Rick Blackham doesn’t just like smoothies. He really likes smoothies. </p><p>“I think you could say I’m a huge fan,” he said with a laugh. </p><p>Blackman is the owner of Roxberry Juice, a chain of smoothie stores that sells high-quality drinks and snacks, which recently opened in Lee’s Summit. </p><p>“There are a lot of smoothie places, but ours is the best, it’s that simple,” Blackham said.</p><p>Blackham and his family moved to Lee’s Summit seven years ago. After selling his pest control business, Blackham was looking for his next investment.</p><p>“I have always liked smoothies but I noticed there wasn’t a smoothie store – or anything like it – in the area,” he said. “So I started researching.”</p><p>Blackham’s research led him to Roxberry Juice, which is based in Utah. </p><p>“I saw that Roxberry smoothies were different,” he said. “They’re made differently and they use higher quality ingredients than your average smoothie store. They had three locations in Utah at the time and were looking to expand.”</p><p>Roxberry’s Lee’s Summit location in the Summit Woods Crossing shopping center, next door to Jason’s Deli, held its grand opening Nov. 20. The store is unlike a typical smoothie store and more like a coffee shop. Free Wi-Fi is available and customers are invited to come in and stay awhile. </p><p>“Smoothies and coffee aren’t that different,” Blackham said. “They’re both considered a tasty treat. We’re encouraging people to meet up here and hang out, while having a smoothie or a snack.”</p><p>Depending on what they want, Roxberry customers can order smoothies ranging from dessert-like to healthy. </p><p>“We have things like the P-Nut Butter Blast, which has chocolate, peanut butter and frozen yogurt but we also have smoothies on the healthier end of the scale, such as Sunrise Sensation, which is just orange juice, strawberries and bananas,” Blackham said. “So really, whatever you’re in the mood for, we have it.”</p><p>Roxberry smoothies are made differently, too, Blackham said.</p><p>“Most smoothie places fill the cup two-thirds full of ice,” he said. “We use flaked ice, not cubed. We also use real fruit juice and real fruit.”</p><p>Blackham said at a typical smoothie store, fruit is shipped in syrup, to help it stay fresh longer. At Roxberry, the fruit is picked at its ripest, then flash-frozen to keep it fresh. The fruit juice is made especially for Roxberry too, he added. </p><p>“Customers can also add smart shots to their smoothies,” Blackham said. “Vitamin C, an antioxidant shot or whey protein shots can all be added.” </p><p>Blackham said a second metro area Roxberry is slated to open next summer in the Overland Park, Kan., area, but the original Lee’s Summit store will be the “home base of operations.” </p><p>“I’d like to see 12 to 15 Roxberry’s in the Kansas City metro area within the next five years,” he said. “The response has been great so far. I think as long as we keep doing what we’re doing – serving high-quality smoothies at a relatively cheap price – people will keep coming back for more.” </p><p>Roxberry Juice, located at 1694 N.W. Chipman Rd., is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 816-525-0600.</p><p><i>To reach Journal reporter Emily Jarrett, call 816-282-7018 or e-mail ejarrett@lsjournal.com.</i>