Photo by Erin Nelson
Co-owner Mark Peacock takes an order at the newly opened SoCal Smoothie Co. at the former Chelsea Coffee House on June 12.
SoCal Smoothie Co., known for its energy drinks and smoothies, has opened a second location in Chelsea off U.S. 280.
Owner Allen Corrigan said the business has received a warm reception from local residents since its opening in early June in the former Chelsea Coffee House location.
“The Chelsea Coffee House was a popular place, and we knew this would be a perfect spot for us to expand our brand,” Corrigan said. “We were right because business has been better than we expected since opening.”
Corrigan opened the first location of SoCal Smoothie Co. in Mt Laurel in October 2021. The new location is a joint venture with his longtime friend Mark Peacock, a Chelsea resident.
“We have known each other for 12 or 13 years now,” Peacock said. “We first met at Church of the Highlands and have been friends ever since.”
Peacock agreed the location in the former popular coffee house has been a key in the early success in the new spot.
“This was a place where locals came to hang out, and that is what we wanted it to be again,” Peacock said.
While energy drinks, smoothies and shakes can be purchased at many businesses, Corrigan said branding and an elite product sets SoCal apart.
“Our branding is key,” the Southern California native said. “People know our look and know that we offer a good and clean product.”
All items on the menu are healthy, but Corrigan said taste is a top priority.
“We don’t sacrifice taste just because it’s healthy,” he said. “If it doesn’t taste good, I don’t want it, and I don’t want it on our menu.”
The menu in Chelsea will be slightly different from the original location.
“With this being known for the coffee house, it was only logical for us to include coffee here,” Corrigan said. “We also have plans to offer some fresh grab-and-go food options here, including some breakfast sandwich options. It will all be quality and clean.”
The Chelsea location is also larger, providing about three times the seating capacity as the Mt Laurel location. “We want this to be a place where people gather,” Peacock said.
Peacock said they also wanted the Chelsea SoCal to have a ministry aspect, saying that each cup will have a QR code that will take customers to a website featuring a gospel message.
“It’s low-key, but we will let people know about the QR code, and it will give interested people a positive message and resources,” Peacock said.
Corrigan said his plans for the future of SoCal Smoothie Co. are more expansion.
“That’s been the plan, to grow as much as we can, but that is even more in my thoughts after the response we’ve seen in Chelsea,” he said. “We want our footprint to grow as large as God wants it to grow.”
