It is with a heavy heart that I write to you about Whole Sol's complete closure, occurring next Friday, 1/19. What has been a completely transformative journey must come to an end.
Due to rising food and labor costs, food supply shortages, landlords evacuating full apartment and office buildings above us, tough economic conditions, and the general nature of the restaurant industry, Whole Sol is no longer a sustainable business. We have spent the last year fighting for the growth and profits we had seen in previous years of the business, but as just a two person (one family) ownership team, the financial burden has become too large for us to bear.
We have always said that our customers and employees are the best part of Whole Sol, and that has remained true until the end. Thank you to those who have provided unwavering support of our small Mom and Pop Business.
Throughout our operation, I am really proud that we never compromised on our promise to provide organic smoothie bols and juices, even when the going got tough. Of course, we could have swapped for cheaper ingredients, but that didn't seem like the right thing to do to our Sol Fam, since it isn't the way we would eat at home.
All of our ingredients are organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, and plant-forward. We make sure we only use ingredients that you can pronounce and that each ingredient has a benefit for your health.
OUR SOL
Whole Sol blends up next-level smoothie bols. We harness the power of the world’s OG superfoods to make food that’s good for you, look and taste good too.
We give it up to the Mayans, who were the first people to uncover the health benefits of superfoods. Our bols are filled with old ingredients spun in a new way that allows you to treat your body like the temple that it is.
Whole Sol is the brainchild of Phil Dumontet, food delivery extraordinaire, and Alexa Squillaro, Master of Nutrition. The two came together while training for the New York City Marathon, and after talking race nutrition for years, decided that Whole Sol was the best way to make the healthy option the easy one too.
Dumontet told What Now Denver of the Longmont location, 'Alexa and I are thrilled to bring Whole Sol’s signature smoothie bowls and 100% organic, gluten-free cuisine to Longmont with our 6th location in Colorado. This facility will also be home to our new state-of-the-art USDA organic juice assembly line and commissary, which will serve all of our Colorado locations and wholesale partners.'
"With five locations, plus two more opening this fall (in Longmont and Fort Collins), Whole Sol makes it easy to satisfy your açai craving. We’ll admit: We do so often."
"...the perfect place to stop after a workout at the lake or just to grab a healthy snack. 9 News, Everything you need to know about visiting Sloan Lake"
Whole Sol Blend Bar ranked #15 on the Regionals 2022: Rocky Mountains - Meet the 60 Economic All-Stars of the Rocky Mountains
Whole Sol CEO Phil Dumontet named to Boulder Valley's 40 Under 40
#1 Ranked Fastest-Growing Company, Denver Business Journal.
5280 Magazine Names Whole Sol Blend Bar WINNER of TOP OF THE TOWN 2021, Best Brunch, Best Vegan/Vegetarian, Best Takeout - 5280
Colorado Restaurant Employs 64 Workers During Hiring Shortage - CBS
Businesses find creative ways to overcome service worker shortage - ABC News
"Chock-full of smoothie bowls, toasts, and snacks sporting ingredients we could all probably stand to eat more of, like dragon fruit, açaí, chia, and kale ... Pick up the brand's 100-percent organic and dairy- and gluten-free superfood... at chic storefronts in RiNo and at Boulder’s 29th Street Mall." - 5280, Whole Sol Blend Bar Adds Two New Locations to Superfood Empire
"Everything on Whole Sol’s menu is organic, gluten-free and dairy-free and all items can be made vegan upon request — if they aren’t already. Whole Sol’s signature smoothie bowls have no added sugar, fruit juice, sweeteners or preservatives of any kind and average under 400 calories per bowl. The açaí is 100% pure and wild-harvested and blended with organic fruit to create a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that tastes amazing when topped with Purely Elizabeth granola and fresh fruit" - 303 Magazine, Whole Sol Opens Flagship Location at Sloan’s Lake
Best Denver Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants, 2021
"Taking smoothie bowls to the next-level.. the perfect way to kick-start your morning, wrap up a solid workout, or shake off an afternoon energy crash. Whole Sol brings health nuts a boost of energy that is equal parts healthy and delicious." - DiningOut
"... healthy and energizing cuisine designed as much to invigorate as to delight... head here to stock up on toast and healthy bowls galore." - 303 Magazine
"A nutritious menu fit for athletes.. all organic and gluten- and dairy-free. Top 10 Toasts to Try in Denver" - Eater
"...the queen 👑 of smoothie bowls - OUT OF THIS WORLD... 10/10 delicious and will definitely be my new go to place in the Denver area" - @liftingspoons
"The MOST delicious smoothie bowls... Phil & Alexa are changing the game with no refined sugars, plenty of local ingredients, and an obvious homemade touch." - @whatcaitate
"My new go-to for ORGANIC and super healthy bowls, juices, avo toasts, salads." - @wholenikolenutrition
"The hype is REAL."- @raeehly
"This new place in Denver is 🔥🔥🔥" - @fooodini
Frequently Asked Questions About Whole Sol
What makes your juices USDA certified organic cold pressed?
We use 100% certified organic ingredients! This means that our ingredients come from farmers who grow certified organic produce. We take it a step further and have received our USDA certification, which provides 100% certainty that everything in our juices is always organic.
To receive this certification, organic products must be produced using agricultural production practices that foster resource cycling, promote ecological balance, maintain and improve soil and water quality, minimize the use of synthetic materials, and conserve biodiversity. Products must be overseen by a USDA NOP-authorized certifying agent, following all USDA organic regulations, produced without excluded or prohibited methods (e.g., genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge) and only produced using allowed substances.
Do you make your vegan spreads, butters, and jams?
We make our own Raspberry Chia Jam, Hemp Pesto, Dijon Dressing & Chai. The only ingredients in our nut butters are either peanuts in the peanut butter or almonds in the almond butter.
For the rest of our spreads and butters, we partner with local brands and other small businesses to help promote other businesses with similar missions! These companies include Ozo Coffee, Purely Elizabeth, Madhava Honey, Treeline Nut Cheese and Oathaus.
What role did nutritionists play in developing your menu?
Our nutritionists wanted to meet two goals when designing our menu. The first is that everything is the highest quality and provides the highest level of nutrition for your body. Everything is always organic, gluten-free and dairy free. Our smoothie bowls never have any added sugars, juices, yogurts, processed ingredients or anything that isn't real food.
What kinds of ingredients go into the juices, smoothies, bols etc?
All of our ingredients are gluten-free, dairy-free, and plant-forward. We make sure we only use ingredients that you can pronounce and that each ingredient has a benefit for your health. We are 100% transparent. We have complete lists of ingredients in all of our stores that customers can ask a team member to see. This includes full information about allergens. We want to make sure everyone can find something to eat and stay safe at Whole Sol, no matter what your allergies are.
How do you cold press your juices, what is the process?
Cold-pressed juicing is a process that presses fruits and vegatables to extract their juice. Unlike other juicing methods, cold-pressed juicing does not create heat. This helps to maintain all of the nutrients in the produce and extends the shelf-life of the juice.
How do you ensure freshness?
Firstly, you'll see that our products have a shorter shelf life than many of our competitors. This is because we don't include any preservatives or additives to keep them fresh longer. This is a great thing! The nutrition of many foods decreases as time increases, so the highest nutrient density occurs when food is fresh. We train our team members to stay vigilant about the state and quality of all of our ingredients. If something doesn't seem right, it doesn't get served. We work with local produce suppliers to ensure that everything is in the best condition upon delivery so we pass this onto you!
How do you achieve diverse and delicious flavors while maintaining vegan, dairy free, and gluten-free options?
A lot of people have misconceptions that vegan food has to be boring or lack flavor, but that's simply not the case! Nature produces a seemingly unlimited supply of different colors, textures and flavors, and all it takes is a little bit of love and hard-work to combine these flavors in ways that are absolutely irresistible. We love to utilize classic combinations like peanut butter and banana, rice and beans, chocolate and coffee, but we also love creating unique combinations like avocado and white truffle, pumpkin and mango, and sweet potato and orange. It takes a lot of time to develop the perfect recipes, but we are committed to making everything the best.