Today we’d like to introduce you to Leyla Colon.
Hi Leyla, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
More Than a Smoothie: How TSR (the Smoothie Room) Is Reimagining Wellness in Orlando
We thought we were buying a smoothie shop.
What we didn’t realize was that we were about to discover a much bigger purpose.
When we took over The Smoothie Room in Orlando’s SoDo District in November 2023, we inherited a neighborhood business that had served the community since 2011. We respected its history, but we also saw an opportunity to create something different.
We didn’t want to simply sell smoothies. We wanted to create a place where someone could walk in during a busy day and make one good decision for themselves.
Something nourishing. Something intentional.
A reset.
Finding Our Purpose
We came into tsr. from two very different backgrounds that naturally shaped what the business would become.
I, Leyla Colón, brought more than 20 years of experience in business, consulting, sales and strategy. My partner and co-owner, Jorge, brought another perspective. As a four-time Ironman and lifelong endurance athlete, health, nutrition, movement and performance have been part of his world for years.
We started with the ingredients. Our philosophy was simple: food should taste incredible, but it should also serve a purpose.
Our smoothies are made with real ingredients, with no added sugar, artificial flavors or ice. We began developing blends around wellness goals including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support, lower-sugar choices, protein, hydration and recovery.
But we soon realized the most important thing we were creating wasn’t actually on the menu.
It was the relationship with our customers.
Athletes came in after training. Professionals stopped between meetings. Parents brought their children. People shared their health goals and asked what they could choose if they wanted less sugar, more protein, better recovery or simply to feel better.
We started listening.
Somewhere along the way, tsr. began evolving from a smoothie shop into a wellness space.
A Partnership That Changed Us
There was also a deeply personal reason wellness and accessibility resonated with us.
Both Jorge and I have mothers who suffered strokes.
We saw firsthand how suddenly life can change — how things as simple as movement, communication, eating independently or navigating an unfamiliar environment can become part of a much bigger recovery journey.
It also gave us tremendous appreciation for the families and caregivers walking beside someone through that process. Once you experience that personally, accessibility and wellness stop feeling like abstract ideas. They become deeply human.
So when the opportunity came to collaborate with Orlando Health’s Advanced Rehabilitation Institute, the connection felt incredibly personal.
Working alongside their professionals helped us see hospitality from a new perspective. Together, we developed a more neuro-friendly experience designed for individuals with different neurological, sensory and physical needs.
We introduced thoughtful menu guidance, adaptive utensils and access to a quieter space, while identifying options around brain health, heart health and blood-sugar awareness.
Becoming Central Florida’s first neuro-friendly restaurant of its kind was never part of our original business plan. Yet somehow, it felt like a natural part of our story.
Our mothers’ experiences changed how we viewed health. Orlando Health helped us turn something deeply personal into something that could make another person’s experience — and perhaps another family’s day — a little easier.
That’s when our purpose became much clearer.
Building a Business in Real Life
Our journey hasn’t been a straight line. Small-business ownership rarely is.
There have been long days, financial challenges, equipment failures, staffing changes and plenty of moments when we’ve had to figure things out as we went.
More recently, construction surrounding our plaza significantly affected access to our business, creating one of our most challenging periods since taking ownership.
Entrepreneurship can look exciting from the outside. Behind the scenes, sometimes it simply looks like choosing to keep going.
But challenges also forced us to think differently.
Instead of only asking how to bring more people into tsr., we started asking:
How can we bring tsr. to them?
Taking Wellness Beyond Our Four Walls
That question became the foundation of our growing Wellness at Work program.
We began working with companies, organizations and community partners to reimagine the traditional workplace breakfast, meeting or afternoon snack with functional smoothies, wellness shots, juices, matcha, coffee and thoughtfully prepared food.
We’ve learned something important: people genuinely want healthier choices. Those choices just need to be convenient, delicious and exciting.
Our vision for tsr. now extends far beyond the traditional restaurant model.
The Next Chapter: The Reset Bar
That evolution has led us to our newest idea: The Reset Bar.
Orlando is filled with trainers, run clubs, health professionals, wellness practitioners, fitness communities and entrepreneurs creating experiences that can help people live better.
We want to help connect those worlds.
Our vision for The Reset Bar is a community wellness hub where people can discover local experiences, clubs, events, services and products.
We don’t need to be someone’s entire wellness journey.
We simply want to be a place where they can begin one.
One Reset at a Time
Today, success means something different to us.
Of course, we want tsr. to grow. But growth means more than selling more smoothies.
It’s an athlete finding something that supports recovery. It’s a company offering employees a healthier option. It’s a family feeling comfortable in a space created with accessibility in mind.
Or sometimes, it’s simply someone walking through our doors after a difficult day, ordering their favorite smoothie and taking ten minutes for themselves.
We don’t believe wellness has to begin with completely changing your life.
Sometimes it starts with one intentional choice.
One better meal. One workout. One conversation. One moment for yourself.
One reset.
We thought we were buying a smoothie shop.
Instead, we found a purpose.
And in many ways, we feel like we’re just getting started.
tsr.
www.thesmoothieroom.com
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Building a Business in Real Life is not easy.
Our story, however, hasn’t been a straight line.
Small-business ownership rarely is.
We’ve experienced long days, equipment failures, staffing challenges, financial pressures and countless moments when we’ve had to figure things out as we went.
Most recently, construction surrounding our plaza significantly affected access to our business, creating one of our most challenging periods since taking ownership.
Entrepreneurship can look exciting from the outside. Behind the scenes, sometimes it simply looks like choosing to keep going. But making a difference in people’s life makes it all worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
tsr. is an intentional wellness bar and community hub in Orlando’s SoDo District, created around a simple belief: feeling better can start with one good choice. From all-natural smoothies with no added sugar, artificial flavors or ice to functional juices, wellness shots, ceremonial matcha, coffee and thoughtfully prepared foods, everything is designed to taste incredible while serving a purpose. As Central Florida’s first neuro-friendly wellness bar in collaboration with Orlando Health, tsr. is making wellness more accessible, inclusive and part of everyday life while expanding beyond its four walls through Wellness at Work, community partnerships and The Reset Bar, a growing platform connecting Orlando to local wellness experiences, people and resources.
More than a smoothie, tsr. is a place to reset.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
For me, Leyla Colón, growing up in Puerto Rico meant being surrounded by family, the ocean and fresh food. I spent many weekends at my uncle’s beach house on the east coast of the island, waiting for my dad and cousins to return from fishing and then gathering around to enjoy whatever they had caught that day. Those experiences gave me an early appreciation for fresh, simple food and the connection between what we eat, where it comes from and how it makes us feel.
For my life and business partner, Jorge Perez, the connection to an active, healthy lifestyle started just as early. He often says he was incredibly lucky to grow up with the ocean as his backyard, where almost every day brought a new water adventure. He started swimming at just two years old and eventually became a professional athlete. Being able to swim, train and enjoy his favorite water sports on a daily basis wasn’t simply exercise, it was part of who he was and something that truly fueled his soul.
Pricing:
- We only use high-quality ingredients
- We don’t use ice. Each cup is full of nutrients
- We offer 2 different sizes to provide pricing flexibility without compromising the quality of our products
- We have a great rewards program. It pays to be a customer of tsr.
- We offer special bundles for groups, Teams, and companies
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thesmoothieroom.com
- Instagram: @thesmoothieroom
- Facebook: @thesmoothieroom
- LinkedIn: Leyla Colón
- Twitter: @thesmoothieroom
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ttsE136dRgU
