The clock strikes 3:30 p.m. and the relief of the end of the school day washes over all Wenatchee High School students. That relief instantly fades because 3:30 p.m. also comes with three main downfalls: fatigue, procrastination and homework. That’s where Frullato Fresh comes in. 

    “When [you’re] working on an essay and you need an extra little boost of energy, everything that we provide has energy,” Eastmont senior Elly Little said. “We have additives that can provide energy and help with brain function, especially for high schoolers or even college students. To work and get good grades, you have to fuel your body. We would love to be a part of that.”  

    Little has been working at Frullato ever since it opened almost two months ago. 

   “Frullato is a healthy drive-thru with healthy smoothies and different smoothie alternatives, but [it] also has foods like the breakfast sandwiches,” said Exzar Perez, one of the three owners and managers at Frullato. 

   Frullato serves juices, smoothies, breakfast sandwiches and protein shakes. The company is adamant about meeting the needs of their customers. In fact, anything on the Frullato menu is customizable. 

    “The protein that we use is whey protein, but we also have plant-based proteins, and I know people have different preferences,”  Perez said. 

    Frullato even has additives that people can add to step up their drinks to the next level.

    “We have a line of additives like flaxseed, chia seeds, spinach, oatmeal and so many other different supplements that you can add to your smoothies, protein shakes and  juices,”  Perez said.

    From the Big Apple that is New York City to the smaller apple that is Wenatchee, Perez has brought his dream of a drive-thru juice and smoothie bar. 

    “If you’ve ever been to New York, one thing you notice is here there are a lot of coffee stands. Over there, you see a lot of juice bars and smoothie bars on pretty much every corner,” Perez said.

     Perez was born and raised in New York. When he moved to Wenatchee and the west coast, he recognized the lack of smoothie and juice bars. He wanted to bring some of his East Coast culture to the west by opening a healthy drive-thru. Perez opened his first juice bar at Crossfit gym. He owned and operated the juice bar at Crossfit for two years until the opportunity for Frullato came into view.

    “To me, at that time it didn’t work out, so it was almost like a failure, but in hindsight, it was a good concept. It worked, but the location just wasn’t the best,”  Perez said. “When I saw the space where Frullato is now, I thought okay, maybe now I could take advantage of what I envisioned for my previous business.”

     At this moment, Perez’s creation and dream could finally come to life. 

    “[The plan] was always to have this in a drive-thru, and then, we came up with a new name Frullato, and it’s just taken off,” Perez said. 

    The name Frullato is Italian for fruit. The idea for this name came from  Perez’s childhood. His father worked for an Italian man, and they weren’t wealthy growing up.  Perez was taken care of by the Italian man’s wife, and that’s where the Italian connection is from. Perez opened Frullato with his brother Joel Perez and his family friend David Garcia. The owners decided to locate the business in East Wenatchee.

   “The goal for Frullato is to keep innovating and keep providing healthy options for the community. In the drive-thru model, [I compare] it to Mcdonalds or fast food; it’s a healthier drive-thru,”  Perez said. 

    Come and experience the innovating and welcoming community Frullato Fresh has created. Frullato is located at 1097 Valley Mall Parkway in East Wenatchee. 

    “I think everyone should go try out Frullato,” Little said. “We won’t disappoint.”