Gael McAllister doesn’t sit still.

For the past 13 years, she’s run five miles a day, five days a week. In 2000, she ran a marathon in Hawaii and has since run a number of local 5K and 10K races.

One way she’s managed it, she says, is by drinking smoothies. And judging by her boundless energy and enthusiasm, we all may want to follow suit at her new smoothie shop, The Juice Gallery.

McAllister opened the shop in March after seeing the space on her daily runs.

“I knew the challenges with the parking and people driving by in a rush and not looking left when they pass,” she says. “But for some reason, I really liked this spot.”

Now more passers-by are stopping to enjoy the vibrant hangout full of local art and leafy plants. There’s also a wall-length mural of a beach scene and a little nook for kids with a chalkboard and rotating assortment of toys. “I wanted something that was kid-friendly,” McAllister says. “There aren’t a lot of family-oriented places where kids can have some freedom.”

Children and adults can enjoy one of eight smoothie flavors, each a blend McAllister concocted herself. Choices range from old stand-bys such as strawberry-banana to the not-so-typical cherry-cranberry. “I didn’t want to duplicate flavors you could get somewhere else,” she says.

This month, McAllister recommends Pineapple Paradise, a mix of pineapple, banana, and coconut, and Mango Tropics, which blends mango, banana, and pineapple. “They make you feel like you’re at the beach,” she says.

Customers can add one free nutritional supplement such as ginkgo biloba and pay a quarter to add another. Who knows? They might perk up to McAllister’s energy level. — Chris Gigley

The Juice Gallery is at 718 W. Market St. For information, call 336-317-0174.