Can delicious and healthful coexist in the same comestibles? The old Rolling Stones tune seems to suggest otherwise. “You can’t always get what you want,” goes the song. “But if you try sometimes . . . you get what you need.” Despite that truism, it is now possible to have both what one wants and what one needs, combined deliciously at the new Tropical Smoothie Café in Liberty Station. Here, it’s no longer an either/or proposition: Customers can enjoy luscious smoothies along with delectable yet healthful food. Here’s the history. Ton Lee, George Tateno and Alex Raymundo met while working out eight years ago at a 24-hour gym in La Jolla. Following their workouts, the three healthful-living aficionados enjoyed sipping smoothies. The problem was that if they were also hungry, they had to go elsewhere to find something healthful to eat. They eventually decided to go into business together and opened a Tropical Smoothie Café franchise. Now other fitness buffs need look no further. They can find both delicious smoothies and healthful, tasty food all in one place. The tropical motif extends beyond the victuals, with the café’s interior brimming with a lush tropical atmosphere and vivid island colors, all designed to make customers feel as if they’re on vacation. One customer, Dan Hall, eats there almost every day. Hall, who lives at Liberty Station, works as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Not only do he and his family enjoy the Tropical Smoothies’ menu, he also uses the café’s catering service for his work. “The people at the café are great,” said Hall. “They’re very family-oriented. The food is delicious and healthy and the smoothies don’t include too much sugar.” Hall appreciates the children’s portions and the “great and affordable sandwich trays” which can be served to the physicians with whom he works — even those who are vegans. “They cater to your needs,” he said. “I would recommend it to anybody.” Lee said the Liberty Station location appealed to him and his partners because it has so much to offer in terms of its history, architecture, natural beauty and range of offerings there — from residential and sports to restaurants and cultural activities. In addition, “San Diego is a very health-oriented city with an outdoor lifestyle,” Lee said. He lived in San Diego for four years but now resides in Las Vegas, where he operates two dental offices. Lee first encountered Tropical Smoothie Café in Las Vegas. He talks about how he and his wife used to stop for a quick lunch and how she would always get something from Tropical Smoothie while he usually opted for a sandwich from a nearby sandwich shop. One day at home, he ate some of his wife’s leftover wrap. “I tried it and I loved it,” he said. That was enough to convince Lee to begin ordering from his wife’s favorite place. And later, when he and his two partners decided to open a franchise, Tropical Smoothie was the obvious choice. The three owners plan to open up to 20 Tropical Smoothie Cafés throughout San Diego County over the next five years. All three men work in the operations side of the café, although Tateno and Raymundo can often be found on the premises. The menu features a variety of offerings, including low-fat smoothies, power smoothies, dessert smoothies — such as mocha madness, with Ghirardelli chocolate, coffee, cappuccino and nonfat yogurt — and splendid smoothies made with Splenda. One of the most popular drinks, though, is the jetty punch smoothie, which combines the flavors of fresh strawberries, bananas and turbinado sugar, all blended to perfection. When it comes to edibles, there are scrumptious wraps for any meal, including breakfast wraps. Other options include sandwiches and gourmet salads. One of the café’s signature sandwiches is the cranberry walnut chicken salad sandwich. It’s made of all-white-meat chicken blended with cranberries, walnuts, celery and mayo, topped with fresh field greens and tomato and served on nine-grain wheat bread. Also available is a kids menu and a catering menu. Discounts at the café are available to Liberty Station employees and often for local students and the community, as well, says Lee. Tropical Smoothie Café is located at 2751 Roosevelt Road, Suite 103. For more information, call (619) 241-2753, or visit www.tropicalsmoothiecafe.com.