A visit to the tropics

HUNTLEY – Are you hankering for some delicious food? Do you need a vacation from the everyday grind? Then it is time for you to head on down to Tropical Smoothie Café located at 12162 S IL Route 47 in Huntley. Mike and Terri Ward are the people behind the scenes of this amazing new restaurant.

Tropical Smoothie Café recently celebrated its grand opening in Huntley and has been open less than a month but already has residents lining up to take a trip to the “tropics” at lunchtime. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)

“I have always kind of been interested in owning a restaurant or a franchise…. I said if I was ever going to open a restaurant [I wanted to open one like Tropical Smoothie Café],” said Mike Ward.

Huntley was chosen as the location for his store because, “We wanted to open up a place close by [and we only live about 10 minutes away],” he said.

On a visit to Tropical Smoothie Café, patrons will absolutely be floored by the restaurant’s distinctiveness.

“The atmosphere alone is very different…. It is very colorful. We try to create an environment where you are on a mini vacation for 30 minutes. We have tropical music playing, and all the colors. [This] is [something that is] very unique about us,” said Ward.

(Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)

After atmosphere, or perhaps before atmosphere, people go to a restaurant to enjoy a delicious meal crafted to their liking.

“All of our recipes, whether it is the smoothies or the sandwiches, are made with fresh ingredients. They have a unique taste to them … [because] our [food is] bold, and flavorful,” said Ward. “We don’t just have a ham-and-cheese sandwich … [because] we don’t skimp on [top-notch ingredients]. [All of the elements in our food] are fresh. The sauces are specially prepared. We have a chicken-salad sandwich that is made with cranberries and walnuts. Everything is made just for us,” said Ward.

The bottom line is that Tropical Smoothie Café’s sandwiches and smoothies are bursting with top-quality ingredients.

The restaurant opened about two weeks ago and, “as people find out about it … business keeps growing and growing,” said Ward.

“[To help get the word out] we took 120 smoothies out to the high school [so that] at the end of the football team’s practice, we [could give] them all smoothies for free. In the short time we have been open, we have people coming back every single day … sometimes twice a day,” said Ward.

It is common knowledge that a restaurant has one chance to wow a potential repeat customer. Based on the fact that Tropical Smoothie Café has only been open about a week and already has a base of people who have liked the food and atmosphere so much that they are returning as often as twice a day, it is clear that this restaurant is a hit with the local populace.

“Every day it gets better and better,” said Ward.

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