Refreshing New Smoothie Shop Opens in Downtown Billings

Working in Downtown Billings, I feel like I usually have a pretty good pulse on the neighborhood. So I'm not sure how I missed the recent addition of a new smoothie shop. Thanks to a post earlier this week from my pal Wayne Wilcox, I wandered over to check out Smoothie Lab at 212 N 29th St on Thursday morning.

The new smoothie shop is next to Parking Garage 1.

The Sourdough Bagel is kitty-corner across the street. Penny makes the best bagels in Billings, so I stopped there first. With a toasted, buttery, Everything bagel in hand, I popped over to Smoothie Lab to check things out.

Locally owned and open since April.

The smoothie shop shares a space with Guccione Salon in the Hedden Empire Building. Beautiful murals grace the alley side of the building on the north. Tall ceilings and an airy atmosphere welcomed me as I met Smoothie Lab owner Zoe Jones.

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Inspired by her hairdresser.

Jones said she was inspired by her friend and hairdresser, Laurie Guccione. Guccione Salon moved in with the Empire Spa location in February. "There's an empty little shop, and I think you should do something," Laurie told Zoe.

"Two days later, I signed the lease," Jones shared.

Everything came together quickly. The busy salon provides a steady stream of clientele for the smoothie shop, and a word-of-mouth customer base has been expanding across the neighborhood since opening on April 2nd.

Organic ingredients, no powders, extra-thick smoothies.

Jones uses organic-only, frozen fruits in all of her smoothie blends. She shared that one of the secrets to a slower-melting, thicker smoothie is not using ice, relying instead on the frozen fruits.

The smoothie I selected (Ginger Refresher) was a delightful, not-too-sweet mix of pineapple, grapefruit, and fresh ginger. The fun garnishes on sticks have become social media selfie hits, said Jones. There are about a dozen smoothie choices on the menu, but customization is encouraged.

Grateful for the DBA.

With a background in business and running coffee shops (combined with a bubbly, outgoing personality), Zoe seems like a natural at the Smoothie Lab. She said she loves the energy and ambiance of Downtown Billings and the location reminds her of when she lived in New York City.

Jones also expressed her appreciation for the resources and advice she's received from the Downtown Billings Association and how helpful they've been navigating opening a new business downtown.