An organic juice bar with a disco ball and a following in Dallas has opened a third location, this one in Uptown: The Gem Organic Food and Juice Bar is now serving juices, smoothies, and fresh food at Rosewood Court, 2101 Cedar Springs Rd., R115, next to Flower Child.
Co-owned by Leslie Needleman and Mary Kathryn Bass, The Gem first opened near Lovers Lane and Inwood before moving into its first dedicated space in Preston Center on Luther Lane in 2013. A second location at Forest Lane and Preston Road followed in 2015.
“We call this new location our 'Hidden Gem; Uptown customers had been asking for a closer shop for years,” Needleman says. “The area also brings steady office and hotel traffic, and for years, we've wanted to bring The Gem lifestyle into new parts of Dallas.”
The juice is organic and cold-pressed fresh daily.Photo courtesy of The Gem
The self-described “disco soul sisters” built the business around organic food and juice, with a colorful, upbeat atmosphere to match. Their interest in wellness has personal roots. In 2009, Needleman was diagnosed with breast cancer. During her recovery, she explored organic juice, clean food, and a plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet. Bass shared her interest in a wellness-focused lifestyle centered on mind, body, and spirit.
That philosophy informs the menu, which has featured ingredients such as maca, housemade cashew milk, and kale since the business launched in 2012. The juice is organic, cold-pressed fresh daily, and is not treated with high-pressure processing, or HPP, a method commonly used to extend shelf life.
“Gem juice lasts days, not weeks, because we refuse to trade fresh flavor, nutrients, and enzymes for a longer shelf life,” Bass says.
The menu is free of refined sugars, gluten, dairy, artificial ingredients, seed oils, and GMOs. Bestsellers include the Green Glow, made with kale, cucumber, lemon, apple, and ginger; the Golden Glow, a blend of turmeric, lemon, orange, ginger, and cardamom; and the Ruby Slipper, made with beet, ginger, and carrot. The Green Glow was the shop's first recipe and remains a favorite.
The shop serves soup, too.Photo courtesy of The Gem
Other offerings include French press coffee, cold brew, matcha, smoothies, and protein drinks. Fresh food prepared daily includes soups such as lentil, mushroom vegetable purée, and immunity bone broth; along with salads, hummus, protein bars, and chocolate mousse made with raw cacao, avocado, and chia seeds.
The 1,000-square-foot Uptown shop follows the same colorful formula as the other locations, with a disco ball overhead and upbeat music. There's a front counter, a refrigerated grab-and-go case for busy locals and hotel guests, and seating at individual and communal tables.
“We believe that a healthy lifestyle can be sexy and fun; every Gem has a disco ball turning overhead, walls alive with color, and a soundtrack that makes it nearly impossible not to shimmy while waiting for your smoothie,” Bass says. “Healthy living should feel joyful, vibrant, and energizing.”
The Gem Uptown is open 7:30 am-6 pm Monday-Friday and 8 am-4 pm Saturday. It's closed Sunday.
The Pegasus Room at Addison's Flight Club is a nod to the flying horse that has long been a symbol of Dallas. Photo by Samantha Marie Photography