Keith Stickel stands at the front of the Hamilton Smoothie King, located at 3100 Quakerbridge Road in Clover Plaza. By Lisa Zola-DeLibero Be good to yourself. Sounds good right? At
, “inspiring people to live a healthy and active lifestyle” is the start of taking care of one’s health. A franchise that began in New Orleans and now has over 677 stores worldwide, Smoothie King tries to satisfy many palates. On May 24, 2013, Keith Stickel, 32, opened the only Smoothie King in the area, located in the Clover Shopping Center on 3100 Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton. Raised in Middlesex Township, Stickel attended The College Of New Jersey and earned a bachelor’s degree in business. But after working in the corporate world for eight years, he knew it wasn’t for him. “I wanted to be my own boss,” Stickel said. “At the end of the day, I know that I am the person I have to answer to. I want to be able to control my own destiny, and I decided that I wanted to purchase a franchise. I saw that there were no Smoothie Kings in Mercer County, so I chose this spot for the business, and it is working out well.” Stickel feels that Hamilton Township residents are part of a proud community, and that the location he chose is one of the busiest in the area. “One of the things that we do here is support the local businesses in the Hamilton area,” Stickel said. “We use products from Perfect Snaquer and Bai5, just to name a couple, that are in the area. This helps out other local businesses as well as it helps us out with getting great products locally.“ There are a variety of fruit smoothie combinations to choose, but the most popular is the Angel Food smoothie, which is a combination of fresh strawberries, bananas, non-fat milk, vanilla, turbinado and soy protein. Other fruit smoothie drinks like the Banana Berry Treat, Carribean Way and Mangofest, use papaya, pineapple, mango sorbet, kiwi juice, apple juice and passion fruit juice blend. From the nutritious smoothie menu, customers may choose from a number of drinks geared toward healthy palates. The most popular is the Gladiator, which is a choice of two fruits and 45 grams of protein. “Our nutritious smoothies can be used as a meal,” Stickel said. For early morning coffee fixes, a smoothie can be just the right choice. “We have a variety of delicious energy boosting smoothies for the morning customers,” Stickel said. “We have a lot of regulars, especially in the early morning. But we also have our regular customers at noon, after work, and after a workout at the gym. No matter what time of the day our customers come in, we are here to make sure that things are running smoothly.” In addition to the smoothies, Stickel’s store has a full line of snacks, dietary protein bars, weight loss supplements and pre-and-post workout supplements. “Anyone who wants to lose weight, get in better shape or have a healthier daily diet can find what they need here,” said Stickel, who will begin studying for his master’s degree in nutrition this spring. For customers who are looking forward to some new tasty treats, Smoothie King is coming up with a new line of veggie blends—three total—consisting of carrots and kale. “Anytime we come up with a new idea, we have to get approval,” Stickel said. “As long as it’s healthy, then it will work. People don’t always have the time to prepare a healthy meal, and they sometimes choose an unhealthy alternative, like fast food. Our smoothies are a great alternative, and are much better for people’s health.” Smoothie King also has a variety of drinks designed for the elderly or someone recovering from surgery who may need a boost of protein and extra calories to increase their health and healing. “We have a variety of smoothies to meet the special dietary needs of young people and older adults,” Stickel said. A cheerful, colorful, tropical feeling environment, Smoothie King is a great place to work, employee Sam De Jesus said. A graduate of Nottingham High School, De Jesus is very happy working with and for Stickel. “I love working here. Keith is fun to work with, and the customers are always friendly,” she said. “As for my favorite smoothie, it is the Peanut Power Plus. It tastes just like a peanut butter sandwich.” Smoothie King is located at 3100 Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton. Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays. Phone: (609) 838-7292 Web: smoothieking.com.
