As several spots along the Central Coast temporarily close up shop for the holidays, one business has announced a more permanent closure.
JOY— a health bar in Shell Beach known for its colorful juices, bowls, and smoothies— recently announced on Facebook that its last day of operation would be Dec. 30.
Owner Chelsea Brescia started the business on Shell Beach Road in 2017.
"It was started to be a space in our community where people could come and release their breath and take care of themselves by drinking our juices and [eating] our smoothies and our acai bowls," Brescia said. "It was a great gathering spot."
Although the shop had an optimistic start, the owner tells KSBY that several factors bogged down its success over the years.
"We are closing because business has not been great. We haven't been able to secure a future here in this building," she said.
Brescia adds that the COVID-19 pandemic and the drawn-out construction on Shell Beach Road made it harder for JOY to attract customers.
"It's definitely been hard," Brescia told KSBY. "You don't want to take the JOY out of Shell Beach, but hopefully, you know, Shell Beach is joy, so hopefully they remember that."
The business's post on Facebook detailing the closure garnered a large amount of attention from the community, with many people commenting that the business helped them along their health journey.
JOY's owner says local customers have played an integral part in the business.
"It's very emotional for all of us," Brescia said. "They've been so loyal and loving and wonderful and supportive, which makes it really hard to close this down, because we've made a lot of great friends here."
The building housing JOY has been listed on Realty.com for $1.6 million.
As for Brescia, she says she hopes to rebuild the business once things settle down.
"I would love to open up something somewhere else. I'm gonna take a minute and breathe, catch my breath, and figure out how to recover from the financial situation here," she said. "But if the opportunity arose, and I had a business partner or investor and the right location, [...] I'd definitely still take care of my Shell Beach community."
For customers wanting to stock up on JOY's products before Dec. 30, the owner says they must place their order online no later than Friday.
