The Gem Organic Food and Juice Bar has opened its third Dallas location, a 1,000-square-foot shop tucked into Rosewood Court at 2101 Cedar Springs Rd., right next to Flower Child in Uptown. The new spot serves the same lineup that built the brand's following over more than a decade: cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and a rotating menu of fresh food made daily.
Co-owner Leslie Needleman said Uptown customers had been asking for a closer location for years and that she wanted to serve new parts of Dallas; she also cited the neighborhood's office and hotel traffic, according to CultureMap Dallas. That daytime foot traffic is hardly theoretical. Rosewood Court is a 19-story, more than 405,000-square-foot Class A+ office tower that reached nearly 98% occupancy in late 2025 after Brookfield Properties and Neuberger Berman signed major leases, according to Commercial Cafe, with Neuberger Berman alone bringing more than 50 wealth management employees into the building.
A Juice Bar Born Out of a Cancer Recovery
The Gem's origin story goes back to 2009, when Needleman was diagnosed with breast cancer and began exploring organic juice, clean eating, and a plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet during her recovery, per the same CultureMap account. She and co-founder Mary Kathryn Bass, who first met as parents at their children's school, turned that exploration into Dallas's first standalone organic juice bar in 2012, according to Park Cities People. The business first opened near Lovers Lane and Inwood before the pair opened their first dedicated storefront in Preston Center on Luther Lane in 2013, followed by a second location at Forest Lane and Preston Road in 2015, the report notes.
That original Preston Center shop has since relocated to 6102 Luther Lane, operating next door to bakery SusieCakes, according to Modern Luxury.
Fresh Daily, Not Shelf-Stable
Every juice at The Gem is organic and cold-pressed fresh daily, and the shop does not use High Pressure Processing to extend shelf life, the CultureMap report states. Co-owner Mary Kathryn Bass said that choice is deliberate: the juice lasts days rather than weeks because the business prioritizes fresh flavor, nutrients, and enzymes over a longer shelf life. Packaged raw juices sold this way must carry a warning label about potential harmful bacteria under federal rule 21 CFR 101.17(g), according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, though retail establishments or businesses that make and sell juice directly to consumers and do not sell or distribute juice to other businesses are exempt from mandatory HACCP plans.
The menu leans on staples like maca, housemade cashew milk, and kale, and skips refined sugars, gluten, dairy, artificial ingredients, seed oils, and GMOs, per CultureMap's reporting. Signature juices include the Green Glow, made with kale, cucumber, lemon, apple, and ginger, which was the shop's first recipe and remains a favorite; the Golden Glow, with turmeric, lemon, orange, ginger, and cardamom; and the Ruby Slipper, blending beet, ginger, and carrot. Beyond juice, The Gem also pours French press coffee, cold brew, and matcha, alongside smoothies and protein drinks.
Fresh Food, Disco Ball Included
The Uptown shop also turns out fresh food daily, including soups, salads, hummus, protein bars, and chocolate mousse made with raw cacao, avocado, and chia seeds. Soup options rotate between lentil, a mushroom vegetable purée, and an immunity bone broth, the outlet reports. The 1,000-square-foot space includes a front counter, a refrigerated grab-and-go case, individual and communal tables, and the brand's signature disco ball with upbeat music playing throughout.
Bass said every Gem location carries the same colorful walls, disco ball, and music, meant to make healthy living feel joyful and energizing rather than clinical. The Uptown shop sits beside Flower Child's 4,800-square-foot Rosewood Court restaurant, which opened its own dedicated 1,500-square-foot patio when it debuted in the complex in late 2019, as CultureMap Dallas reported at the time.
Hours and Location
The Gem Uptown is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., staying closed on Sundays. The new shop marks The Gem's third standalone Dallas location since the brand launched in 2012, extending its reach from Preston Center into one of the city's busiest corporate corridors.
