Naturopathic specialists Patrick Love and Lauren Boldebuck plan to open a Wellness Tree juice bar in December on north Hamilton Street, near Gonzaga University.

Construction on what will be their second Wellness Tree began in late October in approximately 750 square feet of retail space in the Matilda Building, at 1028 N. Hamilton. Forza Coffee Co., Empire Fitness, and Clark’s Fork restaurant also occupy space on the ground level of the 88,000-square-foot, four-story mixed-use building, which has three levels of apartment units.

“We would love to open in mid-December with a grand opening the first of next year,” Boldebuck says.

Boldebuck and Love opened their first Wellness Tree in August 2015 at 1025 S. Perry, in the South Perry District, next door to Perry Street Brewing. Their 1,500-square-foot business space has four treatment therapy rooms and a juice bar stocked with specialty teas and natural juices with the ability to make fruit and vegetable smoothies and a mix of acai bowl selections.

The University District location will only have a food and juice bar, Boldebuck says.

Not long after opening the South Perry store, word quickly spread among college students about the Wellness Tree’s offerings, she says.

“We do have a big following with Gonzaga students and thought this would be an ideal way to grow the business and serve them,” she says. “It’s going to be a little faster paced, but I think it’s going to be a good location for us.”

Boldebuck and Love plan to install a cold-press juicer, which will enable Wellness Tree to make juice selections in volumes that can be refrigerated for up to four or five days.

“Our thought is that this location will have more of a grab-and-go feel to it with both the student population, fitness club members and users of the Warehouse (athletic facility) next door,” she says.

Hours of operation haven’t been set; however, Boldebuck says the Wellness Tree north probably will have longer hours based on area foot traffic and being in an apartment complex.