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It’s about healthy living at the new Smoothie Shop
By Kalea Hall
BOARDMAN
Mike Evans is a big fan of healthy living.
He had a vision for a business to exemplify healthy living and went with it.
His vision for The Smoothie Shop is now a reality in Fashion Square at 7403 Market St.
“I have been wanting to go into business for years,” he said.
The store came alive Sept. 9 with vibrant, full-of-life colors and simple, clean design.
Evans first started to think about opening a smoothie shop a year and a half ago. His friends were interested in taking on a smoothie franchise.
“I said, ‘I bet I can do my own concept,’” he explained.
He did just that. Evans’ wife, Debbie, is from Boardman and convinced him that Boardman was the place to establish his business. He first looked at Cleveland to place his shop, but the area already had several of those shops.
“I had a feeling if they were successful in Cleveland, they would be successful in Boardman,” Debbie Evans said. “I am very happy with how it has turned out, and it seems like everyone has taken to it very well.”
Evans was in search of a spot near a mall and high school. His location fits those specifics to a T.
“I started looking into it and thought it would be a really good opportunity,” he said.
He decided on the location in January and signed the lease in February. Work continued from there on developing his concept for the shop.
“I wanted it to be a fun, positive, comfortable place,” he said.
He also knew he wanted to have a menu of thick and really fruity smoothies. Evans uses frozen fruit to get the taste just right.
The smoothies are just what he wanted: real. They are mixed with real fruit and real juice.
“You can taste that,” he said.
The shop already has a list of fan favorites from the Classic – a strawberry-banana smoothie with strawberry juice and nonfat frozen yogurt – to the Caribbean Green – a kale-mango-banana smoothie with pineapple juice and nonfat frozen yogurt.
Evans also added food to his menu. He said he has always been a cook, so that part was fun for him. The food side of the menu includes panini sandwiches, wraps and other dishes.
“I wanted my customers to have all the options,” he said. “I wanted really good smoothies and really good sandwiches.”
For information on The Smoothie Shop, go to smoothieshoppe.com.