WILMINGTON — Working professionals in downtown Wilmington looking for a healthy alternative to higher-calorie breakfast and lunch options can now check out the ‘meal replacement shake’ at Downtown Nutrition ILM.
A large pair of scissors and ribbon will make it official at noon today when Mayor Bill Saffo is expected to attend the grand opening of Downtown Nutrition ILM, located in a long, narrow shop at 240 Princess Street.
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Genna Wagner partnered with Shawn Blair, a former hospital corpsman at Camp Lejeune who started Nutrition Revolution near Target nearly a decade ago, to bring another nutrition club to downtown Wilmington.
After Wagner became a regular at the original location, she began recommending the Herbalife products that are offered at the store to friends and ultimately became a distributor of the brand. Recently she decided to help Blair open the downtown location.
“I really liked how the products made me feel,” Wagner said. “I felt like I had more energy, and compared to other products, they taste good, they’re filling, they’re satisfying. I’m not hungry ten minutes after I finish it and the feeling lasts throughout my day.”
Blair, Wagner, and a third partner will focus on offering smoothies and herbal energy drinks as quick and healthy meal options for the downtown working professional. Attorneys, detectives from the courthouse, and employees from the nearby offices of Monteith Construction have become regulars, according to Wagner.
Customers can order a shake, green tea, and a shot of aloe for just under $9 — $11.25 if they add a ‘Tea Bomb’ that gives you what the shop calls an energy lift without the crash of coffee — and it takes a few minutes, compared to the 45 minutes needed for a traditional sit-down meal, Wagner said.
The three-drink process is designed to maximize your nutritional intake: the aloe shot helps with nutrient absorption and digestion, the tea offers energy and healthy antioxidants, and the shake satisfies your hunger with only 200 calories and 24 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 21 vitamins and minerals.
Before Wagner made the move, she heard enough from the people in the downtown area to see a demand for healthy and convenient meal alternatives.
“Talking to people who are down here, there are a lot of pizzas, sandwiches, and sit-down restaurants,” Wagner said. “A lot of people have been saying there’s not any healthy options downtown.”
Downtown Nutrition ILM is open from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Wagner said she will consider expanding to weekend hours if enough of her core customers make the request. The shop is located in a building on the southwest corner of Princess and 3rd Street.
Mark Darrough can be reached at [email protected] or (970) 413-3815
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