The Joy Bar, Glen Ellyn is a small business located in the heart of the town. This hotspot has been the talk of the town since its opening. I fell in love with the sunny space, comfortable seating, yummy food, delicious drinks, coffee, strong wifi, and how some aspects support those choosing an eco-friendly lifestyle. It has quickly become my go-to for Monday morning work sessions and meetings. Plus, the atmosphere is exiting and inspiring.

About The Joy Bar, Glen Ellyn

The Joy Bar was started by two women who wanted to bring their healthy living values to the community. And thus, the quaint spot opened its doors, inviting others to select quick and healthy food/ drink options. The Joy Bar is located across from the train station, allowing commuters easier access to healthy yet delicious snack or meal options. The Joy Bar has a few ready made items such as pre-packaged juices, snack bars, salads, and wraps/ sandwiches.

The Vibe:

I will say, this might not be the environment to work from if you’re looking for a quiet space. Many moms with young children stop in or dine in, plus blenders are regularly used. This is not the space to take work calls — especially when you have to unmute. However, if you’re not sensitive to noise and like the busy scene, this may be the spot for you.

Food & Drink Selection:

The Joy Bar menu offers gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. This is not a dedicated peanut-free facility but they offer peanut-free substitutes. Those with severe peanut allergies should be warned as peanut-butter is airborne and used in various menu items.

I’m gluten-free and peanut-free. Thankfully my peanut allergy at this time is not severe. When I’m ordering, I make sure to tell the person that I have a peanut allergy and I request that the counters/ preparation areas and blenders are cleaned before my items are made, just to avoid cross contamination or accidents. The employees have been nothing but kind and supportive to do this. I have never been met with an attitude, eye roll, or anything negative no matter how inconvenient it may be. This is truly reassuring as sometimes there’s anxiety around food allergies and eating at new places.

Sustainability & The Impact Of Using Recycled Plastic:

While The Joy Bar promotes health and wellness through the promotion and offering of high-quality healthy foods, it seems counterproductive to me as a lot of these foods are served in recycled plastics. Not only is recycled plastics greenwashing (a fancy way of saying that the industry is lying that this is eco-friendly), a study determined that recycled plastics are harmful to people when used as food and drink packaging or containers. How? The study found that “reusing and recycling plastics can also lead to unintended negative impacts because hazardous chemicals, like endocrine disrupters and carcinogens, can be released during reuse and accumulate during recycling. In this way, plastic reuse and recycling become vectors for spreading chemicals of concern. This is especially concerning when plastics are reused for food packaging, or when food packaging is made with recycled plastics.”

While there isn’t any additional information on the supply chain or validity of the recycled plastics The Joy Bar uses, I hope the owners consider plastic alternatives in the near future. Not only is this better for the environment, but it backs the mission they founded their company around.

Plastic Alternatives

Plastic take away alternatives include compostable containers, beeswax wrap for sandwiches and other items, silicone containers, glass, and plenty more. Thankfully we live in an age where technology is the best it has ever been. There is a ton of resources out there to make the transition easier and budget-friendly.

Food Selection

As mentioned in the section above, The Joy Bar offers vegetarian and vegan food and drink options. This is great for those who are choosing to avoid or reduce their meat and animal-product intake to live more sustainably and lessen their personal impact. Additionally, their menu has a lot of seasonal items, which is great for utilizing seasonal produce and engaging with the options that are currently available and in stores. While there are staples that are on the menu year round, I was pleased to learn about the seasonality offerings.

Shopping and eating seasonal fruits and vegetables minimizes environmental impact. The Joy Bar’s choice to include seasonal produce means they aren’t specially ordering as many fruits and vegetables, which reduces the amount of resources, waste, and travel emission the business is responsible for and directly contributes to.

My Favorite Menu Items:

“Revitalized” Joy Juice
”Hot Shot” Power Juice
“Peaceful” Smoothie – I order half a banana instead of a full, so it’s less creamy
“The Trinity” – I order it gluten-free with bananas and strawberries on top