Nutrition Stop - Company

Our History

Back in the 1970's, Nutrition Stop founder Theresa Mulhern challenged herself to live a healthy lifestyle. In 1977, she married Patrick Mulhern, and he also made the lifestyle change. Unfortunately, there were no health food stores in St. Charles County. Theresa had managed two other health food stores in St. Louis County, and with that experience under her belt, she decided the time was right to make another big change in her life. On January 18, 1986, she opened up Nutrition Stop in St. Peters, MO.

Originally housed in a modest 1200 square foot shop, Nutrition Stop squeezed the most stock possible into the available space. Shelves were stocked mainly with vitamins, but also contained food items, natural cosmetics, and books. In addition, there was a small selection of refrigerated and frozen foods. As it turned out, Pat and Theresa weren't the only ones wishing for a good health food store in St. Charles County. After a year and a half of building up the new business, Theresa needed a helping hand. Having eight years of experience in the grocery business, Patrick was the perfect candidate, despite having been known to say, “One thing’s for sure, I won’t be working in the grocery industry anymore.” Husband and wife joined forces and the business continued to flourish. By its third birthday, Nutrition Stop had outgrown its “starter home.” In January 1989, we moved into a 3600 square foot store only two doors down from our original location.

Business was booming, and Theresa and Patrick found themselves becoming living examples of what they were teaching their customers: with proper nutrition (including a diet of 65% fresh, unprocessed foods), they were able to handle the stress of working 80 hours per week. Still, it was clearly time to hire employees. Over the years, our staff members have helped thousands of customers. We are proud of them for carrying out our first commitment, which is serving YOU! No matter what the task is, we are all willing to go the extra mile to find a solution so that you can enjoy the best health possible.

From the start of business in 1986, food became a primary focus that continues to this day. And, as anyone who has shopped here can probably tell you, any conversation with a staff member usually includes the question, “How is your diet?” According to Patrick, “We are committed to educating people that the first step in a healthy lifestyle is a healthy diet. In fact, most of our shelf space is dedicated to natural, unrefined, and organic food.” If answering the diet question makes you uneasy, rest assured that the staff at Nutrition Stop will understand. We are all on the road to health, and we all start from different points along the way. Some of us even take long detours or get lost. We can help you learn to take better care of yourself starting from exactly where you are.

Then Now

In 1997, after 20 years of marriage, Theresa and Patrick were blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Theresa decided it was time to stay at home and give Isaac her attention full-time. Isaac is a tremendous blessing to all and sometimes you may see him at the store helping customers, complete with miniature apron and nametag. Rest assured, Theresa still reads the latest research, and she has the ear of upper management.

Our Store >>>