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ORANGEFIELD — Roxanne Holt bought a former Herbalife shop and transformed it into Bobcat Nutrition, an all-natural products café that offers healthy food and beverage options to the Orangefield community and beyond.

“It took me around six months to conduct research on the healthiest options to create energy drinks that do not contain sugar, low sodium or the caffeine crash that happens with drinks like Redbull,” Holt said.

“The ingredients that I use in our energy drinks are Guarana powder and green tea.”

According to medlineplus.gov, Guarana powder is a plant native to the Amazon. It is a common ingredient of energy drinks and contains caffeine. Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system, heart and muscles.

Guarana also contains theophylline and theobromine, which are chemicals like caffeine.

Holt’s passion for offering a cleaner lifestyle change to her community is driven by living on a feeding tube last year due to extensive surgeries.

“Last July, I was in the hospital for two months and emerged from multiple surgeries with a feeding tube,” she said. “I had to live with the tube for a month. While I was healing, I used that time to research healthy alternatives that mimicked my former lifestyle. When I bought the former Herbalife shop, I took the ingredients list and replaced chemicals like Aspartame and replaced it with natural products so that the drinks would be safe for everyone of all ages.

“Change is hard, but it isn’t impossible.”

The café is located two minutes from numerous schools, and the products are safe for child consumption.

“Some days, parents do not have time or forget to pack a lunch for their kids, and they stop by and pick up Charcuturie or Bento boxes,” Holt said. “The Charcuturie box contains beef bites, cheese, fruits and vegetables. The Bento boxes contain pinwheels, grapes, apples, superfood granola and gluten-free peanut butter-filled pretzels.”

The food pairs well with the 40 different drink options of teas, energy drinks and coffee.

“Our best-selling, sugar-free tea is the Mexican Lollipop with Tajin,” she said. “The Dutton is a specialty-tea infused with Collagen. It contains the Guarana powder, ground tea and the beauty supplement.”

The positive community response allows Holt to keep prices low during the inflation.

“The customers from the Herbalife shop claim they hardly taste the difference in the recipe change,” Holt said. “With flowing business, I was able to lower my prices and still make a profit.”

The atmosphere of the café is designed to appeal to the on-the-go parent or student.

“There is a booth, a couch and a table and chairs set up, so that regardless of where someone sits, they can face the flat screen TV on the wall,” she said. “The café is not massive, so when someone comes into order, if they have their children with them, they can go watch TV while their order is being made.”

Although Orangefield is a small community, Holt said all it took was her turning on her open sign to attract the attention of supportive town.

Bobcat Nutrition Café is located at 5572 FM 408 Suite C in Orange.

Call 409-313-6412 for more information.

— Written by Sierra Kondos