OUR STORY
The Idea
In September 1994, the three of us, all long time friends (Art and Scott since childhood, Keric since college), had become enamored with the concept of smoothies. Having recently become involved in endurance sports, we were constantly looking for healthy, low fat, high-energy meals. We found that smoothies offered us exactly that and they tasted great, too. We also realized that we were not the only ones who felt that a smoothie was a perfect meal alternative for an active life-style. We knew there was a place for someone who could provide smoothies in a quality manner.
The Big Decision
All three of us had often talked of starting a business of our own, and opening a juice bar seemed to be the perfect opportunity for us to create something we believed in. After two months of endless discussions on the pros and cons of opening one, we rather suddenly decided to act on our desire. The next day, we drastically altered our lives and threw our collective energies into creating what would become Blenders In The Grass.
Wrapping Up Loose Ends
Having reached the decision, we now needed to wipe the slates of our old lives clean. For three guys in their late twenties, it was a surprisingly easy task. Art had just received his MBA from The University of North Carolina and was waiting to start a “corporate job”, which he turned down; Scott, who was District Manager at The Gap, gave his two weeks notice vowing to “never work for anyone again”; and Keric, having just received his Masters Degree in American History from New York University, indefinitely postponed a long trip to the Virgin Islands.
Where? When? How?
How do we start our own business? What should we call it? Where should we locate it? How do we make the best tasting smoothie in the business? These and thousands of other questions we set about answering in the ensuing six months. We decided on the Santa Barbara area because it was a place we knew and loved, and where active healthy life-styles seemed to flourish. Our name was Art’s inspired choice to light-heartedly convey our emphasis on healthy, blended drinks.
Our Vision
As part of our development, we traveled around California visiting virtually every operating juice bar. Some shops had poor quality smoothies, some had bad service, and some frankly had both. Our vision evolved and soon crystallized. We would consistently provide the highest quality product in a clean, fun atmosphere, and we would do it faster than anyone else.
The Big Day
Finally, after trying thousands of recipes…”OK, The Red Orange is perfect!…now, let’s go back to The Blue Apple”, we arrived at 28 smoothies that we were proud to put on our menu. The big day arrived and we opened our doors in Isla Vista on a cool March morning in 1995. The three of us stood around nervously waiting for about an hour when finally an older gentleman walked in and bought a 24-ounce orange juice. We were on our way.
Our Local Commitment
A few short years later, we have been fortunate enough to achieve our goal of opening more stores in the area. Because we are part of a local community, we are committed to supporting local schools, athletic teams, and organizations through donations and sponsorships. We also think it’s important that you know that your opinion does matter. That is why we installed a customer service hotline which serves as a direct line to us, the owners. We encourage you to use it whenever you have any suggestions, complaints, comments, or concerns. We are local and committed to making Blenders In The Grass better able to serve you.
Customer Service Hotline (888) 401-4900
Please call us with any questions, complaints, concerns, or suggestions
