Business: Smoothie King
Address: 22 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville
Phone/website: 630-946-6804, www.smoothieking.com
Shift Leader: Exavier Munoz, 19, of Naperville
Owner: Yogi Patel
Years in business: 6 in Naperville; the chain started 51 years ago in New Orleans
What does your business do? “Smoothie King offers smoothies,” Munoz said. “Fruit and veggie smoothies. Spinach, kale, carrots. We also sell smoothie bowls. Bananas, strawberries, blueberries, mangos. They’re a big seller.”
How long have you worked here? “Since February.”
Do you like your job? “Yes. I really do love my job. I love the people who work here. I love seeing the customers, the regulars who come in every day. Making sure they’re happy.”
What are your hours? “We’re open 7 to 9 Monday through Friday. On Saturdays we’re open 8 to 9, on Sunday, 9 to 8.”
Who visits? “We get all these different types of people. We’ll get older people, younger people.”
Is downtown a good location? “I think it does help the business. People are walking around and say, ‘Oh, let me get a smoothie.’ It’s summer. Everybody wants something refreshing.”
How busy are you when it gets really hot outside? “The hotter it gets, the more crowded we get.”
What’s your favorite type of smoothie? “So, I like the strawberry-banana. It’s called the Angel Food smoothie. I like to add apple juice to it.”
What’s the most popular smoothies? “Definitely the Angel Food. Another one is our Peanut Butter which also comes with protein.”
Do you have sugar-free smoothies? “No, we don’t.”
Is there a busy time of day? “We get busy around the lunch hour, from around 11 to 2 o’clock.”
What does a shift leader do? “Take control of what needs to be done managing the team.”
What challenges do you face? “Definitely the rush hour. We had one today when a bunch of cross-country kids came into the store. There were 15 or 20 of them. Most of them wanted a smoothie. It was crazy. It was me and one other employee. … And we have the online orders too. So, the rush hours get really challenging, and maintaining the store’s cleanliness when we have the rush hour.”
Do you have a smoothie each day? “Oh, my gosh, I usually get a smoothie after my shift.”
What misconceptions do people have? “Sometimes, they come in here and expect to order a meal.”
So, you don’t sell meals? “We don’t, but we do offer snacks like chips and cookies. … We’re a smoothie shop. We’re not a sandwich shop.”
How does the online ordering work? “You get an app for your mobile phone. You place the order. We only have the pick-up option. (The app) has the whole menu on it. People can order what they want. They can customize their order too.”
How long does that take? “It depends on the day.”
Why are smoothies popular? “The variety we have here. They can choose fruits, vegetables, protein, vitamin enhancers. It depends on what the person wants. Everybody is different.”
Do you have special offers? “If you order a 20-ounce smoothie online with the app, you can upsize to 32 ounces for free. If you don’t have the app, it’s only $1 more to go up to 32 ounces. That’s offered every Friday. … Everyone likes our Friday deal.”
Do you recommend people try all the flavors? “Definitely. For sure.”
Why’s that? “What if you want to try something new? Especially if you’re a regular, you may be tired of always ordering the same smoothie. Why not try something different? They can get a different option.”
Do little kids like smoothies? “Oh, yeah. We offer kid-sized smoothies in certain flavors. … Whole families come in here.”
How did you wind up working here? “One day I was walking around downtown looking for a job. I got an interview here and I was hired. I work Monday through Friday, get here at 6:30 in the morning and open the store at 7 a.m. I usually work until 3 o’clock.”
We think of smoothies as a summer drink. What about winter? “It does get slower then, but people (still) come in for smoothies.”
What does a customer say? “They’re amazing. They’re healthy. I like the slim and trim chocolate. It keeps me in shape. I’m here at least twice a week,” said Lourdes Vassallo, 59, a hospice nurse who lives in Naperville.
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “I just say follow that passion,” Munoz said. “Follow that dream. It takes a lot of hard work. As long as you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
