About Us
Here is our story of how an ice cream shop in a small-town mall in New Jersey evolved into several shops with healthy options of juices, smoothies & bowls. We created a mission to our community to provide healthy fast food alternatives to a not so healthy fast food world.
The company’s founder, Yiani Galanos, came from Greece with one suitcase and a drive to live the American dream. He left his family and everything he knew to create a better life for himself and his future family. His two oldest children, Vasili & Christina, grew up with the same drive and love for business and had an especially immense attachment to the fruit shake and juice bar. Christina went to Rutgers for Dietetics, so from the beginning she had a vision for the store to evolve into a health-conscious shop. Vasili traveled to different regions surfing and noticed a lot of health trends that he insisted need to be a part of the shop’s menu. With Yiani’s business expertise, Christina’s passion for health, and Vasili’s eye for innovation, the three teamed up to create a chain of shops that provided the freshest ingredients of fruit shakes, juices, and bowls. The three perfected a juice bar case where all the fruits and vegetables are right in front of your eyes, ready for customization for each customer’s experience. This idea is when the concept of the shop really started to grow, in 2011 the trio noticed the growing niche for healthier options and the lack there was in the area. The one kiosk store in a mall turned into a chain of family owned shops all across New Jersey, including a food truck trailer!
What makes Cali Shakes stand out from all the other juice bar and smoothie shops out there? Everything that gets put into our products is right there in front of you, no lies, no powders, no artificial ingredients. We have a fresh fruit display where you can watch exactly what you will be drinking, no gimics. Cali Shakes has become part of the community by adding some health and convenience to places that do not have too many of those options around them! Yiani, Vasili and Christina hope to continue growing this business and building a team to show people just how unique the shops are!
