Capitol Hill's 15th Avenue welcomes hip health-food store Healeo

One part vitamin store and one part juice bar, Healeo is a mod new retail space that fits right in among its hip Capitol Hill neighbors. The neatly arranged shop sells premium vitamins alongside organic superfood drinks and fresh juices.

Owner Justin Brotman has retail in his blood. He credits his uncle, Michel, owner of Downtown stores The Chocolate Box and Simply Seattle, with helping him hone his commerce skills. Brotman worked at Simply Seattle until last March, then spent the past year researching and tracking down ingredients for his Healeo brand of vitamins, and opened his new shop last month.

Healeo vitamins ($12.95-$39.95) are organized into three tiers: Essentials include the basics, such as vitamins C and B-12; Focus vitamins have specific functions, like building healthy joints or improving memory; Wellness vitamins contain whole food ingredients, are rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants, and are harvested at maximum potency and then freeze-dried.

The store itself is sleek and modern, with walls of windows that open to the street and add a bright, welcoming touch. Employees are friendly and eager to answer questions, and on the shelf below each product is a well-written note describing the action of the vitamin or formula.

Alongside the wall of vitamins is Healeo's beverage bar, which serves smoothie-like superfood drinks and juices (from $6), organic teas from Los Angeles-based Art of Tea ($2 per cup, $3 per pot), organic coffee from Caffe Vita and soft-serve vegan hemp-milk ice cream from Chicago Soy Dairy.

The ice cream tastes surprisingly like the real thing and costs $4 a cup, which includes one topping. I tried tart Incan Golden Berries, which set off the slight nuttiness of the ice cream beautifully.

The varieties of milk -- hemp, coconut, almond and cashew nut -- the shop uses are made on-site daily, and with the exception of the coconut milk, all are organic. Healeo also sells many of the drink ingredients (from $8.99), such as raw cacao powder and a protein blend made from Brazil nuts, for home use.

Brotman believes that health food "has been cost-prohibitive to the mainstream for long enough," and his goal is to make it more accessible to more people. To achieve that, he keeps his margins low and sells a relatively small, hand-picked selection of products.

Healeo is located at 1530 15th Ave., between Madison and Pine streets. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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