Four years after founding Fit Fab Fun, Diana Shroll sells business

Diana Shroll has had fun proving people wrong, but now it's time to move on.

When Shroll opened Fit Fab Fun at 209 S. Sandusky Ave. on July 25, 2018, people said it was doomed to fail.

"I was told when I opened this, so many people, 'Oh, Bucyrus isn't ready for healthy wraps or healthy smoothies. Nobody's going to eat that with spinach in it, you know. They like their burgers and fries and pizzas.' And so, I don't know if you call it a highlight, but I think we proved them wrong," she said. "People do want to eat healthy and people do appreciate a good salad bar."

Now, Shroll is selling the business and the building that houses it to Jeremy and Michelle Roberts, who already own Special Moments Bridal next door, in the other half of the building. Her last day with Fit Fab Fun will be July 22.

"For me personally, I just really love the downtown of Bucyrus, and I love how everyone's active, and I did not want to see a store leave that's a staple within the community," Jeremy Roberts said. "And I want to maintain that, as much as I can."

Four years brought many changes

Four years ago, Shroll was looking for something to do. She and her husband, Tim, own DT Petroleum, and she had worked there for 30 years.

But customers seemed more demanding, even mean, she said. "I just have to find something else to do."

Their son, a physician, lived in San Antonio, Texas. He was married, with no children. Their daughter, a veterinarian, lived near Findlay "and she and her husband didn't want any kids."

"So I was like, 'Well, what am I going to do?' I'm too young to sit at home," Shroll recalled. So she opened the business.

"Well, about a year after I opened it is when our daughter called; she said, 'Guess what? We're going to have a baby!' Which, oh my gosh, was the most awesome phone call in the whole world."

Shroll's first grandchild, Harper, was born in March 2020, "right smack in COVID." On her birthday that year, Shroll learned her son and his wife were expecting a baby. Gwen was born in 2021. This year, the family welcomed Hayden.

When her daughter asked Shroll to watch Harper, the answer was obvious: Of course.

She knew she could trust her employees to run the business and take care of customers while she was away— she's known three of them since they all attended Wynford schools together.

"But it's just gotten to be too much," Shroll said. "It's been crazy. We do a good little business. And I didn't want to just close it, because a lot of the downtown people really count on just walking in here and getting something to eat. So I just kept praying about it and praying about it."

Then Roberts approached Shroll about purchasing the building.

She told him she wasn't sure about selling the building; she might want to sell the business.

"Long story short, he decided they wanted to buy both. ... It just sort of happened, so I'm like, all right, Lord, I think that's my answer," Shroll said. "But it's still— it's going to be sad. I mean, I put so much into this. Heart, soul, energy, you know. But those little babies. When Harper puts her arms around me and says 'I love you,' I just — there's no place I want to be rather than taking care of them. They grow up so fast."

'Serving up sunshine and smoothies'

Shroll said it's important to her that people know they'll still be able to come in and get their smoothies and wraps.

The most popular smoothie on the menu is called green fusion. "I laugh because that has spinach in it, and I go back to that 'people don't want to eat healthy,'" Shroll said.

The California club wrap is the top-selling menu item, but quesadillas and the salad bar are popular, too. "We make a mean quesadilla," she said. "We sell a lot of those."

But she's always told her employees that good customer service comes first.

"I mean, you've got to have good food, obviously," Shroll said. "But I want everyone, when they walk in that door, I want it to be more of an experience. ... I always say, every person, you need to treat as though they have a sign around their neck that says 'Make me feel special.' Because you know, that's just so lacking any more in businesses. And I don't want people to feel that way, or like we're doing them a favor to make them something to eat."

Her staffers have been amazing, she said — always happy and smiling, even when they're having a bad day. Her slogan for the business has been "serving up smoothies and sunshine."

"I just want people to be happy," Shroll said. "There's just so much yuck out there."

New owners plan to keep things the same

Roberts said he hopes to keep the business that way.

"I would like everyone to know that it's going to pretty much stay the same, with the service and excitement that they're used to, and we're going to try to continue that. ... We don't want anyone to think it's going to be a big change," he said. Any changes will be "very minute ... just to try to benefit everybody else."

The Robertses — who both have full-time jobs in addition to owning real estate and now two businesses — have hired Marissa Hamilton to manage Fit Fab Fun.

"We have been fortunate enough to find some very, very good people within the community," Jeremy Roberts said. "Michelle Ziegler works for us at Special Moments and she has really picked it up where we can't and she has done a great job for us at that bridal store."

Only one of Shroll's current staffers will be staying on — but that's largely by chance, she explained. One of the younger employees is a college student who will begin student teaching soon. Another is expecting another baby and was planning to leave anyway.

"I'm like OK, maybe this is a good time to leave — I don't have to hire anybody new," Shroll said. "I'll just walk out."

As difficult as that's going to be, there are things Shroll won't miss — taking out the trash, or meeting the delivery truck early every Monday.

"We're only open 11 to 2, but I'm here at 8 a.m. every morning the days that I'm here, and I won't leave right away," she said. "And then on Saturdays and Sundays, you have to stock up for the next week. It's a lot of hours. It's not just like come in for a couple hours and leave. So that will be kind of nice."

Her biggest hope is that the community will continue to support Fit Fab Fun.

"I've been so blessed, and I appreciate so much that community support for this place has been great, and I just hope that they continue to do that," she said. "Because this — it's going to be hard to leave."

ggoble@gannett.com

419-559-7263

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Shroll sells Fit Fab Fun; new owners want to maintain downtown staple