In recent years, the US has seen the rise of healthy fast food options, both at existing fast food restaurants—McDonald’s, Subway and the like—and at new ones, such as B.GOOD, various make-your-own salad counters and, locally, through meal delivery service 9 Miles East. A major piece of that health-food puzzle has been restaurants that offer smoothies and smoothie bowls, healthy options that basically taste like dessert. One such Capital Region establishment is BARE Blends, a Stuyvesant Plaza shop that celebrated the opening of its second location in Clifton Park’s Village Plaza on February 28.
Originally opened in Albany in November 2018, BARE Blends serves up a creative and colorful menu of smoothies, smoothie bowls and fresh-pressed juices that showcase and celebrate plant-based ingredients. “We felt there was a need for more healthy options in the Clifton Park area,” says BARE Blends owner Annie Berdar. “Being a big lunch hub, we wanted to fill the void, introduce our brand to new customers and promote health and wellness in another area.” The Clifton Park menu will feature all-new bowls, smoothies, juices and wellness shots, as well as greens and grain bowls. It’ll also debut a new gluten-free vegan waffle toasty, BARE’s take on the traditional avocado toast. The new location is open for dine-in and takeout customers, Monday-Friday, from 7am-7pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8am-5pm, with the option for delivery coming soon.
“Our soft opening was crazy,” Berdar says. “The support from this community is promising, and we are excited to make a lasting impact on the health of those who regularly consume our products.”
While both the Albany and Clifton Park locations are owned by Berdar, the Capital Region resident franchised the BARE Blends brand last April, and has since sold six units across three states. Of those six, one is planned to open in Latham next month, and a Saratoga branch is in the works for the not-so-distant future.