Q&A: KRISTAL SARGENT | TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE, MANAGER 

Taste and see the sun and sand-wiches of exotic places 

Kristal Sargent, from New Iberia, is the manager at one of the newest and healthiest places to eat in New Iberia. We sat down after I sampled the menu — deciding on what to order was a BIG order, but no celery smoothies, YET. 

One reason why I have not been a supporter of smoothie restaruants in the past, as I have said in the past, they intimidate me. Go to a burger drive through and I can tell you what I like and don’t like. Not so at a smoothie restaurant. For others who did not grow up drinking them, perhaps you feel the same. 

However, the new Tropical Smoothie goes beyond the fruit, powers and protein drinks that started the craze; it also have a nice selection of fresh food items and even vegan alternatives. I liked what I saw and I loved what I tasted. The key the next time I try it will be to order something new to try, not return to the one I had on the first trip. Let me introduce you to one of the new kids on Admiral Doyle Drive.

What kind of food do you serve at the new Tropical Smoothie?

Flatbreads, wraps, quesadillas, sandwiches, bowl combinations, breakfast, food for kids and choice of sides — and smoothies. Flatbreads is a Cuban pressed sandwich. A lot of people like it. We have a Thai wrap and a Thai bowl that is really good. We get produce in three days a week from a local distributor, C.A. Guidry. It is supposed to be all Louisiana produce. They cut and package themselves. 

Is everything at Tropical Smoothie healthy?

We do have some non-healthy items — variety so you can get food and smoothies. It’s still healthier than fried foods. I’ve been in the food business for years I know.

Where did you get your training?

I went to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in hospitality, But really, I worked for Wayne Peltier and Clementine for 16 years, took a turn and went to fast foods for two-and-a-half years. I was a traveling manager. When I worked for Wayne I did everything. He’s taught me everything I know. I left there, went to fast foods and loved it. I like to be busy. It took me a “little bit” to make the decision to move. I love the brand, Tropical Smoothies, 

Is Tropical Smoothie only in Lafayette and New Iberia?

We have two locations in Lafayette, one in the Oil Center opened about eight years ago, the other on Ambassador Caffery. We just opened a new location in Carencro in November and on December 20, 2018, the New Iberia Tropical Smoothie. There are 600 locations, it was started in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1997. There’s one in Destin, and after interviewing potential employees, you’d be surprised how many have been to the one in Destin.

Were you a fan of smoothies before you started working for them? 

I’m not a fan of smoothies, to me they are extra calories, but I’ve learned. It’s a meal. I learned if I get a smoothie in the morning and sip on that until I’m able to eat at about 2 or 3 p.m., I’m not hungry, and I’ve lost weight since I started here in September. The one with the most calories is the one that’s probably the healthiest — the one with peanut butter. I don’t like peanut butter, but I like that one because it has protein in it and seeds and oats. I don’t put the sugar, and I put chocolate in it.

How do you know what to order?

You can take any of our smoothies and take out our natural sugar that we use. We do have Splenda or honey. But you really don’t need sugar in most of these smoothies because they have fruit, that’s sugar. Especially if you have coconut, almond milk — why add sugar when these have sweetener in them naturally. I prefer the coconut milk over almond. But you can order how you like it. Strawberry and granola, a promotional, is not on the menu, but it doesn’t have sugar in it.

What about substitutions?

If you can’t have one thing, you can have something else. Don’t just take an ingredient out, there is a reason that it’s in there. You can alter it, just like our food. The bowls, the wraps, other than the flour tortilla, the dressings are low calorie, we make everything here. We make our own salsa, our own smashed avocado, we prep everything. Our chicken we cut and prep here. We also have vegetarian alternatives popular with people that don’t eat meat. Two people from Dallas came in during Christmas and were so excited we had that on the menu.

What ages are your customers? 

The younger people come in and know what they like, they like smoothies — but they are also trying the foods. I thought it was going to be more younger people, but we have a middle-age and older crowd coming in, the ones trying to eat healthier. We were taught to cook a roux, to smother chicken, to cook things for big groups, things made easy to feed 10 to 15 people. What do we cook? A gumbo, a chili or spaghetti. We all are working, so we cook these big things so we can put up leftovers. Now that my kids are out of the house, we can cook a turkey breast and steam vegetables. 

 ***

They have special smoothies throughout the chain featuring unique combinations. Even if the special is over or the season has changed, they can still make the smoothie you like best. I’m working on that for me — we’ll call it the New Iberian Special.

Imagine if we could have the New Iberia Smoothie marketed throughout the nation at all their locations. Great temptation and promotion for the little ol’ Bayou Teche town, right?