Manalapan High School Teacher Blends up Smoothies Down the Shore

Bill and Jessica Medler decided putting out fires and molding the minds of the next generation simply wasn't fulfilling enough for them.  So, they decided to take their careers up a notch and opened Shore Smoothies at 211 Ocean Ave., Bradley Beach, two months ago.

The Lake Como newlyweds haven’t quit their day jobs.  Bill, 36, puts out fires, literally, as a full-time firefighter with the Fire Department of New York, and lifeguards weekends in Sea Girt.  Jessica, 29, shapes and enlightens the minds of the next generation , as a teacher at Manalapan High School. So, weren’t their plates full enough?

"We always wanted to do something for ourselves – having summer off as a teacher," said Jessica, to which Bill added, “I was inspired by many of my fellow firefighters who have businesses on the side as well,” who opens the establishment himself before heading to the beach in Sea Girt.

The Medlers basically spent winter coming up with a menu and taste testing, with a lot of help from family and friends, as well as putting their cozy, outdoor bistro together, which Jessica noted was empty.  The intensive taste-testing was put to good use – Shore Smoothies offers a veritable potpourri of 23 unique libations.

“Fruitful Delights” are standards that contain fresh fruit ranging from bananas, strawberries and blueberries to coconut, pineapple and mango, with juices such as acai berry, pomegranate and pineapple.  “Rise n Shine” breakfast smoothies feature not only tropical fruits, but granola, oatmeal and nuts.  

The adventurous might opt for an “Indulgence” smoothie, enhanced with guilty ingredients such as peanut butter, chocolate syrup or caramel – yet still healthy with skim milk, frozen yogurt and apple juice.

Admitted an obviously healthy, slender Jessica, “We don't have traditional toppings – we don’t have sprinkles.  We offer healthier options like granola, walnuts and almonds.”

Shore Smoothies outdoes other smoothie businesses by offering salads such as Asian, Caesar and Greek, and “garden variety” – pardon the pun – such as mixed greens, and romaine and cucumbers.

"We wanted to try and provide a healthier food option at the beach for a reasonable price," stated Jessica.

Shore Smoothies' drinks are reasonable, ranging from $4 for kids' smoothies to $6 for a classic. “Power Up” smoothies are $6.50, and feature added protein powder.

The Medlers didn’t enter into this venture blind.  

“I’ve worked in the restaurant business since I was 15 – I used to waitress, then bartend at Parker House,” said Jessica.  “Billy bartended years ago at the Boathouse.  We gathered our food service knowledge from all that – there’s a lot to learn.”

Jessica and Bill, members of Bradley Beach Chamber of Commerce, are still learning ... from their grateful customers, who so enjoyed the grilled chicken in salads they asked if it was available separately, and it now is in sandwich form.

Why Bradley Beach?  Well, first off, the commute – they live just over the bridge in Lake Como.  The fact that there isn’t a smoothie place in Bradley may also come into play. 

Noted  Jessica, “Billy used to lifeguard in Bradley years ago – the location we couldn't beat.  It’s a family oriented, beach town. People are nice around here. And the view – you can’t beat the view.”

The view obviously appeals to Shore Smoothies’ clientele, which is mostly beachgoers of all ages, yet the oceanfront location hasn’t affected the bistro’s prices.  

“We’re priced about the same as other smoothie places – we could raise our prices because we’re beachfront, but we didn’t,” stated Jessica.

She noted foot traffic is better when the weather is good, and much busier on weekends. “We’re busy during the week, but we’ve been waiting for graduation and grade schools to let out.  We also give a 50 percent discount to lifeguards, and police and firemen – anybody in uniform.”

Smoothies account for 60 percent of business, and the rest of the menu, 40 percent. Family Day is each Wednesday from 2-6 p.m., during which kids’ smoothies and frozen yogurt are offered for half-price.

“We also have ‘Loyalty Cards’ – believe it or not we have people who are here every a.m.,” stated Jessica, and their smoothies are atypical because, “They are made to order with fresh fruit – we don’t use syrups or artificial flavoring.”

The “Survival” smoothie, as well as “Three Little Birds,” and “Redemption” are the most popular smoothies.  Kind of unusual names for health beverages, right?  Well, the creative Medlers named all their smoothies after Bob Marley songs.

“I wanted to have a theme to all the smoothies, and I didn’t want it to be cheesy.  We like reggae and going to tropical places, so we named them after Bob Marley songs,” said Jessica.

Another popular item not named for a song is the frozen yogurt.  

“A lot of parents come up with kids for ice cream, and we talk them into the low-fat frozen yogurt,” said Jessica.

The parents may want to indulge in a cup of Green Mountain coffee while their kids enjoy the frozen yogurt.  Although Shore Smoothies just added veggie burgers, Jessica said “We’re not adding anything else to the menu – we don’t have the space!”

The outdoor patio space is large enough to accommodate three tables with seating for 12, and more seating on its benches with attractive planters on the ends, which the Medlers intend to capitalize on more during the evening hours.  

Perhaps to diversify and shake things up a bit, “We’re thinking about having an acoustic, open mic night on Wednesdays.  We know a lot of people who are in different local bands,” Jessica stated.  “It will feature a band and include open mic in-between performances,” which may include one of their local celebrity customers and daily smoothie fan, Kenny from the Stringbean Blues Band.

Jessica said her favorite part of the day is “serving the community a great product in the beach area,” but inventory and clean-up don’t thrill her.  The newlyweds are excited about their new endeavor, and stated Jessica, “The landlord said if we wanted the property again, we could let him know – we’re hoping to be doing this for awhile!”

Shore Smoothies is open 7 a.m.-9 p.m., seven days a week, and will be open through Sept. 15.  Its phone number is 732-774-4543, and its website, www.shoresmoothies.com.