Smoothies, leathers connect in new shop

Alyson and Jim Kuechmann were so swayed by healthy eating changes they made in their lives they decided to begin selling their all-natural smoothies so other people could share the experience.

They wanted to do more than just sell smoothies, so they incorporated Alyson’s long love of leather work, added another leather twist to a business plan and started work on Montana Leather Creations and Smoothie Shoppe.

The Kuechmanns sell three varieties of smoothies, fruit leather made from the smoothies, and Alyson’s hand-made leather creations including such items as eyeglass cases, purses and belts.

They sell the wares at 415 Main St., in a building accessed through the parking lot behind Wheat Montana.

The fruit is frozen before being used in a smoothie, which means no ice or dairy products are added to the smoothies as they are blended, yet the final product is cold.

The Kuechmanns adopted healthier eating habits after Alyson was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. As she did research about cancer she read a great deal about the importance of dietary changes and decided to incorporate those into her life.

She also remembers how her grandmother, who lived to age 103, swore by the benefits of carrot juice. As a result of eating more fruits and vegetables, cutting processed food from their diet and reducing the amount of gluten they consume, Alyson and Jim each lost 30 pounds “without exercising,” she said.

At their shop, every smoothie contains carrot, banana, grapes and spinach. From there, the ingredients change depending on the particular variety. But only fruit and veggies go in a smoothie. They sell just three smoothies — the Peachy Kuech, which pays tribute to Jim’s nickname, the Summer Strawberry and the Grizz Berry, made to mimic the team color of the University of Montana Grizzlies.

“Some die-hard MSU Bobcat fans complain that they can’t be seen with that color,” Jim said jokingly.

An all-natural smoothie is absolutely “a quick pick-me-up,” Alyson said. She’s convinced the 100 percent fruit and juice product helps ward off illness.

For the fall, the Kuechmanns added wassail to their beverage lineup, and as it steeps, the scent of cinnamon wafts through the building.

The fruit leather starts as a smoothie. It’s “thinned out a bit,” Jim said, and then put into one of the two commercial food dehydrators in the business’s kitchen. It takes about seven hours to dry to the “leather” state. From there, the fruit leather is cut into strips, packaged into half-ounce portions and sold for $1 a pack.

Today, the leather is sold only at the Kuechmann’s shop. But, they’ve applied for a wholesale license from the state of Montana which would allow them to sell the product to other outlets which could then stock the product and sell it, too. Their goal is to have it sold in grocery and outdoor stores.

The Kuechmanns got the idea for their smoothie and leather business long before they opened the doors. They first had to find a suitable location. They knew they wanted to be downtown, but couldn’t find a place with an existing kitchen that worked for their business. So they leased the spot on Main Street and hired various contractors to remodel the long-empty space which once housed Montana Highway Patrol offices.

“It took a bit longer than we wanted to get open,” Alyson said, “but we did open.”

Jim mostly runs the shop. Alyson, who works full time at Glacier Bank, works an early-morning shift and spends her lunch hour at the shop, too.

Customers can buy smoothie gift cards for any amount. The cards can be reloaded. Fans of their smoothies can also buy shirts or caps decked out with the business logo.

The Kuechmanns have dedicated some space in the store where local artists display and sell their work, including jewelry and artwork.

The business phone number is 260-4411. It’s open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or by e-mail at sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.