We have heard of restaurants that sell only donuts or pastries or even an assortment of beverages - But just water? That, has to be a first. What's even more astonishing is that it is not some fancy water brought in from an exotic location, but just ordinary tap water that has apparently been super-purified.
Molecule that opened its doors a few weeks ago in New York's swanky East Village, where the young residents are always open to trying something new, is the brainchild of musician and activist Adam Rufh. He discovered the healing properties of clean water a few years ago, after it helped ease some the pain brought on by an injury car accident that he was involved in. Wishing to share this revelation with the rest of the world, he decided to open a clean water cafe and even, convinced nearby restaurant owner Alexander Venet to partner with him.
In order to turn ordinary New York tap water into a healing liquid, Molecule filters it through an 8ft. long, $25,000 USD machine - One that puts the liquid through seven kinds of cleansing processes that range from reverse osmosis to UV rays and ozone treatments, This not only helps clean out all the chlorine and fluoride, but also, toxic compound metals that Ruhf maintains are present. The result, according to regular customer Benjamin Seiter is water that tastes 'sweet and good'.
And of course what good is a drink without supplements to make the consumer even healthier? Molecule customers can choose between a myriad of boosts, vitamins and even the cafe's custom natural blends. With cool names like Glamour Shot, Fountain of Youth and Night Vision, each, is created for a specific purpose like rejuvenating hair, skin and nails or, providing the drinker with a natural energy boost.
As you can guess, water this pure and healing does come at a price - A steep one in this case. A 16 oz to-go glass bottle of just plain water will set a customer back $2.50 USD plus tax. However, the environmental conscious owners will reduce the costs dramatically for clients that bring in their own containers. Vitamins and supplements costs an additional $1.00 USD per serving, while the natural custom blends cost $2.00 USD per serving. For those seeking larger quantities, the cafe also has 5 gallon containers for a reasonable price of $10 USD.
So is Molecule really helping New Yorkers become healthier or is this just a marketing gimmick? Depends on who you ask - According to Christopher Gilbride, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the water that flows from the city's taps is of the highest quality and undergoes over 50,000 tests each year. 32-year old Ruhf of course, vehemently disagrees with this assessment. What do you think? Be sure to let us know, by adding your comments below.
Sources: The Molecule Project.com, Daily Mail.uk, Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal