Shaking it up: Smoothie bar opens on Hill

When fitness trainer Brandon Marks saw the need for a healthy to-go shake and protein bar he jumped to the opportunity, and ran with it.

“I always made smoothies after workouts and played around with a lot of recipes and realized that they all tasted really good. From there the idea to open something like this has always been on my mind, but after researching and realizing there is literally nothing like this in the area, I knew I had to open the first one,” Marks said.

Tuesday May 1 signified the opening of The Shakery Smoothie Bar which serves an assortment of Shakes, Smoothies, and Smoothie bowls. There is also an option where one can customize their own bowl or smoothie.

The location offers everything from fruit smoothies to cereal protein shakes, proving that eating healthy does not always have to be boring.

In a freshly built building The Shakery sits on the corner of College and 22nd streets, perfectly accessible to students and a quick pick-me-up to get your morning or afternoon protein boost.

“I want to become the Go-To place in Cedar Falls,” Marks said.

The small location has a clean modern appearance with a small “kitchen” area and a window which has high stools to sit and enjoy a view of college hill while sipping on a freshly blended smoothie.

As a 21 year old business owner Marks has not always had an easy start.

“I have taught myself everything about managing and staying compliant within my business by doing a lot of reading and talking with successful mentors. I am a firm believer in working really hard and making things happen for yourself, rather than sitting back and waiting for things to just fall into your hands,” Marks said.

With over 100 sales in their first day open, it shows that Marks hard work is truly paying off.

However, Marks vision does not end there. He plans to build his company and open more Shakey’s across the country.

“Some future goals that I have are to open more “Shakery’s” in surrounding towns and maybe eventually become a national company,” Marks said.

Marks has had help from mentors such as his parents along with other sources such as Vice President of Rada Cutlery.

“My biggest mentor besides my parents has been Phil Jones, whom is the Vice President of Rada Cutlery in Waverly and has been able to provide me with very valuable information and really challenged me to break down all the numbers and details that it takes to open a business,” Marks said.

With a busy life balancing Owning LionHeart Fitness L.L.C, physical trainer, and The Shakery, Marks life is nothing by busy. However, he balances all this while being an aspiring business owner.

“Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re too young to chase after your dreams, no matter how big they may be. If you believe in yourself and work hard, you can accomplish anything,”

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.