Meet Juan Rubio of The Protein Spot

When Juan Rubio and I met on a sunny day in June to film “Now Open in Wheaton,” I was amazed at his story. He talked about the years he spent as a farmer, working in Jalisco, Mexico, as an agave plant farmer. Agave, as you may know, is the plant that is the origin of tequila. He left farming to enter the ministry, studying for six years to become a priest. Life led him in another direction, and now he and his wife Pamela are the owners and operators of The Protein Spot in Wheaton.

What had Juan decide to become an entrepreneur?

“My dad always wanted us to work for ourselves,” he said, adding that his father would rather have them “selling gum at the corner than working for someone else.” Juan took that spirit of entrepreneurship and started a new business in West Chicago, then opened his shop at 111 W. Front Street just this year. Located in the heart of downtown Wheaton, The Protein Spot offers smoothies, shakes, fusion teas with aloe (“good for digestion!”), green tea, and B complex (“good for our brains!”). The store also offers healthy snacks and with 18 fusion teas on the menu, they also create special off-the-menu items for their regular customers.

Why did they choose Wheaton?

“We hired someone to help us look around and this was one of the first places we saw,” Juan said. “It was love at first sight,” he reported, adding that Pamela and he agreed that “this is the place we need to be.”

To see my interview with Juan, visit the City of Wheaton’s website which hosts “Now Open in Wheaton” as a regular feature on the City’s community access channel, Channel 11. I am honored to host “Now Open In Wheaton,” profiling new businesses as they come to town. Visit The Protein Spot at 111 W. Front Street—you can see all their delectable offerings of food and beverages at www.theproteinspot.com. And if you know of a new business in Wheaton that you think would make a good feature story, please let me know. You can reach me at president@wheatonchamber.com.

 

--Vickie Austin