Success Story: PHresh Juice Bar

From Pop-Up to Permanent: PHresh Juice Bar Brings Health and Community to West Adams

Location: Southern California | Los Angeles County | Los Angeles (West Adams)

Business Type: Juice Bar/Healthy Food

Small Business Center: Inclusive Action

Assistance Received: Business advising and access to capital

California State Assembly District: 55 

California State Senate District: 28 

Visit PHresh Juice Bar online

Phelipe Davila, an avid runner passionate about physical and mental health, wanted to provide fresh-pressed juices and healthy grab-and-go meals to his community in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles. After 13 years at Whole Foods Market, where he gained valuable business skills and participated in training about healthy food options and ingredients, Phelipe dreamed of launching his own business to gain greater economic stability while incorporating his growing passion for juicing and healthy foodways.

During the pandemic, Phelipe took the plunge and launched PHresh Juice Bar as a pop-up street vending business, setting up at farmers’ markets, local events, and near his home. While he had the vision and experience, he faced the challenge of transitioning from a temporary setup to a permanent brick-and-mortar location—a process that required navigating complex permitting and certification processes, as well as securing adequate capital for buildout and equipment.

That’s when Phelipe connected with Inclusive Action, which provided both capital and comprehensive technical assistance to support his business development efforts. Inclusive Action provided Phelipe with Capital to cover build costs for his first brick-and-mortar location and purchase essential equipment, including an industrial juicer.

“It all started because of you guys [Inclusive Action]. I don’t think any of this would have happened without that loan,” shared Phelipe. “Inclusive Action helped me organize paperwork, getting [my] paperwork aligned played a big role. It made [me] organize my business permits and financial paperwork—things [I] hadn’t thought about or done before.”

Inclusive Action’s business advisors supported Phelipe both before and after receiving his loan, helping him become “loan ready” by understanding the loan process, documenting sales and business revenue, and navigating the critical permitting and certification requirements. Since becoming a loan recipient, Phelipe has taken full advantage of all one-on-one counseling and group workshop offerings, showing particular interest in improving his marketing and partnership development strategies.

Phelipe took a major leap, transitioning his successful pop-ups into a brick-and-mortar storefront in West Adams. This journey, however, came with a significant roadblock. After more than a year of planning, securing capital, finalizing floor plans, and working with contractors. His dream was stalled by city permit issues. Like any great entrepreneur, he chose to pivot rather than give up. He built key partnerships with major brands like Startups, Electrolit, Hoka, and Lululemon. He also collaborated on sports running events like CicLAvia and the LA Marathon and revamped his door-to-door delivery service for his juicery.

He also successfully integrated his love of running into the business, using PHresh Juice Bar’s spaces, and he founded a running club called Run West Adams, creating greater community connection while elevating the business’s profile. His determination led him to enter and successfully graduate from the Grid 110 accelerator program and secured a partnership with USC Impact Investment group, which will support him with business development and pitch decks.  As Phelipe says, “My spirit is never done; it’s about pivoting.”

Looking ahead, he plans to get his juicery into a ghost kitchen and scale his operations. This will allow him to get on popular delivery apps and, eventually, find a new commercial space where he can successfully navigate the permitting process and finally open his storefront.

You can visit PHresh Juice Bar online here, and follow Phelipe’s journey on Instagram: here & here, and LinkedIn here

And, if you’re in the Los Angeles area and interested in starting or expanding your business, connect with Inclusive Action to learn about their capital access and business development services.

9/26/2025