Glenview's Blended Smoothie to open second store in Evanston

It seemed business partners April Doremus and Samantha Dexter opened Glenview's Blended Health & Smoothie Bar at just the wrong time.

The doors opened in June 2020 at 950 Harlem Ave., a couple months into the COVID-19 pandemic.

With little for people to do, however, the timing was fortuitous.

"It ended up being a destination for people because we were new and we were healthy," Doremus said of Blended offerings such as acai bowls and juice cleanses and protein drinks.

Northwestern University athletes frequent the place, Doremus said, testimony to the menu's health benefits.

It worked profitably in Glenview, and less than two years after its opening, after searching for spots throughout the North Shore Dexter and Doremus will open a second location in Evanston, in the former Oliver's Toys & Trains space, 2002 Central Ave.

Pending the appropriate permits and getting staff in order, Doremus said the second Blended location plans to open in the first or second week of April. The Glenview store will continue.

The fare will be the same as in Glenview - "You're not going to find waffle bowls anywhere else in Illinois," Doremus said - though the shop will be half the size of the Glenview location.

The "Blended Smoothie" in Glenview is in a 1,400 square-foot space; Evanston's spot is about 600 square feet. Thus, items will be available for pickup without indoor seating.

Doremus called it a "Hi and Bye" philosophy.

"We still want to connect with our customers, but we're going to try to do that in a different type of setting," said Doremus, born and raised in Glenview. She played travel softball on a team coached by Glenview Herald columnist Jon Cohn, she said.

Doremus said folks in Evanston and Wilmette already have been putting out the welcome mat. The pandemic reduced the ability to do much marketing for the Glenview store two years ago, she said, but customers have since made this second Blended Health & Smoothie Bar possible.

"I'm excited with how we were able to survive and thrive enough to be able to try out a second location," Doremus said. "I think we just feel really blessed that's the kind of community support we've had."