Innovative local smoothie concept, Better Blend, is blazing ahead in its series of new store openings. The eleventh Better Blend location opens at 1990 N Bend Road, Hebron, Kentucky, on Saturday, October 12, 2024.
Founded by Northern Kentucky native Isaac Hamlin in 2018, Better Blend was created to make it easy for everyone to eat healthy. Claiming to be “a better way to smoothie,” Better Blend offers fast, healthy smoothies that are nutrient-rich, made with clean ingredients, and don’t have the high sugar counts found in traditional smoothies.
Hamlin developed his smoothie recipes while playing rugby for the University of Kentucky, designed to replace the heavy pregame meals the team usually ate. After graduating, Hamlin realized there was a need for healthy food options at home, but the path wasn’t easy.
“When you’re a 22-year-old college graduate with no collateral, banks laugh you out of the door. So I maxed out as many credit cards as I could instead,” Hamlin says. “I don’t advise that for other entrepreneurs, but I didn’t want to look back at ninety and think, ‘What if I would have just gone for it?’ So I did. I worked at Amazon at night and built the store with my dad during the day.”
The first Better Blend location opened in Florence, Kentucky, in June 2018, with additional stores and franchise locations following close behind.
In 2023, Hamlin was named Kentucky Young Entrepreneur of the Year and won the 2023 NKY Chamber Next Generation Leadership Award. Earlier this year, the brand was voted Kentucky’s Most Innovative Startup.
Over the years, the menu has expanded to provide a range of healthy options. For smoothies alone, Better Blend has many kinds to suit a variety lifestyle and tastebuds: from protein-packed to coffee-infused to fruit-filled. For those who prefer chewing over sipping, the menu includes several smoothie bowl options—including an acai bowl, a dish that has been increasingly trendy—and healthy snacks.
For those on the go, Better Blend stores also sell their smoothies prepackaged to make at home. Catering is also available for any event.
The newest store set to open is a franchise location in Hebron. With roots in existing Skyline franchises, Better Blend Hebron franchisees, the Wassler family (Jennifer, Ben, and Nathan), wanted to merge their passion for fitness and healthy living with their experience as restauranteurs. Having been Better Blend regulars for some time, when the opportunity to franchise the brand presented itself, the Wasslers jumped on it.
“Opening a Better Blend alongside my family in the community we grew up in is a fun endeavor,” says Hebron franchisee, Ben Wassler. “The community has shown incredible support and enthusiasm for our arrival. We’re thrilled to bring a new and exciting brand to Hebron!”
The Wasslers have a big celebration planned for their grand opening. The first fifty guests will receive free smoothies for the rest of the year and next store neighbor, Snap Fitness, is hosting a group workout that earns participants prizes and Better Blend coupons. Better Blend is also giving away free peanut butter-and-banana “Bark Bowls” to any dog friends that attend, with the purchase of a smoothie or bowl.
More details can be found on the Better Blend Hebron Facebook page.
For more information about Better Blend, visit their website at www.betterblend.com
