A new coffee and smoothie shop is bringing fresh flavor to Statesboro. Blend ‘n Brew Smoothies and Coffee, co-owned by Georgia Southern professor Dr. Tilicia
Mayo-Gamble and her sister, Takara Mayo, officially opened on March 20. Although the shop is new, Mayo-Gamble said the business has already seen a steady first month.
Mayo-Gamble serves as the Associate Dean for Practice and Research in the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health and is also an associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Community Health. In addition to her academic leadership, her long interest in community wellness and created spaces used to promote healthy lifestyles. That intrest eventually candied beyond the classroom.
She said the idea for Blend ‘n Brew started after she worked with Georgia Southern’s Business Innovation Group for guidance on opening a small business. When asked what she was passionate about, Mayo-Gamble said, “smoothies and coffee.”
Her love for coffee started long before opening the shop. While working on her Ph.D., Mayo-Gamble said coffee shops became one of her favorite places to work. “I did all of my work inside of coffee shops. I love coffee,” she said. She also wanted to bring a darker coffee option to Statesboro, saying, “I wanted coffee that was darker than the coffee that we had available in Statesboro.”
Blend ‘n Brew also focuses on local partnerships and quality ingredients. Mayo-Gamble partnered with Café Campesino, a Georgia-based coffee company that works with small coffee farmers. “I wanted something to be local,” she said. She even traveled to Americus, Georgia, to watch the coffee roasting process before selecting the coffee for the shop.
The smoothie menu also reflects Mayo-Gamble’s background in public health. During COVID-19, she spent time creating smoothie recipes, many of which became part of Blend ‘n Brew’s menu. “Over COVID, all I did was make smoothies. So I came up with all of the recipes,” she said. The menu includes different colored smoothies, including purple, red, yellow and green options.
Mayo-Gamble said the colors are intentional and connect to health education. “We’re going to start doing things like eating colors of the rainbow,” she said. She explained that the shop hopes to educate customers about the colors of the smoothies while also offering a variety of choices. “People don’t pay attention to it, but I know it because I built out the smoothie menu,” she said.
Affordability is another important part of the shop’s mission. Mayo-Gamble said she wanted students to be able to enjoy meals without spending too much. “We kept our price point under $10. Like, you can get a meal for $10,” she said. The shop offers options like lunch sandwiches, chips, pickles, refreshers, teas and iced coffee.
Mayo-Gamble also hopes Blend ‘n Brew can become a student-friendly space. The shop opened with long hours and the goal of being available during important times in the semester. “If I can get people in here for final exams and midterms, then we can be open as late as students would be here,” she said. She wants the space to be useful for students who need somewhere to study, eat or grab coffee.
Since opening, Blend ‘n Brew has welcomed a range of customers. Mayo-Gamble said business has been steady, with some slower days and busier weekends. “Usually on Saturdays, we can get pretty busy,” she said. She added that downtown events also help bring more people into the shop.
For Mayo-Gamble, Blend ‘n Brew is more than just a business. It combines her love for coffee, her public health background and her desire to create a welcoming place for the community. With affordable prices, fresh smoothies and locally roasted coffee, Blend ‘n Brew is working to become a new student-friendly spot in Statesboro.
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