Ric Kindle Brings LIVE! to Pensacola
May 07, 2017 09:34AM ● By Emmalee Sutton
LIVE! Juice Bar and More!—a multidimensional venue with an all-raw menu and juice bar; stages for musicians, poets and other performers; and a space for local artists to display their work—is set to open August 25. Inspired by similar venues in New Orleans and other cities, Pensacola local Ric Kindle is spearheading this endeavor to support the community through art, food, music and education, and he has launched a GoFundMe for those who share his vision and want to help bring it to fruition.
Kindle, who teaches yoga and puts on local events and festivals, is well known around town. He is often seen tending to his community garden or delivering fresh veggies to friends. “I understand the value of a space for health-conscious folks in this area,” he says. “LIVE! will be a place for people to practice mindfulness through conscious eating, drinking and community involvement.”
That vision begins with a juice bar that delivers the health benefits of a variety of fresh, organic ingredients. “LIVE!’s menu will include several detox juices that help with digestion and the replenishment of healthy vitamins, nutrients and minerals that store-bought juices lack,” Kindle says.
The live juice and raw food menu is being created by holistic chef Sara Yarbrough, who has a master’s degree in medical nutrition therapy from Stony Brook University and is also a musician, gong alchemist and raw foods instructor.
“Our aim is to be different than most raw restaurants you find,” she says. “Of course you’ll find juices, salads, bowls and snacks on the menu, but we are looking to elevate raw plant-based foods to the next level. You aren’t just choosing it for the vibrancy, raw enzymes and probiotics that living foods offer. You are also choosing it for the flavor, the love and care that go into the preparation, the beautiful presentation and the satisfaction of having an absolutely incredible meal while having the confidence and empowerment that come from doing something better for yourself.”
As for the ingredients, LIVE! will source its fruits and veggies from local gardens, markets, farms and other regional vendors whenever possible, Kindle says. “It is a community endeavor through and through, aiming to empower the local while giving visitors a healthy, colorful, delicious experience to remember.”
In keeping with its name, LIVE! will also have a living wall inside on which herbs will grow to be used in juices.
LIVE! will be located at 532 Garden Street—often referred to as “the old car wash off Garden.” Kindle used the space to host the art and music series Curated Compassion: Tolerance, Part II, benefiting local nonprofits such as the Children’s Home Society, the Beacon Shelter for Women and Children, and Westgate School.
Turning this historic 1950s building into a useful space for community health and wellness as well as a haven for patrons of the arts will provide the opportunity for people of all walks of life to come together, he says. “People may come for the music and discover the delicious benefits of raw eating. Or they may come to grab a juice or one of Sara’s delectable raw creations and end up staying and dancing to the live music.”
Among the educational events and entertainment planned for LIVE! are monthly art exhibitions and nonprofit fundraisers, as well as stage performances several times a week. Kindle also envisions the space as a headquarters for nutrition, meditation and yoga classes.
Students will feel right at home at LIVE!, where they can feed their bodies and their brains,” he says.
The venue will feature a rooftop deck with seating and a second stage where customers and performers can enjoy sunshine and sunsets while they eat, drink and listen to live music.
“I’m really excited to bring this space to Pensacola,” Kindle says. “I feel the time is right for something like this. The combination of conscious food, art and music sounds like the perfect formula for success. The response we’re hearing from the community is already overwhelming—I can’t wait for opening day. In fact, I’ve already had someone call to try and order a juice.”
For updates, visit LIVEPensacola.us. To donate, visit GoFundMe.com/LivePensacola.
Kindle, who teaches yoga and puts on local events and festivals, is well known around town. He is often seen tending to his community garden or delivering fresh veggies to friends. “I understand the value of a space for health-conscious folks in this area,” he says. “LIVE! will be a place for people to practice mindfulness through conscious eating, drinking and community involvement.”
That vision begins with a juice bar that delivers the health benefits of a variety of fresh, organic ingredients. “LIVE!’s menu will include several detox juices that help with digestion and the replenishment of healthy vitamins, nutrients and minerals that store-bought juices lack,” Kindle says.
The live juice and raw food menu is being created by holistic chef Sara Yarbrough, who has a master’s degree in medical nutrition therapy from Stony Brook University and is also a musician, gong alchemist and raw foods instructor.
“Our aim is to be different than most raw restaurants you find,” she says. “Of course you’ll find juices, salads, bowls and snacks on the menu, but we are looking to elevate raw plant-based foods to the next level. You aren’t just choosing it for the vibrancy, raw enzymes and probiotics that living foods offer. You are also choosing it for the flavor, the love and care that go into the preparation, the beautiful presentation and the satisfaction of having an absolutely incredible meal while having the confidence and empowerment that come from doing something better for yourself.”
As for the ingredients, LIVE! will source its fruits and veggies from local gardens, markets, farms and other regional vendors whenever possible, Kindle says. “It is a community endeavor through and through, aiming to empower the local while giving visitors a healthy, colorful, delicious experience to remember.”
In keeping with its name, LIVE! will also have a living wall inside on which herbs will grow to be used in juices.
LIVE! will be located at 532 Garden Street—often referred to as “the old car wash off Garden.” Kindle used the space to host the art and music series Curated Compassion: Tolerance, Part II, benefiting local nonprofits such as the Children’s Home Society, the Beacon Shelter for Women and Children, and Westgate School.
Turning this historic 1950s building into a useful space for community health and wellness as well as a haven for patrons of the arts will provide the opportunity for people of all walks of life to come together, he says. “People may come for the music and discover the delicious benefits of raw eating. Or they may come to grab a juice or one of Sara’s delectable raw creations and end up staying and dancing to the live music.”
Among the educational events and entertainment planned for LIVE! are monthly art exhibitions and nonprofit fundraisers, as well as stage performances several times a week. Kindle also envisions the space as a headquarters for nutrition, meditation and yoga classes.
Students will feel right at home at LIVE!, where they can feed their bodies and their brains,” he says.
The venue will feature a rooftop deck with seating and a second stage where customers and performers can enjoy sunshine and sunsets while they eat, drink and listen to live music.
“I’m really excited to bring this space to Pensacola,” Kindle says. “I feel the time is right for something like this. The combination of conscious food, art and music sounds like the perfect formula for success. The response we’re hearing from the community is already overwhelming—I can’t wait for opening day. In fact, I’ve already had someone call to try and order a juice.”
For updates, visit LIVEPensacola.us. To donate, visit GoFundMe.com/LivePensacola.
Emmalee Sutton is a local poet, dance instructor and creator of eco-friendly, nature-based jewelry at Mariposa Mamma. She is director of content strategy and development for a digital marketing company based in Pensacola, and curator of Earth Conscious Pensacola, a Facebook Group and community movement dedicated to environmental activism and education.
