RUSHfuel is a healthy, student-run smoothie and açaí bowl shop that opened in the Student Center this semester.
Co-founded by siblings sophomore Dominic St. Jean and senior Gabriella St. Jean, who filled out an application and pitched their idea to Griggs Innovators Nexus last year. They were then selected with four other businesses to open in the Student Center with a grant from U.S. Bank.
Dominic St. Jean’s idea for the business came from his first year at the University of Missouri. His sister gifted him a blender but because of the noise and constant worrying about food going bad, it was not dorm friendly. Eating healthy in college was difficult for Dominic St. Jean, so when creating RUSHfuel he wanted a healthier alternative to what was offered on campus.
“Whatever you see on the menu is what you’re getting,” Dominic St. Jean said. “There’s nothing extra added in.”
Smoothies have always been a part of the St. Jeans’ lives.
“We grew up drinking smoothies because of our grandma,” Dominic St. Jean said. “Our family’s Caribbean so we have a lot of history and making smoothies growing up. We’ve always had a passion for healthy food so I think it went well together.”
Over the summer, the St. Jeans prepared to open RUSHfuel. Dominic St. Jean talked to the owner of a Smoothie King location and worked there for a week to learn everything about running a smoothie shop.
About a month before school, they got the keys to the store, and with help from members of their family, they began moving in and building everything from scratch.
RUSHfuel has five different smoothies and three açaí bowls for sale.
For junior Tyler James, going to RUSHfuel means getting food that is quick and accessible.
“I know there’s tons of people that are interested in just going over to the Rec and then coming over here and getting this afterward,” James said.
Employee and sophomore Sydney Drinkard applied to RUSHfuel through a Google Form on their Instagram story and has enjoyed her time working so far.
“I feel like they’re relatable, they get classes and stuff,” Drinkard said. “And it’s kind of nice just seeing how successful they are and how they turned this into a business.”
Managing RUSHfuel while also balancing his academics proved to be a challenging adjustment for Dominic St. Jean.
“I have to sacrifice other things like hanging out with my friends a lot,” Dominic St. Jean said. “And sometimes even going to the gym, sometimes if there’s no fruit in the fridge you have to close [the store] or do it yourself.”
In terms of the next steps, Dominic St. Jean has goals of opening up other locations.
“I’m focused on getting everything that we have operating as best as I can before I look to other places,” Dominic St. Jean said.
