Quartet of area smoothie shops offer variety of healthy shakes
The owners of four local nutrition shops want to get the word out about the healthy, meal-replacement shakes and energizing teas and coffees they sell.
Mackenzie and Zack Vernon of Festus are looking for new ways to bring customers to their two stores – Empire Nutrition, 17225 New College Ave., in Wildwood, which opened in December 2019, and Ignite Nutrition, 250 Lamar Parkway Plaza, Suite 105, in Pacific, which opened in mid-June.
Tina Holt opened Kickstart Nutrition, 4533 Gravois Village Plaza, in High Ridge in July and offers the same products. She said business at her shop has begun picking up.
“The word’s getting out that we’re here,” she said.
Nutrition Fix, 22 Gravois Station Road in House Springs, also sells the same smoothies and other beverages.
Holt said she loves the products the four stores sell.
“It’s all healthy. It got me on the health track myself.”
Ignite Nutrition, in Franklin County, still has a steady customer base, but it’s more challenging at Empire Nutrition because people who live in the Wildwood area aren’t getting out as much since the pandemic hit.
Students in the Rockwood School District have not returned to classrooms and are learning from home online, which has affected the business, Mackenzie said.
“We were doing really well in February and March, and then we got through the curbside, quarantine phase, but it has gotten slower as school started back up.
“You have both mom and dad working from home and a house full of kids, so you don’t need to get out anywhere,” Mackenzie said.
“So, I’m trying to find a different way to promote the store.”
For example, the Wildwood store has a “Mega Monday” promotion, when regular-size shakes are upsized for free before virtual learning starts at noon on Mondays.
Other promotions are held at the various stores.
