Blended Health & Smoothie Bar, April Doremus: Harper College

Social: @blendedglenview

Blended: to prepare by thoroughly intermingling different varieties; to produce a harmonious effect. For entrepreneur April Doremus, Blended is not just a company name, it’s a way of life.

Making smoothies was April’s culinary trick to blend good nutrition into her children’s treats. Little did she know that she would later blend this home skill with her career skills to create one of the most popular businesses in her hometown of Glenview. Blended Health and Smoothie Bar’s initial launch plan, however, was anything but harmonious. Its planned opening coincided with the onset of the pandemic’s shutdown, meaning April would have to blend all her industry experience, business acumen, creativity and determination to redesign her business to maintain the perfect harmony of safety, service and community while blending delicious, healthy products.

1. Why did you choose to start Blended Health & Smoothie Bar?

My story is like that of many other entrepreneurs. I was working in the corporate world and loved my job but got downsized. Being a stay-at-home mom lasted for all of four weeks, when I was ready to start my own business. Drawing on my career in hotel restaurant management, I wanted to open a gathering place, somewhere everyone could come and enjoy. A smoothie bar was the perfect choice for me, offering good customer service, health and wellness to my community in a fun, vibrant atmosphere.

2. Tell us a little about your business and what makes it unique.

Blended Health and Smoothie Bar began by serving smoothies and acai bowls, but we continue to add to our menu. Going into the winter of the pandemic, we realized people were craving warm comfort food—without sacrificing good nutrition—so, we created healthy waffles. With the rise in popularity of cold press juice, we researched the process and now produce our own line of freshly pressed juices. Our latest additions have been protein and energy snacks and we’re working on creating meal prep service.

It has always been important to us to help educate our community and be subject matter experts in the health and wellness field. We offer all our managers the opportunity to become a Certified Nutrition Coach through the National Academy of Sports Nutrition (NASM). We offer health coaching in-store and also in our local park district.

As a lifelong Glenview native, I knew I would locate my business here. My storefront is in downtown Glenview, where I used to go for sodas as a kid. Blended echoes that spirit of community, but with a much healthier menu, using the best and freshest ingredients. We are extremely allergen-conscious, being 90% dairy-free, Celiac safe, and having peanut protocols in place, so people feel safe to come in and stay. I believe it is this sense of community, along with our strong customer service and culture, that makes us different. We pride ourselves on this customer-centric motto: the first time we ask your name, the second time we practice your name and the third time we know your name. I’m happy to say that 80% of our customers are repeat customers, with many coming in every day. Earlier this year, we were honored to be named Glenview 2023 Business of the Year.

3. What was the problem you were facing when you decided to contact the Illinois SBDC at Harper College?

Basically, I had no idea what I was doing. Although I have an extensive background in sales and marketing, food service and HR, I wasn’t sure how to bring it all together to open my own business. I had my business plan written, but didn't know if I was on the right track until I met with SBDC advisor Kevin McVearry. I think every entrepreneur shares this feeling of “I don’t know what I don’t know” – this is where the SBDC comes in.

4. How did the Illinois SBDC at Harper College help with the problems you were having?

Kevin had an arsenal of resources that really helped me out. I’m computer savvy, but learned many new processes to help me with budgeting, scheduling, profit/loss, and more. I went from feeling like an amateur to feeling comfortable calculating numbers to build a profitable business.

In the beginning, I finalized my business plan, financial projections, cost of goods, start-up budget, and staffing needs with Kevin’s help. When the pandemic hit, the SBDC assisted me with new programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Later, I was awarded the Harper College Angel grant and Restaurant Revitalization grant, neither of which I would have known about if I hadn’t worked with Kevin.

5. Would you recommend small business owners use the services of the Illinois SBDC at Harper College?

I would and have recommended it to multiple people over the years. I do small business consulting now, as well, and I always bring in the SBDC with my clients since it is such a great resource! Everyone who is starting or growing a business should utilize all branches of the SBDC and their resources. It’s a free service, so there is no risk. You don’t have to do what they say, but you can at least get and consider their advice.

6. What does the future look like for Blended Health & Smoothie Bar?

We are expanding our healthy meal prep program for people looking for quick and easy meals that are nutritious and tasty. Within two months, we will launch into preorder meals. As demand increases, we may also offer a subscription service.

We will continue to look for ways to help our community, such as working with other small businesses and nonprofit organizations, and transforming waste like pulp and compote into eco-friendly products.

7. If you had one piece of advice to give someone just starting a small business, what would it be?

If someone offers to help, take it. You don’t have to do everything yourself!