Starbucks Opens First-Ever Juice Store in Downtown Bellevue

Evolution Fresh, Starbucks Coffee Company's new juice and fresh foods concept, opened after weeks of mystery at the storefront of .

Starbucks officially opened the store Monday morning, after speculation on Downtown Bellevue Network's blog and a preview posted last night in USA Today.

The Bellevue Square store is the first, and will be followed by another store in Seattle in the next three to six months, Starbucks officials say.

The concept will be tested and tweaked in the Bellevue and Seattle locations, said Kevin Petrisko, director of operations of Evolution Fresh.

"We hope customers challenge themselves to be creative here, and challenge us through this journey," he said.

The Evolution Fresh store offers a juice bar with eight juices on tap and frozen fruit available. The ingredients can be combined into any combination of juices and smoothies. Prices range from $4.99 for an 8-ounce juice, $7.99 for a 16-ounce juice and $6.99 for a smoothie.

The store also offers a food station with healthy options such as salads, sandwiches and wraps, breakfasts, including oatmeal and scrambled egg dishes and small batch soups.

And, yes, you can find Starbucks coffee—just Pikes Place Roast pour-over coffee. For espresso, go next door to Starbucks at The Lodge.

However, one thing you won't find at Evolution Fresh is a juicer.

According to Petrisko, the cold pressed, high pressure processing system that is centralized at its juice factory in California enables the company to sanitize the juice while retaining the flavors, vitamins and nutrients of raw fruits and vegetables.

The juices and smoothies are sugar-free and have spice options such as cayenne and cinnamon.

Bellevue Square was selected to launch the new concept because of local interest in natural and healthful food options, Petrisko said.

"We wanted to create a new brand that focused on wellness," he said.

Petrisko, who has been with the company for 16 years, said Starbucks acquired San Bernadino, Calif., based Evolution Fresh, a bottled juice company that distributed in markets such as Whole Foods. With today's launch, Evolution Fresh and its new logo will be expanded to additional grocery stores and in Starbucks stores.