Tami Roufus visited Montreal last year and, like many tourists, she strolled into a small café for a snack and instantly fell in love. Unlike many tourists, it wasn't the French fries covered in gravy that won her affection.
It was the smoothies.
"There was a place called 'Liquid Nutrition' down from where we were staying and I stopped there every day and sometimes twice a day," Roufus said. "The smoothies were awesome. I found out they have nine locations and they only do smoothies.
"I just thought, ‘Why can't we have a place like this in Milwaukee?'"
Fast-forward a year and -- presto -- Roufus is operating Smoothielicious, a smoothie bar and cafe at 9201 W. Center St. Housed in the space formerly occupied by Parkway Cafe, Smoothielicious opened for business on April 13 and the grand opening, slated for June 6, will feature specials and acoustic music and other attractions.
"I think everything is going better than we expected, especially since I haven't really advertise yet beyond the Facebook and MySpace type of thing," Roufus said.
"We went from an idea to being open in about four months, which is really fast and a bit scary. I wanted to make sure I got the right staff in here before I told everybody to come in here. Customer service is really important to me. everybody that is here is a direct reflection of me.
"I'm really happy with where we are so far.
Roufus had a few built-in customers when she opened. Her husband, Duke, is a champion kickboxer and mixed-martial arts trainer who sends some of his clients in for nutritious fuel. She also drew from the neighborhood.
"Christ King (school) is right across the street," she said. "A lot of the kids and teachers come over from there and we get a lot of people from the neighborhood. There are a lot of runners, walkers, bikers and a lot of dogs in this neighborhood, which is good."
You don't need a lot of expensive market research to know that not everyone in Milwaukee pursues a healthy lifestyle. It's a bit different than a bigger city, like Montreal.
"It's a totally different culture here," Roufus said. "People walk a lot more there. It's a lot different.
"Smoothies alone aren't going to make it in this market. I know I'm going to have a problem in the winter, because people don't want to get out of their car to come in here for a cold drink and carry it out.
"That's why we have other things on the menu."
Though she's quick to point out that Smoothielicious is "not a coffee shop," Roufus serves a decent cup of specialty coffee, along with quiche, burritos, quesadillas, grilled cheese sandwiches, panino and an array of baked goods like scones, muffins and cookies.
"Our burritos ($3.75) and quesadillas ($4) come from Madison and they are flash frozen," she said. "They are really good. They're not like a burrito you'd get on South 5th Street. It's more of a gourmet burrito. You can taste the cilantro and the fresh ingredients. We also have a lot of quality bakery items, and they've gone over well with the morning crowd."
It's the fruity concoctions, though, that drive Roufus.
"Smoothies is my passion," she said. "Our coffee is good, but I'll put my smoothies up against anybody. I'm trying to spread the smoothie love."
Smoothies are made fresh and cost $4.75 for 16 ounces and $5.50 for 20 ounces. "Enhancers" like fat burners, protein powder, flu fighters and others cost $1. Roufus said the most popular flavor so far, by a wide margin, is "Jamaican Me Crazy," which includes tropical fruit juice, pineapple and strawberries. Other favorites include "So Berry Good" and "Showtime."
"We're getting people who come in first thing in the morning and get a smoothie to go, which I love to see," Roufus said. "It really is a great meal replacement. People can come here and get something that is quick and healthy. We have enhancers, like an energy blend -- which is really loaded with Vitamin B. It's kind of like a 5-hour energy thing. It picks you up and keeps you there. The guy who sells it to me said 'It's great for hangovers.' I don't know if I'll market it that way, but it's good to know."
Roufus is investigating ways to deliver smoothies to businesses and possibly work with schools, where an emphasis on nutrition is often missing.
"I'd like to do a couple festivals," she said. "Eventually, I'd like to have something at State Fair, just to counter all the fried food. There has to be a few healthy people there."
It's the health-conscious people who will form the backbone of Smoothielicious' clientele.
"I think people are starting to be a bit more conscious of what they put in their bodies," Roufus said.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
