Staff photo.
Faith Hurtado pours a smoothie. Hurtado opened Neighborhood Nutrition in August in the former Lucky Cat Rolled Creams location on 18th Street.
A new shop selling shakes and teas opened on 18th Street.
Owner Faith Hurtado opened Neighborhood Nutrition last August in the former Lucky Cat Rolled Creams storefront at 2908 18th St S. Neighborhood Nutrition is the sister store to Magic City Nutrition, which is located in downtown Birmingham in the Battery.
Neighborhood Nutrition customers love that they can buy shakes and teas that not only taste good but also make them feel good, said Hurtado.
“Our goal is to take things like protein shakes, vitamins, et cetera and make them less intimidating and overwhelming,” she said. "Making sure you get the good stuff you need throughout the day can be tough and often daunting, so our customers love that they can leave knowing they are getting those vitamins and nutrients and delicious drinks.”
Energy teas at the shop are packed with B vitamins, vitamin C and natural caffeine, she said. Each shake has 200-250 calories, 24-32 grams of protein and 21 vitamins and minerals — but taste like birthday cake or brownies. “It doesn’t get much better than that,” Hurtado said.
Hurtado signed the lease for the space in February 2020, right before the pandemic forced businesses to temporarily shut down, so she didn’t open the shop immediately.
“We weren't sure when the right time was, but in August we finally decided to open our doors, with very little idea of what might come of it,” she said. “But the Homewood community welcomed us with open arms and has made it an incredible first six months open.
“We thought it would be tough to build relationships with our ‘neighbors’ through masks and quick interactions, but the community we have been able to build through it all has been unreal. We truly are so honored to be a part of Homewood. “
Neighborhood Nutrition is open weekdays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Follow the shop on Instagram at @nbrhdnutrition for more information.
