TSC Carribbean Jerk Chicken Wrap TSC Smoothies
TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ:
Your Local Source for Leading a Healthier Life!
NOVEMBER 2017 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM 33
It’s a proven fact that when we eat healthy foods, we
generally feel better. We typically have more energy, and
healthier foods just seem to sustain us for longer periods of
time. Although most fast food establishments have attempted
to integrate healthier options into their menus, very often the
hamburgers, French fries, and milkshakes win out over the salads
and healthier choices. Well now, there’s a new local venue that
offers exclusively fast, healthy options—Tropical Smoothie Café!
Located in the new commercial development on Pinole Valley
Road, Tropical Smoothie Café specializes in smoothies and
fresh, healthy food options such as sandwiches, wraps, bowls and
flatbreads. Although this restaurant opened in early April 2017,
it’s possible that you like me, have driven down Pinole Valley
Road numerous times and never noticed the café
Tropical Smoothie Café in Pinole is one of 610 such cafes
across the United States. Most of stores are located east of the
Mississippi River, where they are extremely popular with their
customers. The Pinole location is one of only ten Tropical
Smoothie Cafes in California, and its only northern counterpart
is located in Rocklin. The original business started in the early
1990’s as a beach shack on the southern Florida peninsula which
sold only smoothies. The success and popularity of that small
business eventually gained the attention of corporate investors,
and the first Tropical Smoothie Café franchise location was
opened in 1997 in Tallahassee, Florida. In 1999, the menu
was expanded to include food items, such as sandwiches and
wraps. Now, nearly 20 years later, Tropical Smoothie Café’s
menu includes a full range of smoothies—including superfood
smoothies, classic smoothies, indulgent smoothies—as well as
smoothie supplements that can be added for a nominal cost; in
addition to the healthy food items previously mentioned. There
is also a small (but mighty!) breakfast menu that is available all
day, and a special kid’s menu.
Pinole franchise owner, Gary Wagner, explains that while
TSC’s menu is not “health food”, it promotes a healthy lifestyle.
The focus is serving products made from organic fresh fruits and
vegetables which are delivered several times weekly from their
distributor and/or are hand selected by Gary from local sources.
This ensures that customers are served smoothies and food
items made of only the highest quality and freshest ingredients.
Tropical Smoothie Cafes across the country promote the
same menu and serve the same high quality food smoothies so
customers will enjoy a consistent experience. The nutritional
values of all smoothies and food items are prominently posted
near the checkout counter for easy customer reference.
As Gary educated me about Tropical Smoothie Café, I
RESTAURANT REVIEW
1424 Pinole Valley Road, Pinole | (510) 417-2245 | tropicalsmoothiecafe.com
By Vickie Lewis