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Photos by Erin Nelson.
Allen Corrigan, owner of SoCal Nutrition in Mt Laurel, prepares a Captain America loaded tea at the newly opened store Nov. 1.
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Photos by Erin Nelson.
SoCal Nutrition, a loaded shakes and teas drink shop, recently opened at 46 Manning Place in Mt Laurel.
After Allen Corrigan tried the drinks at 4th and Inches Nutrition in Chelsea, he knew he wanted to open a similar business. He saw that Danny Jones, owner of 4th and Inches, opened his store at the beginning of the pandemic, knew it was thriving and felt he could succeed as well.
“These stores have been around for 12 to 15 years, but Danny was one of the first three in the state,” he said. “He brought it here and introduced it. The atmosphere of these clubs created healthy, grab-and-go loaded shakes and loaded teas that you don’t have to go home and make. We’re a health food place, but it doesn't feel like a health food place, but more like an ice cream shop.”
He and his wife, Brenda, are both fitness-minded. He has spent time working as a personal trainer, and Brenda co-owns Body By Brii in Chelsea. He said health is always on the forefront of people’s minds.
Corrigan, who also works as a real estate agent, found a spot next to The Red Shamrock that faces Shelby County 41 in Mt Laurel and knew it was the right place. He transformed the space to fit his needs in a short amount of time, doing most of the work himself with help from a designer.
“When it all came together, I was proud of what it looked like,” Corrigan said.
Originally from southern California, Corrigan said he always wanted to open a shop there and had already come up with the name: SoCal Surf Shop. Once the idea for the nutrition shop came to him, he knew exactly what he would call it.
He knew he wanted to “bring a little California here.” He designed his logo in 20 minutes, knowing it had to have palm trees and waves. He said Mt Laurel reminds him of Balboa Island where he grew up.
SoCal Nutrition opened in mid-October. The space features natural light, a surfboard hanging on the wall and large photos of popular California beaches. Three television screens hang on the wall featuring drink options. He also built the dark stained wooden bar for guests to enjoy their drinks.
The expansive menu at SoCal Nutrition features loaded teas that have 24 calories, four carbs and no sugar, in addition to classic shakes that are great for post-workout or a meal replacement. They are 300 calories at most, with sugars below 15g.
“The three critical parts of our business are water, ice and product,” he said. “Our product is already elite and tastes good. We use nugget ice and use a reverse osmosis filtration system.”
Corrigan said he loves to come up with concoctions that taste good, and he feels like Willy Wonka creating new mixtures and recipes. He said the menu can be overwhelming with so many options, but he is happy to find something each customer is sure to love.
Also working in real estate, Corrigan said he also loves training, teaching and managing people and plans to help others open and operate businesses like his.
“Being in real estate, I can help people find spaces and negotiate leases and can train them here,” he said. “I want to help people build this model as long as I can make it successful.”
SoCal Nutrition is located at 46 Manning Place in Mt Laurel and is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Find it on Instagram and Facebook @mysocalnutrition, and orders can be placed on its website, mysocalnutrition.com.
