New Baltimore couple plans to open healthy shake shop in Marysville plaza - The Times Herald

It's still a work in progress, but by mid-December people could have a new option for healthy shakes and energizing teas in Marysville.

New Baltimore couple McKenzie Kowalczyk and Bridget Boxley are working on opening Marysville Nutrition at 1126 Gratiot Blvd. in Market Square Plaza, nestled between Trezure Hunt and True Balance Chiropractic and Wellness.

Kowalczyk signed the lease in May and the goal is to open the shop by the last week of November or first week of December.

"We're almost there," Boxley said.

Marysville Nutrition is owned by the couple and falls under the Herbalife umbrella, a global marketing corporation that develops and sells dietary supplements. Other locations include Fort Gratiot Nutrition, Harrison Township Nutrition, New Heights Nutrition and Shores Nutrition.

Marysville Nutrition's shakes will have collagen as a beauty booster and aloe to help with indigestion. The shakes are around 250 calories with 24 grams of protein, Kowalczyk said.

The cake batter and banana bread shakes are crowd favorites and Boxley said she's a fan of the strawberry shortcake one. When it comes to which tea is Kowalczyk's favorite, "it's so hard, I love them all," she said.

Opening the business has been a learning curve for the couple. Boxley works in the water and fire damage restoration field while Kowalczyk previously worked at Harrison Township Nutrition, which she left a 40-hour work week office job for.

A lot of people said she was crazy for doing that to go work at a place that sells tea and shakes, but it's so much more than that. It's about building relationships with the team and customers, Kowalczyk said.

"These people come in every day, you get to learn about their life," she said.

Boxley said they wanted to bring their business to Marysville because they think it will be successful for both the community and their future.

"I feel like Marysville needs something different, more on the healthy side," Boxley said.

The couple have gutted the around 1,500-square-foot space, put in new plumbing, flooring and more. They still need to paint, build the bar and move product in before opening.

They estimate opening Marysville Nutrition is around a $45,000 investment. The couple has had a lot of support and help from friends and family, including Emergency Restoration out of Troy, which donated a lot of material for the bar and building, Boxley said.

When Marysville Nutrition is finally open, the couple want people to feel like they belong there and can be themselves. Whether someone comes in for a shake or someone to talk to, "we're here," Boxley said.

"I want them to feel like it's home," Kowalczyk said.

Read More:

Denise Miller, who owns Market Square Plaza with her husband, is excited about the new business, not just because it's one more store in the plaza but because she's a personal fan of the products.

She has been going to Shores Nutrition in St. Clair Shores for years and loves it, especially the detoxing teas.

"It's definitely an energy booster," she said.

She said there aren't similar tea places near Marysville Nutrition and it's centrally located in a perfect area, right next to a chiropractor's office so people can get adjusted then get a healthy snack or smoothie.

Kowalczyk and Boxley are fun and have a lot of momentum and excitement. They will bring that to Marysville Nutrition and will get people excited, she said.

"I think everybody's going to be excited," Miller said.

Contact Bryce Airgood at (810) 989-6202 or bairgood@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.