Adam Stevens makes a healthy specialty drink for a customer at Embrace Nutrition while his wife, Danielle, holds their daughter, Ridgeleigh, at their Sabattus Street business Tuesday afternoon. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

This week, The Buzz is toasting a new opening and 2019 investment.

One of the healthy drinks available at Embrace Nutrition on Sabattus Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

Danielle Stevens said it took about six months of looking around Poland, Sabattus, Lewiston and Mexico before finding just the right spot for she and her husband, Adam, to open their new business, Embrace Nutrition.

They landed on the former Danny’s Variety at 1495 Sabattus St. in Lewiston and opened last month.

The smoothie shop serves healthy meal replacement shakes with at least 24g of protein in dozens of flavors, energizing teas, protein iced coffee and caffeine-free drinks for kids, Stevens said.

“We are good friends with Jeff (Bennett) and Sarah (Boilard) of Elevate Nutrition and loved that they were helping the Turner community,” she said. “We decided to open (a shop) of our own after having our daughter, Ridgeleigh.”

Embrace Nutrition is open Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Some customers come in hoping to lose weight, Stevens said, some to maintain and some to gain.

Adam and Danielle Stevens with their daughter, Ridgeleigh, at Embrace Nutrition on outer Sabattus Street in Lewiston at the former Danny’s Variety. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

Local investments

The Maine Technology Institute last year awarded $9.3 million to 191 different projects, according to its new 2019 annual report, and some of that landed right here.

President Brian Whitney said some of the early stage investment awards in the Androscoggin area included:

• $15,000 grant to RentScore in Lewiston. From its application: “The tenant screening process is far too time consuming at this time and we are working to make that process quick and easy for landlords, and to have a way for tenants to easily prove their value. We’re seeking access to funding to help accelerate our business and would love business advice in a few different areas.”

• $18,838 grant to CampusTours Inc. of Auburn. From its application: “CampusTours builds interactive map and virtual tour software products. Our products are currently used extensively by institutions of higher education, and sporadically in K-12 education, health care, government and corporations. CampusTours seeks funding to expand our team to include a full time salesperson to better market our solutions to a wider array of customers.”

MTI also supports the statewide Top Gun program. Speaking of which, Top Gun LA should be starting soon… .

Fast facts for the road

On Monday, U-Haul released its annual who’s-moving-where report, and in Maine, when it comes to renting U-Hauls, it’s nearly a wash: 49.9% of one-way trips were arriving here and 50.1% of one-way trips were departing.

Brunswick, Belfast, Augusta, Auburn and Sanford were among the cities to see a net growth of trucks arriving, according to the report.

Finally, last week WalletHub ranked 182 cities for its “2020’s Best Cities for Jobs” and deemed Portland 10 and Lewiston 116 based on measures like job opportunities and starting salaries.

Quick hits about business comings, goings and happenings. Have a Buzzable tip? Contact staff writer Kathryn Skelton at 689-2844 or kskelton@sunjournal.com.