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Saturday, August 15, 2009
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The Shake Stop focuses on health, weight Biz Buzz Senior Reporter A new business in Baxter offers a liquid alternative to fast food.
The Shake Stop, with 40 shake flavors, provides shakes as meal replacements as part of a weight-loss system. Business owners are Estelle Paulson and Jason Evanson. The business opened July 6 in the FitQuest building on Audubon Way just off Highway 371 North in Baxter. It is next to El Tequila Mexican Restaurant and the FitQuest Athletic Center.
Evanson said the products - protein shakes and herbal teas - are 100 percent natural without artificial fillers. Termed cellular nutrition, the shake blends are plant-based nutrients with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. A combination shake and tea is available for $6.
The business is open weekdays and on Saturdays by appointment. The Shake Stop plans to extend its hours in the fall.
Paulson, a fitness instructor and personal trainer, said the business tagline of "fast, smart nutrition" is based on providing shakes and teas that are convenient for people to get good nutrition on the go.
"It's smart because it's healthy," she said. "It's the healthier choice."
The shakes provide a minimum of 24 grams of protein, Paulson said, noting they provide an alternative to a fast food extra-value meal. The shakes act as a liquid meal and the teas are designed to boost metabolism and energy. Paulson said the herbal teas are a good complement to a workout, with the energy boost helping people workout for longer time periods.
Customers may call in orders and pick up shakes or teas or place orders at the counter. Shake flavors include butter pecan, white chocolate raspberry, tropical fruit blast, cheesecake, cookies and cream vanilla and wedding cake. The mixture includes real fruit and sugar-free pudding along with the nutrients, water and ice. Shakes have 200-250 calories while providing a third of the recommended proteins and a third of recommended nutrients and taste good, Evanson said.
"They taste more like a malt now," Evanson said of the healthy shake flavors that have passed critical family taste tests. "If 5- and 7-year-old kids like it, you know it doesn't taste chalky."
The business also sells a variety of wellness products - green tea and protein shake mixes people can take home to make themselves - along with nutrition supplements.
Paulson and Evanson said the company is so confident in its product, it offers first-time customers a free shake and tea. The Shake Stop also offers WiFi and a flat-screen TV for customers who want to take a seat. Most grab and go, they said.
Discussion on the proposed McDonald's in Nisswa was tabled at the Nisswa Planning Commission meeting last Monday. Loren Wickham, Nisswa city planner, said most of the discussion revolved around the building's design.
The applicant, Central Minnesota Properties, requested a special meeting on Aug. 21 so the planning commission could act on its conditional use permit then rather than waiting until September.
Plans submitted to the city show a McDonald's restaurant proposal on the undeveloped lot on the corner of Highway 371 and County Road 77. The proposed development includes a retail complex with the restaurant.
John Thielen purchased a 1.48-acre piece of land between Thielen Meats and the former Dondelinger auto dealership in Little Falls. Thielen said plans are to eventually put on an addition to his meat market, but the work will be a year or so away.
Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches restaurant, is taking shape at the former Casey's gas station/convenience store in northeast Brainerd along Washington Street.
During a city council meeting in February, Elissa Rogers, Brainerd Lakes Development Corp., said the restaurant is anticipated to create 15-20 jobs paying between $7-$15 an hour.
Lakes Music Inc. in Pequot Lakes announced it is closing the retail store. Owners Tim and Cindy Roggenkamp reported the retail store wil close after Labor Day and the business will focus on the Internet and its mail-order division. A store closing sale event is planned Aug. 22-30.
The Roggenkamps opened Lakes Music in Pequot Lakes in September of 2000 and started their Internet and mail-order divisions two years later.
The divison, www.PlayBetterBluegrass.com, specializes in bluegrass and acoustic music merchandise.
The Roggenkamps reported the Web site "has grown to be one of the most widely respected among bluegrass enthusiasts, with thousand of customers around the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. The company has also published several full color, glossy catalogs which mailed to over 45,000 subscribers as of the last publication.
"As the Internet and mail order portion of the business grew, the retail store became less of a factor in the overall business plan."
The Roggenkamps said that change lead them to the decision to close the retail store and focus resources on the Internet and bluegrass niche, which continues to show growth potential.
"A small showroom will be maintained to display merchandise that is sold on the Web site and will be available by appointment."
In a news release, Tim Roggenkamp said: "While we have enjoyed being able to serve the Pequot Lakes area as a full-line music store, we are stretched too thin trying to serve both markets."
Roggenkamp noted customers may still reach the business online, or by phone or mail and the business is staying in the building, which is owned by the Roggenkamps.
Reached at home, Tim Roggenkamp said while the recession has been a blow to retail across the board, this was a direction the business was moving anyway.
Even with band instruments, Roggenkamp said more people were buying online than coming into the store. And after carving out a small bluegrass niche, Roggenkamp said they made the decision to concentrating on the growth rather than the band instruments and others that didn't bring in the revenue and didn't fit with where they were going.
RENEE RICHARDSON, senior reporter, may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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