A local restaurant owner to open a new juice, smoothie bar on Belleville’s Main Street

Downtown Belleville is about to welcome another new business to Main Street.

Maya, a juice bar and more, will open next week at 106 E. Main St. and offer a variety of healthy, freshly made juices, smoothies and salads, and more.

The establishment is the newest addition to owner Daniel Gonzalez’s family of businesses that include Casa Maria Mexican Grill, Gasa Maria Grab & Go, and Grüv Bistro & Wine Bar, all in Belleville, and Proving Ground in Columbia.

Gonzalez and Nicolas Velasco, who will run Maya, put a lot of work into the space to create a bright and welcoming setting for folks to enjoy as they partake of the offerings.

New flooring and lights were installed, and the narrow space is lined on both sides with seating.

The walls are painted with a bright green on one side and yellow and white on the other.

One of the front windows will be available for customers to take selfies for Instagram or other social media. The space features a lighted Maya sign and other wall décor for a fun background for photos.

Also in the window space are potted plants, including fruit trees. Plants are placed throughout Maya, adding more color to the healthy, natural feel of the place.

Gonzalez said their use of street signs and other fun signage gives the space the feel of a Mexican street market.

Signs like “Smoothie Av,” “Veracruz” and “Maya St 2024” mark different sections of the room.

Other signs, formatted like parking signs, have messages like “Warning!! You’re about to be healthier than ever” and “A juice cleanse is like a breakup.”

Other touches adding to the street market effect include hanging lanterns and crates of fruit displayed on one counter.

One wall prominently displays a Mayan concept that reads, “Health is the result of living according to the laws of nature and society, and illness the result of the transgression of those laws.”

This statement is attributed to the ancient Mayans, who saw health as balance and illness as imbalance. The idea holds true to the culture today.

The Mayan culture is very connected to nature, said Gonzalez.

“We eat what’s of the earth,” he said.

They will kick off with a simple menu, which is still a work in progress, and adjust as they go, based on what customers’ feedback and requests.

Multiple juices, smoothies, salads and sno-cones (including sugar-free flavors) will be offered. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the majority of the ingredients used at Maya.

Gonzalez thinks Maya will appeal to people of all ages, including teens. He hopes they’ll see it as a place they can hang out after school and on weekends while enjoying smoothies.

Gonzalez said they plan to open Thursday, May 16, and start off slow. To start, hours at Maya will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

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