Fresh Monkee hosted a grand opening this week at the Park Place shopping center location in Fresno. Photo contributed by Keith Howard
Fresh Monkee opened its doors in Fresno last month — a first in the Valley for the growing franchise.
The popular New England-based franchise sells made-to-order protein shakes.
Fresh Monkee hosted its grand opening on Dec. 6 at its first Fresno location at 7785 N. Palm Ave., suite 109, next to Deli Delicious and Kikku Kitchen.
The company was founded in 2014 by Judy Flynn, a single mother and former athlete who took her 650 square-f oot shop located in Wethersfield, Connecticut and grew it into a nationally recognized brand.
Fresh Monkee was brought to Fresno by franchise holder Keith Howard. He and his family franchised 14 Rally’s locations and owned and operated Jack’s Car Wash Co. — which he helped run for 20 years.
Interested in returning to the food service industry, Howard visited Connecticut to get to know the brand and to taste the shakes for himself. Howard said he knew immediately he wanted to bring the brand to Fresno after tasting the product.
“It truly is a healthy shake, and it’s delicious,” he said.
The shop lists more than 30 protein shakes on its menu that range in starting price from $8.99 to $10.99. That includes two “Mass Shakes” for those looking to bulk up, as well as a protein iced coffee, which can be made with either chocolate or vanilla protein.
“We do that for the bodybuilders,” said Howard, “They’re made with whole milk. They’re made with double protein. They’re made with oats … that adds to the calorie count to get you your post or pre-workout protein.”
Its made-to-order protein shake recipes are built around quality high-fiber and proprietary high-protein ingredients, he said, and can be made with plant-based protein and non-dairy milks — like almond and coconut.
“We only use all-natural ingredients,” said Howard. “Our peanut butter is just peanuts and salt. Our almond butter is the same.”
The shop even offers a dog-safe shake called the “Puppy Shake” — which contains pumpkin, natural peanut butter and banana.
Aside from shakes, snack bites called “Monkee Ballz” are available to those looking for a healthier protein snack.
After successfully launching and operating her first location, founder Judy Flynn and her team hit the road in 2017 — selling shakes on-the-go out of a food truck. The following year, she opened three additional brick-and-mortar locations in Connecticut.
Later, Flynn later franchised her business, which allowed the company to grow quickly. The expansion resulted in 19 Fresh Monkee locations operating from coast-to-coast — including its Fresno location.
The company released an app on Dec. 9 that allows customers to view the full menu, order ahead and earn rewards points, which can be exchanged for free food and drinks.
Fresno’s first Fresh Monkee is located in the Park Place shopping center .
Fresh Monkee is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., but after listening to customer feedback, Howard plans to operate on Sundays for limited hours in the future.
The new Fresno location is the second to open in California — with the first opening in Carlsbad last year — but Howard plans to open additional locations in Fresno County, Kings County, Kern County, Santa Cruz County and San Luis Obispo County.
The range of investment for a Fresh Monkee franchise is $181,200 to $380,300, which includes construction, equipment, three months of working capital and the franchise fee, according to the website.