Toms River Vitamin Store Teaches Student Owner Real-Time Lessons

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Most college students search for internships to gain real-life experience to give them a headstart in the job search when they graduate from college.

Brandon Lombardo of Toms River decided to follow another path: He started a business.

Lombardo, 21, is in his senior year at Kean University, where he's studying business management. The Toms River East graduate played football, basketball and volleyball in high school, and he's also been a lifeguard in Seaside Park.

While he's been in college, he had been working the store manager at American Made Supplements on Fischer Boulevard, which sold nutrition supplements to people who were using them as part of physical fitness pursuits.

He wanted more, however. When issues arose for the owner of the store, Lombardo saw what he felt was the perfect opportunity, pulled together all of his savings and bought the business.

It opened as Alpha Anatomy in mid-September, and while it sells a variety of supplements and vitamins, Lombardo has plans to do much more.

"I’ve always wanted to become a business owner," Lombardo said. "I know brick and mortar is hard right now. But I saw a chance to grow this brand."

He's got ideas for what he wants to do next all bubbling to the surface. Some are in the works, some are still in the future. But Lombardo wants to make his mark in fitness.

"I want to grow this into a complete fitness brand," he said.

Alpha Anatomy in Fischer Plaza on Fischer Boulevard. Lombardo said he sublets space from Sullivan Kickboxing, which is owned by George Sullivan, a former UFC fighter. There's also a Crunch Fitness in the same shopping center.

The decline of the previous store comes with stigmas and a negative reputation he's working to overcome, and that means a lot of hours at the store.

"It's challenging with being a full-time student," said Lombardo, who estimated he is working 50 to 60 hours a week at the store on top of his studies. Hard work is nothing new, as he graduated from high school with straight As while playing three sports and participating in school organizations. He completed his associate's degree in business at Ocean County College also with a 4.0.

He got into the fitness industry as an extension of being an athlete and has taken a few nutrition courses as part of his college studies.

Lombardo said he has changed several things from the previous store. There's new products, from pre-workout muscle builders to energy drinks to protein bars for refueling after a workout. The store carries protein supplements and testosterone boosters, and a range of popular brands, including Pro Source, Bucked Up, RedCon1 and Alpha Prime.

"If someone is looking for something we don't have, we'll order it," he said.

The shop sells fitness clothing and he wants to create a clothing brand of his own as part of creating a whole brand. The store's website has launched and it includes online ordering.

There's also an app in the works, he said. Among the planned features are a way to log and create workouts, a scheduling tool, and access to examples of exercises with video and a description of the exercise and an anatomy feature to see what muscle groups you're working on with each exercise.

If you want a gym partner but struggle to find someone who can keep specific gym hours with you, the app will help pair you with someone to "share" your workouts with, even if you're completing them at different times.

A rewards program is being ironed out, and discounts for military are in place, he said.

Lombardo aims to make Alpha Anatomy a one-stop, must-stop place for people who are pursuing their fitness goals, whatever shape those goals take.

"I'm trying to help people achieve their goals even if they’re just seeking advice," Lombardo said.

Since the store reopened, former customers of the old store have come back. Now the goal is to gain new customers.

"It requires a lot of energy and time," Lombardo said. And it's a real-life lesson he could never get from just discussing it in class.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.