At Turners Falls’ newest juice bar, physical wellness meets community creativity.
Located behind a vibrant purple and blue storefront at 109 Avenue A, Ritual Bowl has officially opened its doors, delivering on 35-year-old owner Cindy Ferrer’s vision to nourish both the body and mind by combining freshly-made, nutritious juices, acai bowls and smoothies with a space for artistic creation and community connection.
“I had this idea to combine nourishment and creativity as one thing,” Ferrer explained. “Ritual Bowl essentially is not just a space to come and get smoothies, but it’s a space that encourages you to nourish yourself through getting something like healthy, like cold-pressed juice, but also having space to make art.”
The space features a dining bar top alongside additional seating. The dining room features a large hummingbird mural painted by multidisciplinary artist Mr Mustart as well as a dedicated art space for patrons to create their own artwork. An adjacent “Ritual Room,” which, when complete, will honor members of the Montague community for their contributions to the five villages.
Ferrer, a New York City native who moved to Turners Falls with her partner in 2019, is an artist and art educator. She is also the former owner of Terrestrial Roots Co., a retail cannabis shop. Her inspiration for opening a health-focused eatery stems from a personal commitment self-care and nutritional wellness, noting that her interest in plant medicine and smoothie-making began in in her 20s.
Ferrer also recalled how readily available acai bowls were during a visit to Puerto Rico, contrasting that with the limited options available upon her return to western Massachusetts. Realizing she possessed the skills to craft them, she wanted to bring those options to local residents.
“I don’t need to do this alone,” Ferrer said, “We can all have fun, create, eat well and nourish our bodies through food and through art. And I hope people can come in, feel that energy and get inspired.”
The entire menu at Ritual Bowl will be made fresh in-house. The cold-pressed juices feature specific combinations of minerals and micronutrients designed to help support immunity, energy and hydration. Customers can build their own acai bowls with toppings like peanut butter or Nutella, or choose from a selection of fruit flavor profiles for smoothies, such as berry, matcha and tropical fruit. Savory avocado toast and sweet peanut-butter-and-banana toast round out the food menu, alongside fresh pastries sourced from Lemon Bakery in Amherst.
Ferrer aims to keep costs accessible by sourcing ingredients locally, including partnering with neighboring farm-to-table restaurant, Great Falls Harvest.
As Ritual Bowl establishes itself, Ferrer is continuing to build out the “Ritual Room,” which she describes as an homage to community members who have contributed to Montague.
Ferrer said the name reflects her desire to encourage patrons to pause for small, daily grounding practices. Her hope is for the room to become a space where individuals can find a quiet moment to be grateful for where they are in a moment, and remember those who came before them that helped shape the community. Ultimately, Ferrer wants to emphasize that healthy eating is entirely about lifestyle balance.
“It’s encouraging our community to have that sense of balance,” she said. “If you need to have a break from the heavier foods and items that are out there, you can always balance it with some lighter items.”
Ritual Bowl is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The business will also feature extended evening hours on the first Friday of every month to participate in Turners Falls First Friday events.
To follow updates, visit Ritual Bowl’s website at tinyurl.com/bdd4ctt8.
