Editor’s note: Made in Tarrant is an occasional Q&A series on small businesses started in Tarrant County. Submit your business here.
Tom Strader is getting healthy and fit in his 40s — and promoting fresh juices and smoothies as part of his new business.
Strader, a former California resident who now lives in Northlake, opened Nékter Juice Bar in the Alliance area of north Fort Worth on Feb. 18.
The business also sells açai bowls filled with fruits and protein — low-fat, low-calorie options that aid Strader, an artificial intelligence developer, as he does crossfit training.
“I work in IT, so I’ve been sitting in a chair for basically 20 years,” the 42-year-old said. “I feel a lot healthier than I did a year ago.”
Nékter Juice Bar
Contact information
Address: 3529 Heritage Trace Parkway
Phone: 682-255-5436
Website: www.nekterjuicebar.com
During a recent visit to California, Strader visited a Nékter Juice Bar, where the company started, and became interested in a franchising opportunity. After opening in February, his local juice business celebrated its grand opening March 21 with $5 smoothies and giveaways.
Strader spoke with senior business reporter Eric E. Garcia. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Eric Garcia: How is your business going?
Tom Strader: Pretty good. We’ve had a few days that were nice and busy and a few days that were slower, but things are ramping well and the community is showing up.
Garcia: Does having a juice bar help you stay healthy?
Strader: Absolutely, I always wanted to eat healthy. I just didn’t exercise right. We moved to Texas about five years ago, and there just weren’t as many health options here. It inspired me to bring in Néktar, and I figured out other people had similar interests.
Garcia: Tell me about the products you sell.
Strader: They are all-natural fruits and vegetables. Some items are made from scratch as much as possible. All the smoothies are whole, frozen fruits. All the juices are whole fruits and vegetables made to order. People can customize whatever they want. There’s no high-fructose corn syrup. We’re not scooping sorbets out of bins and bringing them to blenders. It’s very much whole fruits. I think that sets us apart from other chains that are optimized for speed and profit margins. We’re more optimized for health and wellness. It takes a little bit longer, but you get a high-quality product.
Garcia: The Alliance area is booming. How will that help your business?
Strader: Five years ago, H-E-B didn’t exist (in Alliance), and there were still a bunch of empty lots. There were lots of amenities, but I think over the last several years, the amenities have really come up to what I consider to be world-class standards. You’ve got a lot more healthy options. You’ve got some more fine dining. You’ve got some more cultural options.
Garcia: How are you balancing your IT job and being a business owner?
Strader: I’m full throttle on both, so it’s been a lot. I work in AI software all day, managing a team. With Néktar, it’s obviously been some long days and wearing multiple hats. I’ll be on a call making decisions about the strategy of the company, and then I’ll be cleaning blenders. It’s been an interesting journey so far. It kind of depends on my availability. I’m setting up the store with a general manager so it can operate on its own. We’re doing well from an early-growth standpoint.
Garcia: What are your juice bar’s favorite products?
Strader: My favorite juice is the Toxin Flush. It’s green, but it’s mostly (made from) red apple. It’s a little on the sweet side, but you get that health benefit from the spinach and the parsley. There’s a little bit of lemon and ginger in there, so you get that nice sweetness with the zing of the ginger. You can hardly taste the greens, but you get a ton of vitamins. I really like that juice.
As far as bowls and smoothies, I like the Blueberry Almond Butter smoothie. It’s one of our supercharged smoothies. It’s got 40 grams of protein. It’s absolutely packed with protein and, because I do crossfit, I need as much protein as I can get. That’s one I often go to. The Health Nut is really good, as is the PB&J. There are some that are dessert level. It’s so good, but I feel a little guilty eating it sometimes.
Garcia: What is the goal for your company?
Strader: I’m just very excited about health and wellness and making it accessible to people. People want to do this, but it’s just so hard on your own.
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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