The Smoothie Factory opened a new location near the UA campus, providing students with a new healthy alternative.

John Wilfert, Smoothie Factory owner, said the new Park Avenue store is a merger of Smoothie Factory and Red Mango Yogurt Cafe and Juice Bar under the company BRIX Holdings.

“It’s to create a healthy lifestyle for people so that they can have not only healthy food choices — because we’ll offer wraps, salads and flatbreads — but also we have a probiotic yogurt,” Wilfert said. “We have also, really healthy nutritional smoothies and supplements. We offer all the sports and nutritional supplements at the lowest price guaranteed in town.”

Marissa Ray, a Smoothie Factory employee at the new location, said Smoothie Factory has a variety of products, including pre- and post-workout supplements, protein-packed healthy snacks, BCAAs, vitamins, fat burners, and creatine.

Ray said she is constantly learning about all the new supplements, in addition to how the body works and processes. She said she loves that she gets to pass along this information and advice when people come into the store and ask questions.

“When we first opened, a lot of people had never been here before,” Ray said. “We still have a lot of people who are coming in for the first time, but I’m starting to notice regulars now. They come by, and I already know what they’re going to order and pretty much have it ready by the time they come in. So, we’re starting to get our regulars, and then they’re telling their friends.”

Wilfert said that so far, about 75 percent of the customers at the new store are students, but there are also community members who come in as well. He said they have noticed Tucson is growing, and there are a lot of people who are getting more into health and fitness.

Smoothie Factory also offers bootcamps for students at Next Level apartments, Wilfert said. He said the bootcamps are free and are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. on the 10th floor.

“We go over helping the students with basically getting in shape and toning up,” Wilfert said, “to losing weight, to also talking to them a little bit about their nutrition as well, and their diet and supplements.”

Ahmed Alarian, a transfer student studying engineering, said he loves to work out and that having a smoothie place open near campus is convenient, as now he can easily buy his post-workout smoothie on his way home.

“We call it smoothie with a smile; we like to add value to people’s lives every day,” Wilfert said. “Either through a smoothie or just helping with their education on nutrition or fitness or anything like that.”

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