is very fresh. It’s just an incredible, nutrient energy burst.
What goes into making smoothies?
Our smoothies are very different than you will get elsewhere. They taste like milkshakes. It’s just whole-blended fruits and vegetables. We use super foods that are high in nutrients and vitamins. You are not paying for a bunch of water-blended stuff. You are getting pounds of produce in your drink. They are a substitute for light meals. They will sustain you for breakfast or lunch.
What are customer favorites?
I would say the green protein is very popular. You are getting a huge amount of greens in it, but it tastes like ice cream or a delicious vanilla, cinnamon milkshake. And the drinks are delicious. Zest (with orange, grapefruit, lemon, ginger, turmeric, green apple, carrot) is a vitamin C hit and has a very exotic orange flavor.
Explain what the Rutabaga Reset is?
The Rutabaga Reset is a program composed of raw, whole-pressed juices that you drink throughout the day. You can do it for one day or three days. Some people who work with nutritionists do it longer. Essentially, you eliminate all your solid foods. You’re just drinking juices. You eliminate things like alcohol, caffeine. The things that tend to stimulate, irritate, or inflame us more. You are giving your body a rest and a massive surge of nutrients.
How does the drive-through that you added in 2020 help business?
All our products are to go, so we are a fast and casual environment. We have our drive-through for that reason. For us, it’s about making the food more accessible. We want to make Rutabaga the next drive-through. Why can’t we be on every street corner? Why aren’t our blends the things you are grabbing on your way to work? Or after a long day at work? It shouldn’t be a processed, greasy cheeseburger when you can have something just as delicious and good for your body in a fast, healthy, and convenient way.
What type of customers do you attract?
Rutabaga is for everyone. We get customers from all walks of life. Mechanics come over and enjoy our toast and coffee. We have people coming in after a yoga session and moms coming in on their way to drop kids off at school. We also get people who are on nutritional journeys. People who have cancer or going through terminal illness or people trying to change their lifestyle. They are finding a convenience in the change that is required.
Explain your slogan: “Always Fresh, Always Whole, Always Humble.”
We think food doesn’t need to be complicated. We avoid the diet culture. Our objective is just to make delicious food. I come from a food and wine background. We are making our menu pretty darn good. The only way to know that is to taste it. We want it to be acceptable for everyone.
Photography by Stephen Buchanan
Rutabaga Local Smoky Shrooms Toast
- 1 Slice toasted, quality whole grain bread
- 1/4 Cup mushroom & carrot fermented pickle (we love Oksana’s Ferments)
- 1/4 Cup baba ganoush (we love Asmaar’s Mediterranean or Rooted MD)
- 1 Tbsp hot pepper jelly
- Handful of microgreens or rocket
“This is such a delicious chilly-day recipe,” Heywood says. “It’s hearty, warming, and made from so many locally prepared, whole ingredients. Many of these can be found within our beautiful Anne Arundel County Farmers Markets. You can mix and match to your tastes too! Don’t like smoky? Try a delicious red pepper hummus instead!” Simply toast the bread. Spread with baba ganoush and fermented mix. Top with a few small dollops of hot pepper jelly and a handful of delicious greens.
Rutabaga Juicery & Eats 4 Ridgely Avenue, Annapolis, 410-267-0261 | 1131A MD Route 3 N., Gambrills, 410-970-2437 | rutabagajuicery.com
