The Smoothie Spot, a Spring Street establishment that sells smoothies, smoothie bowls, and toasts, will close on Oct. 29. The café is part of Nature’s Closet, an outdoor specialty retailer, and has been open for roughly seven years.
Amy Jeschawitz and Beth McLean, co-owners of the Smoothie Spot, bought Nature’s Closet and the accompanying café four years ago.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly hurt small businesses across the country — and the Smoothie Spot was no exception, Jeschawitz said. “I took a hard look at the numbers in September… and the numbers [didn’t] make sense,” she said. “So we made the decision to close it down at the end of October.”
Jeschawitz primarily attributed the Smoothie Spot’s post-pandemic hardships to the increased costs of goods. The café’s smoothies and bowls are made of fresh fruit, the price of which has skyrocketed post-pandemic. “We have not bought blueberries in over a year and a half because the cost of a 30-pound box of blueberries has gone up by over $100,” Jeschawitz said.
To earn a profit from bowls with certain fruits, Jeschawitz would have to increase the prices of bowls beyond what she believes customers would be willing to pay.
Jeschawitz also said that the increase in the Massachusetts minimum wage also contributed to her decision to close her business. From 2020 to this year, the state’s minimum wage has increased from $13.25 to $15 per hour. “It may not sound like a lot, but when you’re only selling a product that costs $8 or $13… that makes a big difference,” she told the Record.
Another problem for the Smoothie Spot has been staffing. The majority of the Smoothie Spot’s employees are high school students, which makes staffing especially difficult on weekdays. “If we [don’t] have someone to cover [a shift], then we’d have to be closed,” Jeschawitz explained.
Sophia Nogueira ’27, who enjoys the bowls at the Smoothie Spot, expressed disappointment about its closure. “It’s upsetting that the only local smoothie spot is closing, which will diminish access to fresh fruit in the area,” she wrote to the Record.
“I must admit I am sad to see the smoothie spot go,” Edmond Laird-Raylor ’24 wrote. “I will miss having the ability to break the monotony of Williams’ product without leaving campus.”
