DAHPNE — A new café with a focus on delicious healthy food just opened in downtown Daphne.For owner Kimberly Cox, Press & Co., which opened Aug. 12, is a step in a new direction. She never dreamed of opening a restaurant and even said she isn't the best cook. This venture is based on her health journey, and she said she wanted to share what worked for her with the community.

After having her three children, Cox began experiencing health issues. After visiting many different doctors and finding no answers, she discovered functional medicine. She changed her diet to focus on organic fresh foods and healed herself. Her new diet made it hard to eat out with her family, so Press & Co. solves that problem and brings a health-focused restaurant to Daphne.

"There is not a whole lot to offer in downtown Daphne especially if you want to eat healthy," Cox said. "We were able to bring in Alex Pikul and Hunter Harris who have been amazing assets to the team. Alex has coffee experience; he owns Kind Café in Fairhope. Hunter has worked at numerous restaurants in the area as an executive chef."

The original vision for Press & Co. was an organic fresh pressed juice and smoothie bar, but it has since grown due to the need Cox saw in the local market.

The food

Harris, who is serving as executive chef in this new venture, trained in New Orleans and has worked in many restaurants along the Gulf Coast. This is his first chance to create a menu from the start.

"Being able to fully develop my own menu with people's opinions thrown in here and there, it definitely felt good," Harris said. "When you are proud of what you are putting out, you are always going to put 110% on each plate."

It only took two weeks to develop the menu, but he ran into a challenge when it came to sourcing ingredients.

"It shows in this area that there aren't a lot of organic products being used because that was the hardest thing in the beginning," Harris said. "Finding all the products and organic raw ingredients but we are there. I am still looking for a few things here and there to improve on, but for the most part we are where we need to be."

The menu offers diners a full breakfast and lunch menu as well as coffee, smoothies, acai and cold pressed juices. There's even plant-based, gluten and dairy-free vanilla and chocolate soft serve ice cream that passed the test with Cox's children. Options that aren't always readily available in Alabama outside of major metro cities. Options that are even less often the focus of the entire menu.

"We put healthy, plant-based soft serve on there for kids. We have two schools next to us, Bayside and Christ the King, so we are hoping to catch the afternoon traffic," Cox said. "We did a big ice cream test when we were deciding what product to offer, and this one got voted best. It was approved by Luke, and he is a tough critic."

Universal appeal

Families or large groups know how hard it is to select a restaurant that will offer something everyone in the group will enjoy. Cox said universal appeal was important to her as a business owner and a mom.

"We knew if we wanted to open up a café it would have to have something for everyone in our family, and I think this menu does that," she said. "My two girls will eat healthy, so they can pretty much eat all over the menu. Now I have got a really picky 10-year-old that is probably going to stick with that grilled cheese and the ice cream."

The cold pressed juice menu also offers something for everyone.

"We have got the Green Machine that is more for the educated juice connoisseur that wants more of a true juice. Then you have got something like Wild Card which is a blue lemonade essentially but with healthy ingredients," Cox explained. "Then we have something in the middle. If you still want your greens but a little sweeter, you can find that as well. I think you will be surprised at what the juices taste like. They are really good."

Caffeine and cocktails

Alex Pikul is a face some diners may recognize from Kind Café in Fairhope. He is an owner there and Cox's operating partner in Press & Co.

The coffee menu offers everything you expect like lattes, drip coffee, cappuccino and English breakfast tea, but they are all organic, single-origin products. Organic isn't as hard to come by in the coffee and tea world, but the other elements were trickier.

"It was a little more difficult to source the right syrups and chocolate," Pikul said. "The things people still expect from coffee while still holding true to what our brand is."

While on the topic of beverages, Press & Co. has a small but eclectic cocktail menu that includes organic ingredients and liquor.

The look

When you drive or walk up to Press & Co., the first impression is makes you want to learn more.

The brand new building located next to Cox's husband's office was purpose-built. Its white exterior and tables with blue umbrellas invite guests off the sidewalk and inside, especially with the promise of cold, fresh drinks and eats on an Alabama summer day. Once inside, the feel is comfortable and coastal but elevated. It makes you want to come in and stay awhile.

Cox said she hopes everyone who walks in the door loves it as much as she does.

"I want this to be a spot where the community can gather and feel like it is a comfortable place to meet a friend, order off the menu and feel good about anything they are eating," she said. "I am so excited. I am ready to get the doors open. We are all ready."