The Six Juice Market, a new juicery, opens in Sayville

Last winter, after Ron "Six" Montgomery leased a former jewelry store in Sayville for a brick-and-mortar juicery, he hoped that he'd be juicing pineapples, kale, carrots and ginger within a few months.

Yet few food businesses on Long Island ever open without bumps and delays, especially where permits and a new kitchen are concerned. Which makes the November opening of cozy, cheerful The Six Juice Market that much sweeter for Montgomery. "It was one of the hardest things I've done in my life, but the most rewarding," he said.

Montgomery, a trainer and former mechanic, began juicing years ago when his mother was diagnosed with stage-4 cancer. Friends and family responded with enthusiasm to his fresh fruit and vegetable juices, especially the Power 6, a zesty blend of pineapple, kale, spinach and lemon. The success of that blend fueled the growth of what became a growing side business. At a facility in Garden City, Montgomery began 6,000-bottle runs of a suite of jewel-toned juices that were sold in gyms, markets and direct to consumers. For a time, he also ran a kiosk in the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove.

Montgomery scoured the South Shore for his first stand-alone brick-and-mortar before settling on the sunny Sayville space. Once a space of raw walls and floors, it now holds an l-shaped juice counter with a corrugated steel based, tiled walls and a few cold cases that sell bottled juices, as well as bites such as avocado brownies and yogurt parfaits.

The centerpiece is the fresh juicing of varying combos of fruit, berries, vegetables and herbs, such as a "Beeter Health" of beets, carrots, celery, lemon and pineapple. Nut milks are the base for fruit smoothies such as Peanut Butter Power (bananas, chocolate almond milk, dark chocolate chips and almonds), and protein shakes — including one with liquefied açaí — cross into almost dessert-like territory, with accents of vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon and honey. Smoothies and protein shakes start at 8.99, and juices at 9.99 (both for 12-ounce pours).

Among the food items are vegan baked goods ($3.99 to $5.99) such as chocolate chip cookies and pecan-pie bars, and a made-to-order hot waffle bowl with bananas, strawberries, honey and granola. Down the road, Montgomery and business partner Mike "Shake" Mistretta plan to add panini and other savory dishes, as well as collaborate with an outside chef for vegan soul-food Sunday pop-ups. A children’s juice line is a few weeks away from launching, and in the spring, there will be a patio outside the juice bar.

Montgomery continues to produce bottled juices in Garden City, he said, including Six Juice’s multiday juice cleanses, lasting anywhere for two to five days ($80 to $199). Like many fitness professionals, he expects to have his hands full in January as people dive headlong into new-year resolutions. "None of us are going to go overnight from bad habits to changing to healthy habits," he said last year. "Don’t let your New Year’s resolution be the only time you’re going to decide to change your life."

The Six Juice Co. Market is open daily at 291 W. Main St., Sayville; 917-362-1727, the6juice.com