California Centers Magazine serves retailers, developers, shopping center owners, investment sales brokers and tenant representation firms throughout the state of California.
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6 California Centers Magazine | August 2016 C C F rom the beginning, the aim of the founders of Blenders In The Grass was to operate a fruit smoothie shop that offered consistent- ly high quality, healthy beverages that would be regarded as the best tasting in the business. The idea originated in 1994 in the minds of three longtime friends, Art Tracewell, Scott Weber and Keric Brown. The founders de- voted six months to research, includ- ing visiting every existing juice bar concept in operation in California at the time. Some were found lacking in quality, others in service, and almost all charged extra for customized se- lections. Over the ensuing two years the friends' collective energies and a longing to operate their own compa- ny would be combined and their joint goals would come to fruition with the development of Blenders In The Grass in 1994. As endurance sports enthusiasts, the founding partners intended for the fruit smoothies to serve as healthy, high energy meal alternatives. Thus, the products promoted at Blenders In The Grass have come to epitomize the active lifestyles of the residents of California. The concept takes pride in providing the highest quality prod- ucts in a clean, fun environment, do- ing it faster than anybody else, and never charging extra for substitutions or alterations to the menu's standard recipes. The company's initial retail loca- tions targeted the community of Santa Barbara, because the founders were particularly fond of the region, and noted that active, health conscious lifestyles seemed particularly preva- lent among its population. The name of the brand was chosen to light-heart- edly convey its emphasis on healthy, blended drinks. Having experimented with thousands of recipe combina- tions, 28 were chosen for the menu of the first Blenders In The Grass store, which had its debut in Isla Vista — a community adjacent to UCSB — in March 1995. Since then, the company has burgeoned into a steadily growing network of successful locations serv- ing distinctive, refreshing, blended concoctions in the cities of Santa Bar- bara (3), Goleta (3), Montecito, Orcutt, Oxnard (2), Ventura (3), and Camaril- lo. The basic menu at Blenders In The Grass offers 25 varieties of juice-based smoothie Blenders (a 12 or 24 oz. blend of ingredients having 100 percent juice as their base and that include one free supplement). There are also seven milk-based smoothies from which to choose (having non-fat milk as their primary ingredient). There are also fruit bowls, featuring a combination of juice and sherbet, topped with hon- ey, granola and/or coconut. Another category is Fresh Juices/Wheatgrass (made from a combination of orange, carrot, apple, lemon or tomato juices; and parsley, ginger, celery, cucumber, spinach and kale). Some supplement additives are uniquely geared toward fulfilling specific needs, and offer a potent mix of vitamins and minerals that support daily nutritional intake. Other supplements encompass such beneficial ingredients as protein, ome- ga-3s, soluble fiber, calcium, vitamin C, bee pollen, and probiotics, which are aimed at increasing stamina, boosting vitality, building bones, aid- ing digestive health, and promoting a healthy diet. The company's overall revenue has seen consistently impressive annual percentage increases for the past de- cade. The business partners have been reticent to franchise, opting instead to own and operate the stores themselves in continuing to build on the brand's growth potential over the long term. The plan is to add new units at a con- servative pace of two to three per year, through 2018. The shops typically oc- cupy 1,200 to 1,800 square feet of space and utilize approximately 15 person- nel apiece, most of them being local residents working part time hours. The store operating hours are Monday BLENDERS IN THE GRASS Provides quick and nutritious meal alternatives. Blenders In The Grass typically occupies 1,200 to 1,800 square feet of inline space in community and neighborhood centers.