Michael Chernow is all about living well.
The restaurateur behind The Meatball Shop and Seamore’s is focusing on the functional beverage market with his latest venture, WellWell.
The cold-pressed juice ($4.99/bottle) is made with watermelon, tart cherry and lemon and is currently rolling out in Whole Foods across the Northeast — including every location in New York City.
In addition to Chernow, WellWell is made up of sommelier Sagan Schultz, who formulated the beverage, photographer Collin Hughes and Larry Praeger, CEO of the frozen foods company Dr. Praeger’s.
Chernow, who is an ambassador for Lululemon’s men’s brand, didn’t have any doubts about entering an already crowded juice market after connecting with Schultz through a mutual contact at Lululemon.
“I don’t believe there are so many other beverages out there like WellWell,” Chernow says. “There are very few watermelon-based beverages on the market today, and there are very few beverages that actually have clinically proven benefits. The amount of ingredients that we have in every single bottle of WellWell is clinically tested and proven to be effective and make an impact in your life.”
Though targeted toward the fitness crowd, Chernow sees WellWell as being an everyday beverage.
“You can drink it after working out, it’s something you can have with breakfast in the morning,” Chernow says. “It’s an all-around delicious, refreshing beverage that happens to be super-functional.”
In addition to Whole Foods, WellWell will be available on-tap starting next month at Seamore’s. Chernow also envisions it at boutique studios across the city, like Soho Strength Lab, where he trains.
“I feel like the majority of people today, whether they act on it or not, have health and wellness at the front of their mind,” Chernow says. “They want to be healthier and want to put things into their bodies that make them feel better about themselves. This is a fun way for them to take a step in that direction.”
Making WellWell
Michael Chernow breaks down WellWell’s three ingredients and the role they play in the cold-pressed juice:
Watermelon: “The majority of the beverage is organic, cold-pressed watermelon juice. Watermelon juice carries the largest natural resource of citrulline, a very potent amino acid.”
Tart cherry: “It adds a really, really interesting tart flavor to the beverage. It also is a very potent anti-inflammatory and an incredible resource for antioxidants. It attacks post-workout soreness.”
Biodynamic lemon: “You’ve got your sweet, and you’ve got your tart. The lemon just balances the whole thing out.”
