Another bar is joining Timberline Station, where The Fat Frogg Bar & Grill is located. But instead of beer and cocktails, this one will be selling smoothies and teas.
Jenipher and Jerry Smith, co-owners of Deep Roots Nutrition, first had the idea for the business over the summer and announced the store’s opening in mid-September on Facebook. The couple said they began their own wellness journey and wanted to bring a healthy quick-service option to the area.
“I think with everything going on in the world right now, with COVID and everything, I think that people are a little bit more aware of their health and just being well in general,” Jenipher Smith said. “This is going to give many more options and I think it’s just going to bring more awareness to them in general.”
The Smiths said it has been challenging to start a business in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and economic recession.
“There’s a lot of adversities to face and deal with,” Jerry Smith said. “Probably the biggest is supply chain-type issues. So trying to get materials and contractors all lined up at the same time to do some of the work, making sure that we are in alignment with the schedules and we have the materials and supplies that we need when we’re ready to open.”
Jerry Smith is currently a supply chain manager for a local manufacturing company and has a masters degree in business, while Jenipher Smith comes from a human resources background. The Whitsett residents said they already feel welcomed in the community by other local businesses.
“There’s definitely concerns with, of course, covid, with just being new to the community,” Jenipher Smith said. “We live within the community so we’re not new in that way, but a new business, a new concept in the community. There’s concerns with that of course. But, again, we just feel like it’s going to be something that is embraced.”
The smoothies and teas sold at Deep Roots Nutrition will be made with Herbalife products, according to the Smiths. Herbalife, a global nutrition and weight management company, was ordered by the Federal Trade Commission in 2016 to restructure its business model and pay a $200 million settlement over deception claims.
The Smiths said they have both lost around 20 pounds since they began using the product. The couple said after they saw the results they were getting, they wanted to help others in the community.
“It’s not just about weight loss,” Jenipher said. “It’s just overall health. There’s product for everybody and everything that we will be serving will have a purpose.”
The store’s name and oak tree logo also have a purpose.
“It has a lot of meaning for the town of Elon, but also for [Elon University] in general with the graduation ceremony that every graduating senior gets a sapling to plant,” Jerry Smith said. “We just wanted to tie into that history and the meaning of the community and have that strong relationship to where we’re establishing our business, where we’re establishing our roots for business.”
The Smiths said they hope to have the store up and running in early to mid-December.
“We’re looking forward to seeing all the smiling, healthy faces,” Jenipher Smith said. “We’re really just excited to get started and to unlock that door and hope that everybody is just as happy to be here as we are.”