World champion athlete opens Brazilian health foods cafe next to his Modesto studio
Samir Chantre is a three-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a 10-time American national champion in the same sport and, most recently, a Modesto restaurant owner.
That hardly encompasses all that the Rio de Janeiro native and third-degree black belt has accomplished, but the rest is better saved for another day. Today, Chantre bears the title “Rio Juice - Brazilian Juice Bar owner.”
He opened the health foods cafe June 5 on Prescott Road, in partnership with his wife, Nathalia, who works as a sports nutritionist. All of the recipes are her own.
The kicker: Rio Juice sits directly next door to Ares Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a gym Chantre co-founded in 2016 and teaches at. Rio Juice even is fixed with a large window and a countertop bar where parents and other interested patrons can watch the athletes practice.
“We are advocates of the healthy lifestyle,” Chantre said. “So we have the Brazilian jiu-jitsu (gym), and then we have a Brazilian juice bar.”
There are around 60 Ares academies worldwide affiliated with Chantre and its three other founders — Alan Moraes, Milton Bastos and Osvaldo “Queixinho.” Chantre operates the Modesto and Lathrop locations.
That’s not all, though, because Chantre isn’t one to sit around and twiddle his thumbs. Two days after the soft opening of his Modesto cafe, he opened a PROTEINHOUSE franchise in Sacramento’s Arden Mall with partners Mark Ponticelli and January Siphan, who also own the PROTEINHOUSE in Modesto.
What’s on the menu at Brazilian juice and snack bar
The origin of Rio Juice’s name probably is obvious, but if not, Chantre explained: “Rio is our city in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. And Rio Juice, because the juice bar. And (Rio Juice) is actually “RJ”, which is also (short for) Rio de Janeiro.”
The “r” and the “j” in the cafe’s logo are separated by a palm tree, which Chantre said are common on the beaches in the city. The ‘j” is also an upside-down bendy straw, so add “creative” to Chantre’s list of qualities.
Rio Juice offers a variety of drink options including protein shakes ($8.50 to $11), a milkshake made with sugar-free ice cream ($10 to $14) and coffee drinks including espresso, drip, affogato and protein lattes ($2 to $7).
Food items include yogurt parfaits for $6, smoothie bowls (essentially a protein shake with toppings) ranging from $9.50 to $12, avocado toast for $8, Brazilian chicken empanadas with a side salad for $8 and pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) ranging from $5 to $12.
Of course, Rio Juice also serves acai bowls, which are made with frozen, pureed acai berries native to Brazil. They are $9 for 12 ounces or $12 for 16 ounces.
Nutritional information is provided at the bottom of each menu item, including calories and the grams of protein, carbs and fat.
Rio Juice, at 1711 Prescott Road, is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., though that could change. For more information, visit instagram.com/riojuice.ca.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
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