Just in time for the arrival of warmer weather this spring, a new business offering thirst-quenching beverages will open on Water Street in Hellertown.
Smoothie & Tea Bar is expected to open at 56 W. Water Street in Hellertown in mid April. The space previously housed a catering and empanada business.
Smoothie & Tea Bar is currently preparing to open in a building at 56 W. Water Street that previously housed ChefMeals and The Shop!, which closed last year. The property is between Saucon Valley Karate Academy and Kindred Spirits Crystals, Books & Gifts, just off Main Street in the center of town.
Owner Elisa Batista said she originally planned to open the business–which was to be called Mango y Sal–with a partner, but the two mutually agreed to part ways.
Now she’s opening the eatery on her own, with her own concept in place and plans to tentatively begin welcoming customers the second week of April.
To prepare for the opening, Batista has renovated the space by removing a wall that previously separated a narrow service area at the front of the building from an office/storeroom and kitchen at the back. In place of the partition is a counter where customers will be able to order everything from tropical smoothies to jasmine tea flavored with syrups, chunks of fresh fruit and freshly squeezed fruit juice. Over the summer, Batista said she may offer cold brew coffee, but her initial focus in terms of drinks will be smoothies and fruit-flavored teas.
In the food department, Smoothie & Tea Bar will have fresh baked goods from Bethlehem’s Crumbs Cake Studio, waffles dipped in chocolate and fruit bowls.
Although the location is a new one for her, Batista is no stranger to running a food business. With her husband, she co-owns the Mexican restaurant LU Taqueria in downtown Bethlehem; a business that got its start as a food truck that operated on Rt. 378 in Lower Saucon Township and as a Saucon Valley Farmers Market vendor in 2022, before opening its brick-and-mortar location.
Batista said her goal with her new venture is to create a setting with a warm, relaxed atmosphere that will cater to customers who want to grab something to eat or drink and go. Although there will be limited seating inside and possibly outside the business, the emphasis will be on serving freshly-made menu items to go. As seasons change, customers can expect to enjoy special flavors, too.
“I want people to feel good,” said the Coopersburg resident, who praised the efficiency and support she has received so far from borough officials like zoning officer Kris Russo.
The tentative hours for Smoothie & Tea Bar are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 or 11 a.m. to 6 or 6:30 p.m. Batista said they are not set in stone, and that the shop could be open later over the summer if there is customer demand for it.
Signage featuring tropical colors will soon be put up and with the major renovations to the interior now complete, she said she is excited to open the doors to the business within a matter of weeks.
In other restaurant scene news, the Saucon Valley’s first Jersey Mike’s Subs will open this week in the Creekside Marketplace shopping center near Hellertown.
