Fresh Off the Press

Central New York native Daniel McKelvey discovered juicing while working in the casino business.

“I traveled to Vegas and San Diego where acai bowls and juicing are very popular,” he explains. “So I just started learning about the business and juicing’s benefits. Then I moved to Delaware where I started making juices for family and friends, and that is really what got me started.”

After moving to Maryland, McKelvey opened his first Pure Raw Juice location in Federal Hill in January 2015. Among his goals, he says, are acclimating people to pure and raw foods and educating them about healthy snack options. To that end, Pure Raw features a wide array of all-natural, organic, gluten- and dairy-free menu items like cold-pressed juices, acai bowls, raw cashew and almond mylks, smoothies, and power shots.

After two years of business, it became apparent that Pure Raw was outgrowing its Federal Hill location and on Dec. 7 of last year, McKelvey opened his new store on York Road.

“We’re between Towson and the city, so it’s a perfect scenario all around,” says McKelvey. “We looked at all the colleges around this area and thought this is the spot where we need to be.”

The new, 1,520-square-foot space offers more seating for customers as well as charming details like barn wood accents and locally painted murals.

As for the future, McKelvey says, “This year we’re focusing on taking a step back to build the brand through events and social media. The sky really is the limit.”