Would you dish out over $19 for a smoothie? Over in California, health food grocery market Erewhon has gained a cult following due partly to its silky, layered smoothies with their laundry lists of healthy ingredients, celebrity collaborations and hefty price tags.
Search “Erewhon” on TikTok and scroll through countless reviews of meals and drinks like the viral Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie. Some users rave about the taste, while others can’t get past the price tag. Want to get in on the latest beverage trend? Here in Baton Rouge, Dr. FeelGood Organic Wellness is serving up something similar at a fraction of the price.
The smoothie spot on Coursey Boulevard has already developed its own cult following thanks to a review from viral food critic Keith Lee. Lee stopped at Dr. FeelGood hoping to find something light and healthy during his time in the Capital Region.
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“When he walked in, I was like, “Are you who I think you are? What are you doing here?’” Heather Smith, owner of Dr FeelGood, remembers of Lee’s visit. “I never would have thought (he would come).”
Lee was tipped off about the superfood spot after getting recommendations from Baton Rouge foodies like Maameefua Koomson and Smith’s family friend Jalen Norwood who personally emailed the TikTok star.
After filming his video, Lee went into the store, met with the owners and left a $3,000 tip along with a $1,000 tab for customers who came in that day.
Smith started Dr. FeelGood back in 2020 as a CBD shop. But with laws changing around CBD products and low foot traffic, she decided to rebrand Dr. FeelGood this year as a wellness shop offering plant medicine, cold-pressed juice, acai bowls, sea moss gel and superfood smoothies.
At the time of Lee’s visit, Smith had one blender and one deep freezer, and she was the only employee. Her recipes weren’t even written down. Before leaving, Smith says Lee told her she’d need to hire workers to help.
Smith’s family and friends volunteered to help with the rush. And, after the critic posted his review, customers flocked to the hidden gem and stood in lines that stretched out the door.
Smith’s husband Mpho Mmopi says the number of customers the store sees has now tripled and its sales are high. Dr. FeelGood has now “reached its target audience,” as Lee would say, with a steady clientele and repeat customers who come in multiple times a day. In fact, business has been so good since Lee’s visit that the team is working on Dr. FeelGood’s second location, which they say will open on Airline Highway and Highland Road in a few months.
“We’re going to have about five locations by the end of the year,” Mmopi shares. “We’ll have some in Lafayette too”
In the now-viral video, Lee reviewed three items from the mom-and-pop smoothie shop: a hibiscus and sea moss drink, an acai bowl and the Blue Dream smoothie. The light blue smoothie was packed with mango, banana, blue spirulina, pineapple, sea moss, oat milk and swirled with coconut cream. It contains fresh ingredients and no ice. And it earned Lee’s highest rating in the video, scoring an 8.7 out of 10.
The layered, blue sky-like smoothie caught the attention of Lee’s Baton Rouge followers with some even saying it looks like the popular Erewhon drinks. How does Dr. FeelGood’s smoothie compare to Erewhon’s?
Just a few weeks after his visit to Baton Rouge, Lee tried Hailey Beiber’s smoothie from Erewhon. In the TikTok, Lee gave the sweet smoothie an 8 out of 10 and then referenced Dr. FeelGood’s Blue Dream.
“To be fair, we just had a smoothie in Baton Rouge from Dr. FeelGood that was just as good and way less expensive,” Lee says in the video. “And when I say way less expensive, I mean it was like $8.”
Currently, the Blue Dream is listed for online orders for $9. When asked about the Erewhon smoothie popularity, Smith says Dr. FeelGood will do its own thing, come up with its own twists and stay consistent.
“I just want to put (out) real ingredients and some superfood products,” she says. “I just want to do something different in the area.”
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Mmopi hopes that Dr. FeelGood’s success brings similar, health-minded concepts to the community.
“I think this is going to be a trend,” he says. “It’s a good trend. We don’t mind.”
Dr. FeelGood is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Find it at 12240 Coursey Blvd.