[PHOTOSTORY 4: WORK SHIFT] Soul Statesboro

 By: Madlen Wendland

Lyla Martin is preparing the first drinks at Soul Statesboro for the day. Soul Statesboro is a nutrition shop where people can get meal-replacement shakes, energizing teas, protein coffees, and small snacks.

Meg Phillips is putting straws in two separate glasses. Soul Statesboro is located on 721 S. Main Street in Statesboro and has been there for two years now.

Gracie Bassett (left) and Meg Phillips (right) are laughing. Both of them have been working at Soul for about a year now. 

Ella Scheible (left) and Clair Jantz are deciding which drink they want. Customers can choose from over 90 flavors, including shakes and teas. 

Gracie Bassett starts writing the flavor the customer gets in the drink. Soul Statesboro sells about 150 drinks a day. 

Meg Phillips (front) is putting the different flavors in the drink. The loaded teas contain about 160mg of caffeine and 50 calories, depending on the flavor.

The teas are made with water and different powder flavors. The energy vitamins used in the teas are B12, B6 and C.

Meg Phillips is putting the lid on the drinks. She is junior in speech language pathology at Georgia Southern University.

Clair Jantz is taking the first sip from her drink. She chose the drink called Pink Starburst, which tastes like Cherry and Pink Starburst.

Lyla Martin is putting money in the cash register. Customers can enter their phone numbers into the system and sign up for free weekly discounts.

During a quick break, Lyla Martin (left front) is laughing, while Meg Phillips (right back) is counting money. The typical rush hour, when the most customers come into the shop, is around 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Gracie Basset is talking to her co-workers while she is making cake pop dough. Soul Statesboro offers 10 cake pop flavors made daily. 

Lyla Martin is covering the cake pops in melted white chocolate. The cake pops have 7g of protein and about 100 calories each. 

Meg Phillips is cleaning the counter. Overall, nine people work at Soul Statesboro, and two people own the place. 

Gracie Bassett (left front) is preparing more drinks as more customers arrive. "I would say 95% of our customers are women and just about 5% are men," Bassett said. 

Gracie Bassett is on the phone while she prepares more drinks. She is a manager-in-training at Soul Statesboro. 

Gracie Bassett is mixing up a drink. The least popular drink at Soul Statesboro is the "Freedom for the Eagle," which was sold only about four times in one year.

Gracie Bassett (left) is holding up a drink while Abby Lindamood (middle) and Lyla Martin are talking to customers. "The interaction with customers is the most important thing in this job because I want to create an easy and comfortable environment for every customer," Bassett said. 

Two teas from Soul Statesboro. Crush is the most popular flavor at Soul and tastes like strawberry, mango and passionfruit. 

Loaded teas and flavored powders are behind the counter at Soul Statesboro. Prices range from $8 to $13.50.