Staying healthy is a labor of love, and that’s certainly been the case for Eddie Jiminez, owner and founder of Blue Carrot Pilates + Smoothie Bar.
This unique business combines Pilates classes with organic smoothies, juices, acai bowls, and soon, adaptogen-infused superfood lattes.
Blue Carrot opened in February at 4827 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite 130 in Kennewick.
Jimenez lived in the Tri-Cities from 2005 to 2011 before attending medical school to become a physician. Health issues during his final year of medical school caused him to reconsider his future as a physician.
“My lifestyle was not good for my health,” he says, “so I changed my diet, started exercising, and learned about nutrition, and I started to feel better. I decided not to continue my residency and instead get a master’s degree in nutrition and exercise science.”
He moved away from Western medicine, which focuses on treating symptoms with drugs, to a holistic approach.
“We realized the underlying issue was with the gut and core,” Jimenez says. “At Blue Carrot, we focus on core health through exercise and gut health through nutrition.”
That’s where the company got its name. Besides the blue spirulina drink it’s named after, the color is also associated with holistic medicine, and carrots are a common root vegetable.
When Jimenez and his partner, Bruce Jolliffe, moved back to the Tri-Cities in 2022, it was hard to find food without preservatives and added sugar.
Blue Carrot aims to fill a void in the Tri-Cities market by offering Pilates and an organic smoothie bar with a private nutritionist, Jimenez said.
“I wanted to be part of this community movement,” he says, “and provide really good food that’s not only nutritious but also delicious. It took me a long time to come up with recipes that did both.”
Eddie Jimenez, on the right, is the owner and founder of Blue Carrot in Kennewick, with his partner, Bruce Jolliff, on the left.
| Photo: Jamie CouncilJimenez makes her own almond, oat, and cashew milk for her smoothies, and she also squeezes her own juice.
Smoothies with a purpose include the Lion’s Brew Elixir, with coffee and Lion’s Mane Mushroom, and the Cherry Cashew Collagen Crush, with cashew butter, collagen and bee pollen.
Jimenez is a certified Pilates instructor. She and her partner run Blue Carrot together, and they call it a labor of love. Their goal is to hire baristas and instructors so Jimenez can focus more on health and wellness.
Blue Carrot offers four Pilates classes Tuesday through Friday, with two classes offered on weekends.
Classes are 45-minute high-intensity, low-impact workouts in an environment that promotes mental wellness. The venue features brick walls, fun lighting, and graffiti art murals by local artist David Vasquez (aka David V35).
“We don’t want it to feel institutional,” Jimenez says, “We want it to be fun and bring a big city feel to the Tri-Cities.”
Juices and smoothies cost $10 to $14, drop-in Pilates classes are $25, and memberships are also available, with two Pilates classes per week for $114, three classes per week for $149, two classes per week and a monthly nutrition consultation for $199, unlimited classes with a nutrition consultation for $249, and a nutrition consultation for $150.
“My goal is to provide good nutrition, nutritional information and products to support people’s health goals,” Jimenez said.
The smoothie bar is open from 7am to 7pm and offers delivery via Doordash and Uber Eats. They are closed on Mondays.
Blue Carrot Pilates & Smoothie Bar: 827 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite 130, Kennewick, 509-380-8778, bluecarrotco.com .
