Key Considerations for Opening a Juice Bar Business
Key Takeways
- First things first; before you even work on your smoothie bar or fresh fruit juice business model, you should research the food safety laws governing raw juice in your area
- Meet with Your Local Health Authority
- Decide on Your Location
- Get good business plan and Get Funding for Your Juice Bar
Healthy recipes and nutritional living are more popular than ever as consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the detrimental effect of the SAD (Standard American Diet) lifestyle (quite aptly named, don’t you think?)
For many, a daily trip to their favorite juice bars has become routine. So, you have been thinking of carving out a piece in the market, and opening your very own juice bar?
Congratulations on taking the first step. Opening a juice bar seems rather straightforward, right? It can be, with the right planning, but remember, everything successful in life takes hard work, time, and patience.
RESEARCH YOUR LOCAL FOOD SAFETY LAWS when opening a juice bar
First things first; before you even work on your smoothie bar or fresh fruit juice business model, you should research the food safety laws governing raw juice in your area. Your business will be subject to certain rules and regulations to make sure it is up to health and safety standards. These laws vary greatly depending on your region.
In the USA, the FDA allows for raw fruit juice to be sold directly to consumers, but not wholesale to third parties for reselling purposes. To break into the wholesale game with the intention to resell, you will look at a different business model altogether.
That said, you are allowed to produce raw and cold-pressed juices in one location, and sell them to multiple stores, providing you are the owner of the juice bars.
The laws governing juice bars can be daunting at first, but don’t let them hold you back. The health department is very helpful in answering any of your questions, or they will point you in the right direction for clarification.
You will still be in regular communication with the health department long after opening your business, so a good working relationship is crucial. We will provide a few tips to deal with your local health department
MEET WITH YOUR LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY
This is the obvious first step. Set up a brief meeting with a representative to get a clear idea of the regulations in your area, and prepare your questions in advance. Take thorough notes, or even ask if you can record the meeting for easy future reference. There will be a lot of information to process.
When planning for opening a juice bar, understanding and adhering to local health regulations is crucial for your business’s success and legality. After your initial meeting with the health authority, the next step involves applying their guidelines to your business plan. This includes designing your juice bar layout to meet health standards, selecting equipment that complies with food safety regulations, and developing procedures for maintaining cleanliness and preventing contamination.
It’s also important to consider the training of your staff in these areas. Ensuring that your team is well-informed about health codes and practices not only helps in passing health inspections but also builds customer trust in your brand. Remember, consistent compliance with health regulations is not just a legal requirement but also a key factor in establishing and maintaining the reputation of your juice bar as a safe and reliable place for health-conscious consumers.
Stay Updated
Health regulations are also constantly reviewed and updated, so you are well-advised to stay active by attending meetings and by doing your own research online. You can’t afford to be in doubt! We know things can get confusing, that’s why we here at Pure Green offer our franchisees ongoing support through online meetings and regular newsletters. Furthermore, when opening a juice bar, it’s essential to establish a strong relationship with your local health authority.
Regular communication with them can provide you with up-to-date information on any changes in health and safety regulations that could impact your business. This proactive approach not only ensures compliance but also demonstrates your commitment to maintaining the highest standards of food safety and customer health.
Additionally, consider subscribing to industry publications and joining relevant forums or associations in the food and beverage sector. These resources can be invaluable for staying informed about best practices, new health guidelines, and industry standards. By actively seeking out information and resources, you can position your juice bar as a trusted and responsible establishment in the community, dedicated to offering safe, high-quality products to your customers. Check it out!
Educate Your Employees
Inspire Good Habits and Checklists
Every kitchen will have one thing in common – you need to inspect the production area on a daily basis. In the food and beverage industry, you will be required to keep certain document logs (as your health representative will inform you). The best way to ensure that you are staying on top of it is to create a daily checklist that employees tick off every day. It will include cooling logs, fridge temperatures, sanitation, and employee health cards.
The great thing about becoming a franchise partner is we’ve done it all before – and know just what kind of system works best. We can provide you with all the tips to ensure your pure green franchise runs as smoothly as our oh-so-delicious superfood smoothies!
Read the FDA Food Code
This document is updated and revised every four years. You don’t need to just understand what you need to do, but why. You can find all the regulations here.
Decide on The Business Model to Use
Now that you are familiar with the rules and regulations governing the health and safety of your new juice bar, choosing the concept is your next tangible step. It is also the most exciting and creative step of the journey. You get to decide if you will join a juice bar franchise, or if you want to choose your own theme and menu. Whether you are going at it on your own, or with the guidance of a franchise like Pure Green, you also have a few juice bar concepts to choose from;
Mobile juice bar cart to produce organic, fresh juice on the go
Brick and mortar stores, like a café style shop with seating, or a juice bar that offers takeaways only.
Wholesale – do keep in mind that you are not allowed to sell raw cold pressed juice wholesale to third-party resellers under the FDA regulations. If wholesale reselling appeals to you, you will need to produce pasteurized juices with a longer shelf life. However, nothing is preventing you from selling wholesale raw juice directly to a consumer.
Delivery only or a combination of any of the above. An omnichannel approach of both delivery and brick-and-mortar reaches the most clients.
Of course, each juice bar business model has its own pros and cons, but it is important to decide where you are going so that you have clear goals and know where to expend your energy. Once that is in place, you can move over to the finer details, like branding, a name, a logo, and menu options. One of the benefits of becoming a juice bar franchise partner means that you don’t have to think about the finer details – your franchisor will do it for you!
Decide on Your Location
Your concept and your location research should go hand in hand. You should base the concept of your store around the franchise location you have in mind. If, for instance, you have your heart set on one concept, your location must support it. Let’s assume you want to cater to students to feed their bodies and minds during exams, you will also need to set up near campus or university. Remember, your competition may have the same idea, so do your research. A location analysis will be invaluable to you in this endeavor.
If you do choose to become a franchise owner, here at the pure green team we know all about the importance of finding the perfect franchise location, and our dedicated team will help work with you from the initial stages of franchise development – such as finding the perfect locale to ensure long term profitability for you and your business.
Have an Expert on Your Team
If this is your first time getting into the juice bar business, you want someone on your side who knows what’s what. They don’t necessarily need to have experience in the juicing industry per se, but you need someone who has experience in opening and running a business. This can be a good restaurant or food and beverage manager, or a consultant to help you develop a business plan.
Now, if opening a juice bar franchise appeals to you, you need not look further. Pure Green, for instance, is one of the fastest-growing juice bar franchises currently in the US. We offer full-service support, competitive start-up costs, training, menus… whatever you need, the expert franchise team at Pure Green got you covered. You don’t need to go in blind. Take a look at just what we have to offer at puregreenfranchise.com
The Menu – Know your Numbers and What to Expect
The sky is the limit with your juice bar menu, but you should have a specialty plan, or risk throwing everything at the wall. You can keep it simple and produce only raw cold-pressed juice, or get creative and mix it up with superfood smoothies and other healthy food options like sandwiches, acai bowls, and vitality bowls.
What is important is to keep an eye on the fresh ingredients you use. While it may be tempting to build a super-juice that contains every superfood, it isn’t sustainable, as very few clients will be willing to pay a hefty price per bottle to cover your costs.
As a general rule of thumb, the cost of your fresh ingredients per bottle should not exceed 25% to 30% of the final product price. Ingredients aside, your labor, packaging, and overheads should be in line with your price per bottle.
Another great plus of opening a Pure Green franchise juice bar is that we keep these costs in mind. Part and parcel with your business plan, we provide you with a ready-made menu with some of our bestsellers (keeping the costs and overheads in mind)!
YOUR JUICE BAR BUSINESS PLAN
Drafting your juice bar business plan is the next critical step. Don’t skip this, even if you think you have all your bases covered. It is the only way to professionally present all your info and plans to potential investors and get the funding you may need. Your plan should contain the following;
Company Overview and Description – This is a detailed overview of your juice bar business.
Concept and Menu – Describe all the details of your proposed menu, concept, and theme.
Management Structure – As the name implies, this section should include the hierarchy of your management structure.
Staffing Needs – List all your openings and the proposed number of employees
Marketing and Competitor Analysis – You need to show that you have done research on local competitors and present your findings
Advertising and Marketing Strategies – This outlines how you suggest advertising and marketing your juice bar, as well as the target customers.
Financial Projection – This focuses on your sale forecast and your break-even analysis
Executive Summary – This last section summarized your entire business plan. You can list it first to draw attention to your overall goals, but it is best to write this section last.
Get Funding for Your Juice Bar
Armed with your business plan, you can finally apply for funding to make your juice bar or smoothie franchise dream a reality. Once you know how much you need for the capital layout, and how much you have, you will know how much funding you need to apply for. Remember to also give yourself a bit of a safety net to cover the operating costs for the first few months as your fruit juice bar is gaining fame.
You have a few financing options at your disposal
Small Business Loan – The SBA (Small Business Association) works with small business owners to help them secure a loan more easily. They generally also offer lower repayments and interest at a fixed rate.
Traditional Business Loan – A typical business loan is ideally suited for larger loan amounts, so the application process is a bit stricter and you may be required to have existing liquid capital. You will also be required to push your business to be more profitable. However, being a franchise partner may have an additional advantage as any restaurant franchise is a traditionally safer option for investors.
Business Credit – This is very similar to a credit card. Instead of borrowing one big lump sum, you will receive a credit to cover expenses as they arise. This type of financing is especially helpful with day-to-day operating expenses.
Crowd Funding – This method is a legit, modern-day solution to raise funds for your business – as long as people believe in your brand and your vision.
PRO TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL JUICE BAR
By following these handy tips and guidelines, you are setting off on the right foot to give your juice bar business the best chance at success. Know your laws, find your niche and your target market, and establish a business model that will cater to your needs. And if you are in the market to join an established, successful juice franchise that will support you every step of the way, mosey over to pure green franchise and reach out to one of our experts!
Remember, opening any small business can be scary. We at the Pure Green team know that. That’s why we’ve specifically designed the pure green franchise to help you every step on the way. Your initial franchise fee will buy you more than just a name easily recognized by customers. It’ll also provide you access to our team of experts, who will be able to provide assistance every step along the way. From finding the perfect location to ordering your first shipment of fresh ingredients, check out our ultimate guide to opening your very own smoothie franchise in 2022, or get in touch with our team today!
