By Michilea Patterson For MediaNews Group
Original story courtesy of the Pottstown Mercury
POTTSTOWN — A new café is using organic juices and plant-based cuisine to give the community a healthy boost.
Jennifer Fischer opened the Vyana Café at 170 South St. in Pottstown earlier this year. Vyana is a Sanskrit word and describes one of the ways energy flows within the body.
“Our bodies mimic the whole entire universe so it’s our circulation within ourselves,” Fischer said. “Vyana is kind of like the taking of nourishment and how we process it through our bodies, through our circulatory system.”
She named the café Vyana so it could be a place that provides nutrition through fresh ingredients to the surrounding communities.
One of the main attractions at the cafe is the refreshing, organic juices and smoothies. Fischer has been juicing for about 20 years and said the drinks have many health benefits.
“Juicing was something that was really profound for me because it was simple, and it gave me a kickstart into helping my body feel better,” she said. “About a pound of fruit or vegetables makes about 10 ounces of juice.”
The cafe’s best-selling drink is a green juice called Anahata. The beverage contains spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, apple and lemon.
“It tastes so fresh. It’s so clean tasting,” Fischer said.
There are also juices with pineapple, beets, carrots and more. Fischer said each juice is the color and name of a chakra, keeping in the theme of the café. Chakra is a Sanskrit term that describes the energy centers of the body.
In addition to the healthy beverages, the café also has a variety of plant-based cuisine options. The menu has items such as veggie burritos, kale chips and zucchini noodles. People looking for something sweet but still packed with nutrition can get desserts like a plant-based cheesecake, brownie or chia pudding.
Fischer said she wanted the food served at the café to be simple, delicious and healthy. She said the goal was to make food that is relatable and packed with fresh nutrients.
Fisher opened Vyana Café in March of this year, after being delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The café is currently open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Originally, she hoped to open the café full time but decided to start with the weekend to see how the community would respond to it.
The café isn’t the first wellness-focused business Fischer has opened in Pottstown. A few years ago, she opened the Saman Holistic Center. The studio offers several wellness classes and services. Classes include yoga, pilates and hatha. Services include sound healing and holistic facials.
“My dream has always been to have a community of like-minded businesses all in one central location,” Fischer said.
The Samana Holistic Center is now located right next to the café on South Street. Fischer said having the businesses adjacent to one another is very convenient. People will take a class at the studio then stop by the café for juice or food. People who stop by the café can get a free class pass to use at the studio.
For more information about the Vyana Cafe, visit the website at www.vyanacafe.com or email love@vyanacafe.com.
For more information about the Samana Holistic Center, visit the website www.samanahc.com or email love@samanahc.com.
