Emerald City Smoothie on Mercer Island has been sold after being put up for sale two years ago. The new owner, Jesse Bactad, will take over on July 1 from original owners Tom and Angela Napier, who opened the location in 2006.

Bactad, a former Mercer Island resident, is the president of X Gym in Kirkland. For him, owning the smoothie shop will be an extension of his gym, as a place where people can have their nutritional needs met after working out.

When people wonder about the best thing to eat after a workout, Bactad said he wants them to be able to ask, what is the best thing to do right now?

“I don’t want to be like a Jamba Juice, where you’re just standing in line, they call your name and you walk right out the door,” he said. “It really is an experience from start to finish.”

Emerald City Smoothie’s menu offers 43 different smoothies to choose from, and orders can be customized. Bactad’s personal favorite is the “Lean Body,” which comes in vanilla, strawberry, chocolate or chocolate-peanut butter with a water, soy milk or strawberry base.

“It’s lowest in sugar, low in calorie count, very high in protein count,” Bactad said. Nutritional content varies with each handmade smoothie. On a hot day, you might want something that’s fruitier; or post-workout, heavy in protein, he added.

The shop also serves steamers and will have samples available.

“What sets us apart from a coffee [shop] is that we do have the protein in there, and [the drinks are] caffeine-free; a healthy substitution from a mocha,” Bactad said.

The children’s menu features five choices: Apple All-Star, Strawberry Starter, Grape Grand Slam, Berry Blitz and Chocolate Champ. When parents come in with their child, Bactad wants to be able to point them in the right direction, he said. It’s about getting real fruit and protein.

Bactad, a Kirkland resident, has one daughter who is almost 1 year old, and his wife is a pediatrician.

Emerald City Smoothie is located at 7803 S.E. 27th Street, Suite 176, on Mercer Island and can be reached at (206) 275-0222. There are currently 41 locations in Washington state, plus additional locations in six other states.

Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday. Curbside delivery is no longer available.