One of Rea Farms’ first tenants, Nutrition Zone (NZ) is the flagship east coast location for the Los Angeles-based franchise.  Heading up this expansion is husband and wife owners John Vasquez and Leah Robbins, both bringing to the table years of experience and wisdom in their individual niches.

Vasquez has been in the nutrition business for 31 years, establishing similar operations throughout the country — providing vitamins, sports nutrition and general wellness.  As for Robbins, she’s a cheerleading coach for the Charlotte Hornets and a personal trainer, taking on as many clients as she can in her spare time.  The combination of Vasquez and Robbins make for well-rounded ownership, and a trusted venue for the community’s health needs. 

At first glance, and if unfamiliar with the inventory, one might assume a store like Nutrition Zone caters predominantly to those seeking body building supplements and sports nutrition, but that’s actually not the case at all.  Their typical client is your average mom, looking to drop some weight and improve their general health with vitamins and supplements; sports nutrition takes on a more ancillary role.

“Our biggest thing that we try to do is to keep everything simple.  Losing weight is hard.  Getting in shape is hard, but we try to tailor it to your goals, so you see results,” explained Robbins.

It’s that tailoring piece that sets Nutrition Zone apart.  They assess each customer, in order to best identify their needs and ultimately, their goals.  Through a one-on-one conversation, the customer completes a personalized assessment to determine whether they are just starting out on their fitness journey or whether they’re looking to fine-tune a certain aspect. For those seeking weight loss, NZ typically provide a meal plan to get the customer started, assess where they currently are and meet them there.

NZ’s best-selling products are Pure Encapsulations, typically only prescribed by a doctor, though they obtained special permission to carry.  The product is researched and sold to promote metabolic, cardiovascular and cognitive health.  Other big sellers are their house brands – NZ Motivate/Performance, specializing in weight loss, meal replacement, detox and fat burn, as well as Next Level, which focuses on sports nutrition, or protein supplements and workout recovery for any type of athlete.

According to Robbins, “We sample everything that we can — all the powders and pills.  You’re not going to leave here without something in your hand. If we can fit you properly and you like the product, we’ll see you again.”