Klinger family finds harmony in Sparta

SPARTA - Scott and Jackie Klinger have established a fine reputation as owners of East West Karate Studio, in Sparta. Now the Klingers have added healthy food, vitamins and supplements to the repertoire of health and fitness they offer to the community by buying and completely overhauling Harmony Health Foods. The grand re-opening will be tomorrow, Friday, October 27th, and Saturday, October 28th, starting at 9:30 am and featuring the health and fitness specialists plus lots of specials and discounts. Harmony Health Foods has been at the location next to East West Karate, at 155B Woodport Road, for over 15 years. “It seemed like a natural,” Scott Klinger said, “We offer fitness to the community through our karate school, and adding nutrition to that completes the circle.” The Klingers started by completely overhauling the store with new paint, tiles and light fixtures. For Jackie Klinger, running the store was a whole new world of opportunity. With both her children entering full-time school this fall, the August purchase of Harmony Natural Foods was timed perfectly with Brooke (5) and Nicholas (9) going back to school in Fredon. For Scott Klinger, the addition of the store meant bringing in new products he knew of through karate and weight lifting. These include Xyience and Met-Rx. On top of these, the Klingers have brought in over 400 new products including a vitamin line made by a company called Reliance that bears the Harmony Natural Foods label. “The concept of consequence and reward are subtle,” Scott Klinger said, “Too often, people wait until it’s too late to realize they should have been exercising and eating better. Running the health food store next to our karate studio is a great synergy. They’re going to work great together.” Since Jackie Klinger is a homeroom mom at The Fredon School, the Klingers have seen how schools are changing to be more healthy environments by limiting the size of juice boxes and sugar in snacks that are brought into the school. With new state mandates in place, Scott Klinger said “Our store works with this whole movement offering a lot of alternatives to the ‘traditional’ unhealthy snacks.“ Another component they added was to bring back a café at the back of the store. Featuring healthy smoothies, organic coffees, soups and sandwiches, the café is a nutritious alternative to driving through a fast food restaurant. Harmony also has several coolers filled with everything from frozen entrees to soy ice cream to appetizers and snacks. The aisles are filled with everything from organic baby food to cereals to pastas, salsas and sauces to a slew of vitamins and supplements. There are books about all aspects of nutrition and a beauty care section featuring everything from shampoo to skin creams. Physicians such as family practitioner, Dr. Frank Kane, are referring patients to the store, and customers are pleased. “I think the store looks spectacular. High energy like the owner with a strong commitment to serving her customers. I have been coming here since it opened back in 1990,” said Linda Pezzuti of Sparta. The Klingers have also added gift baskets to Harmony Natural Foods. Packed with healthy snacks, vitamins and/or foods. “They can be customized,“ Jackie Klinger said, and with the holidays around the corner make a unique and useful present as can one of their gift certificates. Jackie Klinger is a third degree black belt, and Scott Klinger is a seventh degree black belt. Just as their karate studio provides a healthy and exciting atmosphere where students can increase strength and focus, they want their store to provide a place where customers can find all the foods and nutritional supplements to increase their health.