Smoothy Booty in Contest for Grant to Expand Business

A favorite Wakefield spot for a delicious and nutrient-packed smoothie (plus lunch and other tasty fare) is in the running for a grant program that could help them score some badly needed equipment.

And they need your vote.

Smoothy Booty Cafe on Robinson Street is a popular spot for locals to get some healthy refreshment, but the business suffers from a lack of freezer and storage space.

As it stands, employees are constantly running back and forth to co-owner Bart Shumaker’s restaurant, The Bluebird Cafe, where they’re forced to keep supplies.

The result is a lot of energy and gas spent shuttling to and fro — plus the Bluebird could use that freezer and storage space for themselves.

“We desperately need more refrigeration and storage space to make the Smoothy Booty more awesome than it already is,” the cafe said on a post on its Facebook page.

The grant program is via Mission Main Street.

To vote, you’ll need a Facebook account.

The Mission Main Street Grants program is by Chase and 20 businesses across the country will be awarded $100,000 to spur growth and expansion.

And who better to get such a grant than the folks at Smoothy Booty Cafe? Not only is Shumaker (and his wife Ruth Anderson) local, they’ve raised a crop of children here in South County and have done much to promote the small business community here. Plus, Shumaker deserves a pat on the back for ushering in a food revolution here in the mid 1990s when he first opened The Bluebird Cafe.

At the time, locals were floored to find a breakfast menu that had black beans and grits. He singlehandedly made gumbo and jambalaya household words. It could be argued that if it weren’t for Shumaker, there’d be a lot less huevos rancheros on breakfast menus across Rhode Island, which is now a staple dish.

Not to mention Smoothy Booty employs locals, both young and old, and sells a lot more than just smoothies. Along with the aforementioned food fare, the shop features all sorts of art, jewelry and other crafted objects from artists from both here and around the world.

The current round of voting ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, so every vote counts.

To vote, go HERE.

Photo: Smoothy Booty Cafe via Facebook.