Creation Smoothies spins favorite eats with a healthier alternative
Terry Bams and Thomas Neal met in 2015, while working at a company selling car warranties.
Bams had been with the company for quite some time and Neal sat next to him. Once they started conversing and hanging around each other more they learned they had a lot in common.
One of the things they discussed was going into business together.
Bams said a home healthcare business was the first they considered, but that idea changed once they learned it wasn’t as easy as one might think.
“Yeah, we were gonna open a home healthcare business, but it was just too much red tape,” Bams said. “Right before that time, people started to get into that business and it became stricter with a lot of different things. We ended up backing out of it.”
An unfortunate event as Neal was returning from Miami where he purchased a new car led to a new venture. One of his tires blew, and since it was Sunday, a solution would have to wait at least a day.
He went to nearby Valdosta, Georgia (he had never been to the area) and waited for Monday to get his car fixed. While he waited on his car’s maintenance he got hungry and stopped in a restaurant named Creations Smoothies to grab a bite to eat.
He was intrigued by the restaurant’s ambiance and menu options. That inspired him to ask owner Timothy Bryant if he would be interested in franchising.
Bams thought from a financial standpoint the news was too good to be true. He thought the numbers he was presented were off regarding the overall costs, but he and Neal were able to afford it.
They opened their brick and mortar store in November 2020 in O’Fallon, Missouri. As expected, the pair faced challenges that came with launching a new business during the pandemic.
“We literally had maybe one or two employees running right into the grand opening,” Bams said. By the week of the business opening, the entrepreneurs had seven employees.
“It’s crazy,” Bams said.
Creations sets itself apart from other food establishments with its motto “we do food fast, we don’t do fast foods.”
The menu includes healthy foods and beverages that are fresh and do not include preservatives, additives or ice. They serve wraps and tacos, regular or low carb, salads, carb conscious smoothies, lemonades and meatless choices for vegans and vegetarians.
“Every time I went somewhere and I ordered something I’d ask to have something taken off because they’re putting natural sugars on top of the sugar that’s already on the fruit. That’s too much sugar,” Neal said.
“We don’t have anything added, and plus we’re the only people that I know of putting red algae sea moss in smoothies.”
Its signature sauce, which also contains sea moss, also makes Creations unique.
“Sea moss is in the sauce,” Bams said. “People get that everyday and don’t even know it. They love our sauce. Some people think it’s a thousand island dressing or cheese, but no, it’s our own special sauce.”
Bams and Neal walk the walk they talk about with their business in terms of lifestyle. Selling nutritious items correlates with their own way of living.
“What sets us apart is the lifestyle,” Neal said. “We really want people to take this into consideration because a lot of people won’t put as much consideration on themselves as they do their car, clothes or having fun. You gotta take care of yourself. It’s a lifestyle in terms of looking to create a better life. This is what we’re pushing here.”
Bams and Neal’s franchise greets customers who learned about it from advertisements on social media, or traditional ad outlets. Some heard of them from others, and customers also see them while in the neighborhood.
Regardless of how customers hear about them, they’re grateful to be thriving and successful during the pandemic because many businesses have closed.
“We want people to taste it once, that’s the goal,” Neal said.
“I want to thank the people for supporting us, coming out here and taking that drive, and even spreading the word during the pandemic. There’s a lot of businesses that closed and people have been keeping us afloat; always wanna thank the people.”
“Thankful for the staff we have and partners I can trust,” Bams said. “We roll with the bumps smoothly and keep it pushing.”
A second location is expected to open in Florissant this November.
For more information about Creation Smoothies, visit https://creationssmoothies.com/.
