"Health Is Life" Press & Co, Kimberly Cox, Daphne

Press & Co. in Olde Towne Daphne will celebrate its first anniversary with a party on Friday evening, August 16th, beginning at 5:30 pm. The celebration will include live music, entrees, appetizers, and specialty cocktails. You're invited, so make plans to attend!

Press & Co. is a healthy cafe offering a clean menu that serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week from 7:00 am - 2:30 pm. It’s the go-to place for all things nutritious and delicious. The vision of Kimberly Cox, who calls this venture her Pain to Purpose project, was an effort to regain her energy and spirit after having three children through healthy eating.

She researched what foods were good for the body and how they would affect changes in health. She earned a self-taught education by reading lots of books and learning all she could about healthy, clean food. Along her health journey, the more she implemented eating well into her lifestyle, the better she felt. 

After trial and error, she discovered that the way foods are processed makes a huge difference in the way your body reacts. In her travels abroad, she could eat gluten and it didn’t have a bad effect on how she felt like it did at home. She learned that flour is processed differently in Europe and other countries.

Inspired by all of the cool, healthy cafes she encountered over the years while traveling, Kimberly decided she wanted to provide nutritious breakfast and lunch options to her very own community. Tasty and refreshing juices and homemade smoothie recipes all found their way to Press & Co.’s expansive menu.  

“We wanted to create a cafe with not only healthy food options, but with a menu that has something for everyone, and also offered a welcoming, uplifting atmosphere,” says Kimberly. “What started as a juice bar with coffee and limited food items has grown into a full-fledged restaurant and quite the gathering place. The City of Daphne and the Olde Towne community have been so supportive, but it has also really been fun to meet customers from all over, as the word has gotten out.”  

Five months before opening Press & Co., Kimberly engaged Hunter Harris, a trained culinary chef to develop the menu, supervise the kitchen layout, source products and ingredients, and begin building the team. Press & Co. opened on August 12, 2023, to much acclaim. 

On April 1, 2024, Hunter’s wife, Amber, also a chef, joined the team. (Amber and Hunter were featured in Scenic 98 Coastal for their monthly Mon Louis Supper Club held on the Western shores of Mobile Bay) The two work closely with Kimberly, in the upstairs offices complete with a test kitchen, and are continuing to test and add menu items.. Plans are being made to add special events like wine dinners and catering services are coming soon.

The catalyst for creating Press & Co. was the juices Kimberly discovered early in her pursuit of a healthy, clean eating lifestyle, so let’s start there. Every Tuesday and Saturday the team shuts down the building, rearranges the kitchen, brings out the large juicing machine, and gets to work. From 2:30 to 9:00 pm, they press fresh juices. 

The result is seven juices in 20 recycled glass bottles of each per press. “We only use fresh, organic produce,” says Hunter. “No water or sugars added, just pure pressed juice.”  There is always one seasonal juice called the “Wild Card.” This summer’s Wild Card features watermelon, strawberries, and red beets. “It’s healthy and delicious,” says Amber.

Press & Co. serves a full breakfast all day long. Weekends have two brunch specials including gluten-free Belgian waffles and Press & Co.’s version of the Mimosa called Press and Champagne. “These are made with the freshest juice possible and organic champagne.” They also serve cocktails made with organic vodka, tequila, and gin including a Healthy Mary, House Margarita, and a Cold Brew Martini.

“Our coffee is sourced from Amavida Coffee which is roasted on 30-A. It’s all organic and local to the area. Instead of hashbrowns, we make a spiced sweet potato hash Brabant-style that is really popular. We don’t use any seed oil which is more processed and may not be as clean. Instead, we cook with avocado oil, which is better for you,” says Amber 

A few weeks ago, I met a friend there for lunch. The friendly staff helped me choose the Tomato Grilled Cheese on Sourdough with a side of Organic Blue Corn Chips and housemade salsa. My friend, George, had the Buffalo Chicken Wrap, which is made with free-range chicken raised without antibiotics. We were both happy.

They can accommodate several food allergies or dietary restrictions, while mainly focusing on gluten-free and dairy-free options. They offer four types of gluten-free bread choices as substitutions for any menu item: sourdough bread, wraps, buns, or pita options. Amber tells me the grass-fed Burger and air-fried sweet potato fries are delicious. “It takes about 10 minutes more to prepare but it’s totally worth it for the clean air-fried choice!”

The bowls at Press & Co. are very popular items. The Harissa Chicken Bowl contains an African pepper sauce, free-range chicken breast, organic rice, sauteed onions, and bell peppers. They offer 5 bowls including a Baja Bowl, a Berry Salad Bowl, and The Mediterranean Bowl which includes Wild-caught Salmon, prepared with a quinoa base, Goat Cheese, sauteed peppers, onions, and tomatoes drizzled with house-made vinaigrette.

For dessert, Press & Co. makes a plant-based soft-serve ice cream that kids love. For the adults, it can also be used to create a local favorite, a Bushwacker! There are always muffins and other healthy sweets available. The locals who can’t indulge in dairy are always so grateful for these options that allow them to enjoy a classic treat!

The menu offers a full assortment of drink and meal options, Organic leaf teas, coffees, and of course, Organic Smoothies. They even serve Wellness Lattes and Organic Acai Bowls. 

Kimberly says, “Yes, we want to be healthy, but also want to  satisfy your cravings for those things you love, like the grass-fed burgers, chicken and steak sandwiches, and wraps from the Bites on Bread section of the menu.” Hunter tells me healthy eating starts with sourcing the freshest ingredients, which can sometimes be challenging, but they always try to source more using better ingredients.

“We have to be careful about what ingredients we purchase and then be careful not to cross-contaminate those ingredients. There is no deep frying here. We air fry, which is much healthier. Basically, we strive to offer a delicious cleaner version of what you love to eat.”

The biggest surprise so far? “How big of a demand there is for healthy eating.” With so much in store, the business is growing. As Kimberly's motto states: Health Is Life!

See you at the first-anniversary party on August 16. Can’t wait!