The Daily Blend will open Jan. 5 near Lowe’s Foods at 5230 Sunset Blvd. The smoothie cafe will occupy the former Clean Juice storefront, located between Club Pilates and Orangetheory Fitness. The business is currently undergoing final renovations.

Lexington natives Julianna and Collen Wallace, a husband-and-wife team, are the visionaries behind The Daily Blend. Julianna Wallace has long dreamed of bringing one of her favorite treats to Lexington, and that dream became a reality over the past year, she told the Chronicle.

While the cafe is their new venture into smoothies and acai bowls, the Wallaces are no strangers to serving the Lexington community.

Many residents came to know them through their previous business, the Edible Cookie Dough food truck. Now married with three children, the couple is excited to offer the community a healthier type of sweet treat.

The Daily Blend will offer in-house-made acai bowls. The bowls are thick, spoonable smoothies made from acai berries blended with other fruits and packed with antioxidants, according to Wallace.

Many acai bowl fans opt for granola and other toppings on top of the thick acai blend, such as strawberries and bananas with peanut butter or hazelnut spread drizzled on top.

Pronounced ah-sigh-ee, these berries are small and harvested from acai palm trees, according to mysobol.com. They were introduced to Americans in the 90s, and as social media started to grow in popularity in the 2000s, so did acai bowls; their rich purple color makes for an aesthetic and appetizing photo.

The menu will also include smoothies and a variety of toasts.
What sets The Daily Blend apart from other local smoothie cafes is its holistic approach to ingredients, Wallace said.

“We pride ourselves on our ingredients. Everything is fresh with no additives, and we try to stay mostly organic,” she said. “I am very mindful of ingredients with my family and kids, and that translates into how I shape my business model.”

Wallace is also excited to offer “Blender Bomb” to their smoothies, a vitamin- and nutrient-packed smoothie additive made by a small business based in Charleston, S.C.

“I am so excited to offer this to our customers,” Wallace said. “It’s a great optional additive, and we love that it is a small business.”

In addition to owning The Daily Blend, Wallace, a mother of three, is a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Prisma Health.

“Yes, I am going to have my hands full for a while,” she said. “But I will be very involved at the cafe. This has been a dream of mine.”

While Wallace is eager to serve smoothies and acai bowls, she also hopes The Daily Blend becomes a community-focused gathering spot.

“We want to be able to serve everyone, and we feel like the location will allow us to do just that,” she said. “I grew up in Lexington and graduated from River Bluff High School. … This is not a franchised business; we are your neighbors. I am so excited to be able to give back to the community that has given me so much.”