Quality Products: Smoothie Purees
The modern customer is an ingredient savvy individual. Theyve heard all of the buzzwords: No HFCS, fat-free, gluten free, low calorie, no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, soy free- you name it. And you can bet that they consume products based on at least one of these claims. The food standards of consumers today are much higher than they were even a few years ago. When it comes to smoothies, the modern customer is concerned about sugar content, protein, added supplements and more. They want their smoothie to taste great and natural at the same time.
As a smoothie bar owner, youll find that its tough to find a product that fits these requirements and still makes you a healthy profit. Many of our competitors offer a product just as healthy as ours but it requires refrigeration which, frankly, is a pain in the butt and produces a lot of waste for you. And then other competitors have a completely shelf stable product but it is packed with artificial yuck that you cant brag about. We are proud to say that our products fit the bill when it comes to consumer satisfaction and profitability. Check out the nutritional info here for yourself.
Juice Bar Equipment And Supplies
Juice bars have unique inventory needs because fresh produce will make up the bulk of your food orders. That means youll need to find a high-quality wholesale produce supplier. Look for distributors that can supply you with local seasonal produce, but you may also need a different supplier for fruits that dont grow locally. Youll want to consider these factors when choosing a produce supplier:
- Produce Selection – Some suppliers specialize in citrus fruits only while others provide a wide selection
- Fair Trade Certified – Look for suppliers that only work with fair trade certified growers
- Farming Practices – If organic, pesticide-free produce is part of your concept, youll need to find a supplier that can meet these needs
- Specialty Items – Depending on your location, you may need to find suppliers to provide you with specialty, tropical produce
With fresh produce also comes the need for specialized storage techniques. Understanding the shelf-life of certain fruits will be key to your reordering schedule. Some fruits need refrigeration, and some fruits need to be washed prior to storage. Check out our produce storage guide for detailed information.
Your juice bar will need to be outfitted with the right equipment for storing, prepping, and juicing fresh fruits. Commercial juicers are the obvious place to start, but there are several types of juicers designed for different applications. Here is a list of equipment and supplies you’ll need to get started:
Decide Which Products Or Services To Offer
What is your unique selling point?
What can you offer that nobody else can? Maybe its you, maybe its your service, maybe its your experience. But figure it out, write it down, and make it your stores centerpiece, literally and figuratively.
Are you going to serve just one type of drink?
Maybe you envision being a juice cleanse type of bar?
Will you have healthy snack options?
Or a healthy kitchen?
A healthy menu can offer your business a lot more opportunity to upsell and produce more profit.
Get creative!
Dont be afraid to experiment with different fruit and veggie combinations to come up with something that no one else has. If you can come up with your own healthy, tasty recipes for both juice and food, your business can find itself squeezing the competition. Keep an eye on the competition to see what their menu looks like. If certain juices are popular, you want to have an alternative to that option so you dont lose customers.
Also, be prepared for seasonal changes, which could negatively impact your business. Winter can usually take a toll on juice bars, but if you can come up with a hot option, such as a specialty coffee for energy, then youve got an opportunity to offset those down times. On the other hand, after the holiday season, people start focusing on their health again, and juice bars become a popular search.
Just remember that you want to focus on providing a diverse, broad menu without sacrificing efficiency or quality.
Read Also: Banana Almond Milk Smoothie Recipe
Skills Experience And Education Useful In Running A Smoothie Business
While you wont need a business degree to start a smoothie business, certain skills and experiences are helpful.
Food service experience. Previous experience in the food service industry and knowledge of safe food handling procedures will leave a business owner well-prepared to run a smoothie business.
Awareness of smoothie and health trends. An awareness of current market trends will help a business owner make strategic decisions and offer products in-demand.
Creativity. A healthy dose of creativity will be helpful when identifying a business specialty and coming up with unique and tasty smoothie recipes.
Management experience
Experience in hiring, training, and managing employees will be advantageous, helping a business owner put together a good team of staff.
Customer service skills. Experience providing customer service is ideal since providing a memorable customer experience can ensure that customers return.
Multitasking abilities. Running a smoothie business is full of responsibilities. To be successful, a business owner will need to be able to multitask and set priorities.
Search For A Suitable Location
Do you the location of a business outlet has a lot to do with the success of that business? This is why you need to pay ample attention to where you’ll be selling your smoothie. When securing a location for the business, you have to consider different factors like the exposure, neatness, accessibility for customers, space and many more. Make sure its neat and entertaining because some people might want to have their smoothie right at the point of sale.
Read Also: Smoothies To Reduce Belly Fat
How To Blend The Perfect Smoothie
Depending on the strength of your blender , the order you put your ingredients in the blender could influence the overall texture. Heres how we like to layer ingredients into the blender:
Start the blender off slowly, then gradually increase the speed. Blend for 30 to 60 seconds until the smoothie is as smooth as possible.
Use Your Local Chamber Of Commerce
Sign up for your local Chamber of Commerce. They have plenty of experience with grand openings, and will help you plan yours. In addition to sharing tips and best practices, the Chamber of Commerce also has lots of connections in the community and a vast network of other business owners. They will likely help you advertise the event, and even recruit a few other local businesses to attend and show support.
Some Chamber of Commerce chapters also have agreements with local papers or local elected officials on having them attend business openings. Having your event documented in the local newspaper is a great way to boost visibility. Really, there is no downside to contacting your towns Chamber of Commerce and working with them to plan your event.
Read Also: How Yo Make A Smoothie
How To Start Your Own Juice Bar Business
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
America is getting healthier.
Yes, really.
Diabetes and high cholesterol rates are falling every year. People are even cutting down on cigarettes!
In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 1.7 million new cases of diabetes. By 2015, it dropped to 1.4 million, and that number is projected to drop even more this coming year.
Unfortunately, the American Diabetes Association states that diabetes directly kills more than 71,000 people a year, most of which are type-2 diabetes, which is linked to poor diet and a lack of exercise.
So while there is a trend towards a more health-conscious America, theres still a long way to go.
And thats where we come in.
Juice bars first started in the 1990s as people began focusing on the long term effects of fast food on their bodies. This is one 90s craze that stuck around, as the juice bar industry continues to grow and thrive.
This industry has grown to yearly revenues of more than $5 billion. And its only getting bigger, growing at a steady rate of 4%-8% every year.
Other Supplies And Equipment
Much goes into maintaining the fresh ingredients smoothies are known for. Of course, you’ll need refrigerators to keep fresh produce crisp and nutrient rich. Undercounter refrigerators and refrigerated prep tables will keep ingredients within arm’s reach when dealing with customers at the counter. Freezers will help when you want to make coconut ice cubes or add frozen fruit in place of some or all your ice.
A juicer will enable you to include fresh-squeezed juice â an addition that many of your clients will appreciate. An abundant supply of fruit and vegetable tools, such as fruit and vegetable slicers, apple and pineapple corers, and table-mount dicers, will make the constant work of producing smoothies less of a chore for your staff.
Storage bins and shelving will keep your ingredients organized and contaminant free, while utility carts make restocking easy.
Even if you opt for disposable serving and tableware, you’ll still need dishwashers and sinks to prepare and serve your blended treats. If you’ve decided to go with a food truck or kiosk, blender stations help conserve valuable counter space.
You may also want to stock some of the following items:
Don’t Miss: Smoothies For Meal Replacement And Weight Loss
Learn How Juice Bars Work
Before you open a juice bar, you need to learn the ins and outs of how juice bars operate. Juice bars are shops that serve freshly prepared beverages such as cold-pressed or fresh-squeezed juices and fruit smoothies. Other popular menu items include protein shakes, juice shots packed with vitamins, and simple food items like sandwiches and salads.
The Juice Box in New Haven, Connecticut, uses ShopKeep POS
The best way to learn how juice bars operate is by working for a juice bar. Before starting your own business, consider working for a successful juice shop to see how juices are created and what the day-to-day aspects of running a juice bar look like.
If getting firsthand experience at a juice bar is not an option, youll have to do market research from the outside. Study successful juice bars in your area including their marketing campaigns and advertising efforts, menu items, peak times, number of employees, and their operating hours.
Smoothie Business Plan: How It Works Costs And Profit
Taking the leap into smoothie business ownership is an involved process. It takes hard work, passion, research, planning, and a solid understanding of your investment risk and potential income. Dont make a move without viewing our handy guide about how to start a smoothie business.
How It Works
There are two ways to start your smoothie business. First, you can learn from scratch and spend your time and money researching, planning, and hoping it works. The second option, which we will focus on, is investing in a smoothie franchise like SoBol. Investing in a SoBol franchise gives you a profit-making business model to follow while having all the advantages of business ownership. With nearly 7,000 smoothie restaurants in the country, its a relatively new industry but becoming very competitive. Utilizing a proven business model is advantageous.
Smoothie Business Plan
Bottom Line
Its important to know all your upfront and ongoing costs associated with your SoBol smoothie business. Your initial investment and the costs necessary to begin operating a single SoBol could range from $240,800$450,600. Actual costs will vary for each café depending on a number of factors, including market conditions and the geographic location of your restaurant, as well as the amount of construction work necessary for the site to be built out. The minimum financial requirements for a SoBol café are:
- Equipment repair/replacement
- Permits
Profit
Brand Recognition
Recommended Reading: How To Make A Strawberry Smoothie Recipe
Write A Business Plan For A Juice Bar
How to start a juice bar? Every foodservice location needs a business plan and a good strategy, especially if you are going to open a juice bar using investor funds or a loan. It is quite possible to create a business plan for a juice bar yourself.
A working business plan should include:
- Competition research
- Investment and monthly expenses predictions
- Profitability and payback calculation
Step : Create Your Business Website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that its out of their reach because they dont have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldnt delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You dont need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Using our website building guides, the process will be simple and painless and shouldnt take you any longer than 2-3 hours to complete.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
- Negotiating with vendors
You May Like: Best Homemade Smoothies To Lose Weight
S To Start A Smoothie Store Perfectly
Smoothies are blended food drinks made of fresh fruits with milk, yogurts, and ice cream. They are popularly found in busy shopping centers and fitness clubs. Smoothies add on to the popular fast-food culture that people are fond of these days.
Making a smoothie business popular depends on the premium ingredients used in making them and how innovative you are with the combinations that make it appealing to people who are not ready to sacrifice taste for health.
If you want to start an online smoothie business, then you should have known about the recent researches on health issues like the interaction of nutrients with our bodies so that you can adapt to the changes to stay in the business and make an innovative and nutritious combination of smoothies.
Having experience of preparing smoothies at home can help you as an owner.
Write A Juice Bar Business Plan
Writing a business plan is the next step in the process of opening your juice bar. Dont skip the business plan, even if you think you have all the details of your business memorized. Its a professional way to gather all your important info in one place and present the idea to potential investors. Your juice bar business plan should contain the following sections:
If you want to learn more about writing business plans, check out our comprehensive restaurant business plan guide.
Don’t Miss: Bedtime Smoothie For Weight Loss
Choose A Juice And Smoothie Shop Location
Your juice bar location and business concept should go hand in hand. Sometimes choosing your location ends up being the first step in the process of opening your business. You might have your eye on a commercial space that speaks to you, or maybe you got a great deal on leasing a juice bar kiosk. If thats the case, you should base the concept of your shop on your chosen location. For example, if the location is in a college town, youll want to create a concept that appeals to a young crowd.
If you have your heart set on a particular concept, youll need to find a juice bar location that can support it. Look for locations near gyms or in neighborhoods with jogging paths and outdoor spaces. Boardwalks, beach towns, and charming main streets are great for juice bars and smoothie shops. Performing a location analysis will help you understand the benefits and limitations of specific locations.
Idea : Paper Supplies
Napkins are a staple in any restaurant.
If you have a standalone operation, you may also need to stock restrooms with toilet paper, toilet covers and paper towels.
You may want paper towels in your smoothie preparation area for cleanup, too.
If you do not have a computerized ordering system, order pads will also be a must.
Also Check: Smoothies That Make You Lose Weight Fast