When Preston Ephraim took over the restaurant at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo in Flatts, some people winced. The restaurant space had been through several different proprietors.

None of them could make it work because patrons are limited to paid visitors to the facility.

Mr Ephraim ignored the naysayers, opening a branch of his cold-pressed drink business, OM Juicery. Two years later, things are going well.

“We have partnered with Toney Edmonds, of Simple, to provide the food,” Mr Ephraim said. “We are thankful to be offering healthier options to people at the Aquarium. We have wraps, sandwiches, cold-brewed coffee and cold-pressed juices. We make popcorn on site. Everything is made from scratch.”

Meanwhile, his juices are now available in grocery stores and gas stations island-wide.

In May, he opened an OM Juicery retail outlet at 28 Queen Street in Hamilton.

“Business is consistent,” the fitness coach said. “Individuals who could not get to us before, can now run in and pick up a cold-pressed juice.

“It is great for those individuals who are on the go who may not necessarily have a solid nutritional regime.”

The new space also gets walk-in traffic. “People receive more nutrients and vitamins in a 12oz OM Juicery bottle than they would in two or three days from their regular diet,” he said. “There are 2lbs of produce in every bottle.”

He said he is challenged to get buyers to understand the difference between his cold-pressed juice and other kinds.

“You cannot ship cold-pressed juice like this from the United States, without it being pasteurised,” he said. “Ours is completely alive. It is completely raw. It is completely living.”

His juice is made in small batches, and what is not sold is destroyed after five days.

“We do not have to throw out much, because we dial in,” he said. “We are not haphazardly making juice. We carry over 30 blends, and we know what sells.”

He said Bermuda has no rules about pasteurising locally-made juice.

“The machine to do that would cost over a million dollars,” he said. “We just would not be able to get the equipment here.”

He has found that what people are looking for at OM Juicery changes seasonally. At this time of year, the green juices move, but people are looking for something lighter.

“When there are events for cycling or running, the desire for juices with greens and beets kicks off,” he said. “If ever something is selling, we can reasonably make more.”

His juice can contain upwards of 70 per cent organic and locally grown produce. However, at the height of summer, Bermuda farmers do not grow as much, because it is too hot.

“We cannot get local produce as much,” he said. “We buy overseas greens.”

He said the “universe” led him to open his shop on Queen Street. It is a tight space, not much bigger than an oversized broom closet.

“I had driven by and noticed a sticker on the door,” he said. “One day, I thought what is in there?”

He inquired about the space and ended up renting it.