The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Second Smoothie King site sought
Painesville Township store owners set sights on empty bank branch in Mentor
A second Smoothie King location is coming to Lake County.
After only a couple of months of opening the first — in Painesville Township — franchisees Mike and Anna Dey have their sights set on a spot in Mentor.
Like the inaugural site, at 1188 Mentor Ave., the project involves redeveloping an existing building. The couple recently signed a lease for the vacant ErieBank branch at 7322 Mentor Ave., in western Mentor.
“We are excited to have healthy options on every side of town,” said Anna Dey, who also owns Clean Eatz restaurant in Mentor. “Additionally, we chose this location because it offers us a stand-alone, drive-through — like we offer in Painesville — which is important to our customers, and makes healthy options quick and easy.”
The project still must go through Planning Commission review.
“Our goal is to get permits in by mid-April, hopefully approved by the end of May and start construction early June,” Dey said.
The ErieBank branch closure was announced last May amid the pandemic. The branch opened in 2013.
The Deys knew from day one that they wanted at least two Smoothie King locations in Lake County.
“This organization is incredible,” Dey said. “I fell in love with their high-protein fitness smoothies when I was younger, but they have evolved in many ways since I started loving the brand. … They are a forward-thinking company, who reinvented in 2014 and removed all gluten, artificial sweeteners (and) colors, high-fructose corn syrup, GMOs, and hundreds of other ingredients from all their products.”
Mentor Economic Development Director Kevin Malecek called the prospect a welcome addition to Mentor’s west side.
“The city has been fortunate to have such an enthusiastic entrepreneur in Anna Dey with her Clean Eatz location near Heisley for a few years,” he said. “The proposed Smoothie King location will provide excellent geographic ‘bookends’ for healthy options in the city of Mentor.”
Meanwhile, she said the Painesville Township location is doing a swift business. That store employs two full-timers and 30 part-time staff.
“We have genuinely enjoyed serving the Painesville community, and their support of our concept has encouraged us to continue growing with this brand in Northeast Ohio,” she said, noting that she and her husband are lifelong Lake County residents.
Hiring and training for the Mentor Smoothie King will begin in July, she said.
She began her entrepreneurial journey with her dad when they opened Anytime Fitness in Concord Township about 10 years ago.
She recently announced on Facebook that they were selling the business, as her parents are retiring and she and her husband continue to branch out into new endeavors.
“This decision was hard as hell, but after thorough consideration, and a great opportunity that just made sense, it became what’s right for our family,” she said.
“We are excited to have healthy options on every side of town. Additionally, we chose this location because it offers us a stand-alone, drivethrough — like we offer in Painesville — which is important to our customers, and makes healthy options quick and easy.” — Anna Dey, owner