Inspire Nutrition is open for business in downtown Delaware. The diet-friendly shake shop opened at 34 S. Sandusky St. on June 6, giving the community an alternative, nutritious option for their calorie intake.
The shop, co-owned by Adam and Sarah Schlosser, specializes in meal replacement shakes that contain 240 calories or less and come in more than 120 flavors, with more being added daily, Sarah Schlosser said. Flavors range from french vanilla — one of the business’ most popular — to sugar cookie, cheesecake, and peanut butter and chocolate.
In addition to the shakes being low in calories, Sarah Schlosser said each shake includes 24 grams of protein, 13 net carbs, five grams of fiber, nine grams of sugar, four grams of fat, and more than 20 vitamins and minerals.
While Inspire Nutrition specializes in meal replacement shakes, it also offers a variety of other products such as sugar-free, 20-calorie energy drinks, protein snack bars, and, eventually, an athlete line. As the business gains its foothold, Sarah Schlosser said they hope to offer different weight-loss challenges and programs as well.
“It’s not a ‘get skinny quick’ scheme or anything like that, but it is a sustainable regiment to follow,” said Adam Schlosser, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a full-time firefighter in Mount Vernon.
The idea to open the shop came honestly for the Schlossers, who live in Mount Vernon and began using the Herbalife products used in the shakes two years ago as a means for losing weight. After seeing considerable results with the products, an inspired Adam Schlosser made the decision last April to open their own store and offer the weight-loss tool to the community. With his wife’s support, they were off and running in creating Inspire Nutrition.
Of course, the outbreak of COVID-19 did the Schlossers no favors as they attempted to get the building ready for an opening, while also juggling six children at home. The recent flood only served to further complicate matters; Sarah Schlosser said their building suffered water damage during the flood, particularly in the back room of the building. She said they hope to have the back room, which they would like to use to offer fitness classes, ready for service around August.
“It’s been going pretty well,” she said. “(The biggest challenge) is just trying to get the name out and getting people to understand what we offer. But even through the flood and everything, Delaware has been great.”
Asked why they chose Delaware as the location for their shop, Adam Schlosser said that while surrounding communities had options already established, there was nothing of the sort in Delaware. The need within the community was there he said, and after his first visit to Delaware, he knew the foot traffic and community support would be there as well.
“I remember the first time that we came down here, it was during the Pride weekend,” Adam said. “We walked up and down the streets and everyone was going everywhere, walking around.”
Sarah Schlosser, who worked full-time as a nurse prior to opening the store, said she enjoys the change of pace owning her own store provides. Rather than working anywhere from 16 to 24-hours shifts, she has the flexibility to, perhaps, sleep in a bit, or spend more time with the children. Furthermore, she said it’s refreshing to deal with customers daily who come through the doors wanting what the store has to offer, while still helping people to live a healthier life.
With both having used the products now for two years, trying nearly every flavor on the menu, the Schlossers said they can personally attest to both the taste and the effectiveness of the products. Adam Schlosser said someone who isn’t using the product themselves isn’t going to be able to sell the product because they simply can’t be genuine in doing so.
For anyone who may be skeptical of the taste, customers are free to sample any flavor they would like, which Sarah Schlosser said goes a long way in erasing any preconceived notions that what the shakes offer in nutrition, they sacrifice in taste.
“We’ve had people come in and say they feel like they can taste the protein in the shakes,” she said. “So, we tell them to try a sample and you honestly can’t taste the protein. We use zero-sugar, zero-calorie syrup to flavor (the products), so I feel like that helps quite a bit. We have had people who can’t believe that they are actually healthy for you.”
Sarah Schlosser said Inspire Nutrition is already beginning to see a consistent base of return customers, some of whom even come from out of town multiple times a week. To be more customer-friendly during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have individually-wrapped utensils and offer curbside pickup.
To learn more about what the shop has to offer, call 740-365-0137 or visit its Facebook page by searching Inspire Nutrition Delaware.
