Editor\u2019s note: Made in Tarrant is an occasional Q&A series on small businesses started in Tarrant County. Submit your business here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tom Strader is getting healthy and fit in his 40s \u2014 and promoting fresh juices and smoothies as part of his new business.<\/p>\n Strader, a former California resident who now lives in Northlake, opened N\u00e9kter Juice Bar<\/a> in the Alliance area of north Fort Worth on Feb. 18.<\/p>\n The business also sells a\u00e7ai bowls filled with fruits and protein \u2014 low-fat, low-calorie options that aid Strader, an artificial intelligence developer, as he does crossfit training.<\/p>\n \u201cI work in IT, so I\u2019ve been sitting in a chair for basically 20 years,\u201d the 42-year-old said. \u201cI feel a lot healthier than I did a year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n N\u00e9kter Juice Bar<\/p>\n Contact information<\/p>\n Address: 3529 Heritage Trace Parkway<\/p>\n Phone: 682-255-5436<\/p>\n \u200bWebsite: <\/a>www.nekterjuicebar.com<\/a><\/p>\n During a recent visit to California, Strader visited a N\u00e9kter 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.<\/p>\n Strader spoke with senior business reporter Eric E. Garcia. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n Eric Garcia: How is your business going?<\/p>\n Tom Strader: Pretty good. We\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n Garcia: Does having a juice bar help you stay healthy?<\/p>\n Strader: Absolutely, I always wanted to eat healthy. I just didn\u2019t 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 N\u00e9ktar, and I figured out other people had similar interests.<\/p>\n Garcia: Tell me about the products you sell.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s no high-fructose corn syrup. We\u2019re not scooping sorbets out of bins and bringing them to blenders. It\u2019s very much whole fruits. I think that sets us apart from other chains that are optimized for speed and profit margins. We\u2019re more optimized for health and wellness. It takes a little bit longer, but you get a high-quality product.<\/p>\n Garcia: The Alliance area is booming. How will that help your business?<\/p>\n Strader: Five years ago, H-E-B didn\u2019t 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\u2019ve got a lot more healthy options. You\u2019ve got some more fine dining. You\u2019ve got some more cultural options.<\/p>\n Garcia: How are you balancing your IT job and being a business owner?<\/p>\n Strader: I\u2019m full throttle on both, so it’s been a lot. I work in AI software all day, managing a team. With N\u00e9ktar, it\u2019s obviously been some long days and wearing multiple hats. I\u2019ll be on a call making decisions about the strategy of the company, and then I’ll be cleaning blenders. It\u2019s been an interesting journey so far. It kind of depends on my availability. I\u2019m setting up the store with a general manager so it can operate on its own. We\u2019re doing well from an early-growth standpoint.<\/p>\n Garcia: What are your juice bar\u2019s favorite products?<\/p>\n Strader: My favorite juice is the Toxin Flush. It\u2019s green, but it’s mostly (made from) red apple. It\u2019s a little on the sweet side, but you get that health benefit from the spinach and the parsley. There\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n As far as bowls and smoothies, I like the Blueberry Almond Butter smoothie. It\u2019s one of our supercharged smoothies. It\u2019s got 40 grams of protein. It\u2019s absolutely packed with protein and, because I do crossfit, I need as much protein as I can get. That\u2019s one I often go to. The Health Nut is really good, as is the PB&J. There are some that are dessert level. It\u2019s so good, but I feel a little guilty eating it sometimes.<\/p>\n Garcia: What is the goal for your company?<\/p>\n Strader: I\u2019m just very excited about health and wellness and making it accessible to people. People want to do this, but it\u2019s just so hard on your own.<\/p>\n Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n