Strong branding, powerhouse leadership team and gourmet approach have helped I Love Juice Bar win over customers and franchisees

Juicing is red hot. Juice bars have become a magnet for millions of Americans who are looking for healthier dining choices and who are eager for food that is authentic, local and nutritious. The marketplace is huge. Americans spend $5 billion a year on juicing, according to a 2012 article by Barrons.com, which noted that the industry is growing between 4% and 8% each year.

The demand has encouraged a lot of people to open juicing businesses, particularly on the East and West coasts. So what makes us different, and special?

When John and Vui Hunt started the first I Love Juice Bar, they created a gathering place for health-minded customers: people who appreciate fresh-made juices and smoothies made with local ingredients, as well as gourmet vegetarian fare such as fresh salads, spring rolls and soups. The business boomed from the start, and the company began opening additional locations and franchises.

They also created a strong brand and a strong business model, built around a passion for helping people live healthier lives. “If you are passionate about what you do, profit usually follows,” John says.

Why investors love the I Love Juice Bar franchise

The first store was always hopping with lines frequently stretching out the door, and that attracted the attention of investors, too. Considering that estimated startup costs for a single location ranges from $172,860 to $302,805, I Love Juice Bar is a compelling franchise opportunity with potentially lucrative returns in a growing market segment.

Michael Bodnar was one of the biggest franchisees for Wendy’s, and he started his own company in 2009 to invest in great new restaurant concepts. His wife, thanks to her, insisted that he check out I Love Juice Bar. He liked what he saw and decided to partner with the Hunts to help the brand grow nationwide. Michael’s company, Fresh Hospitality, leverages technology and management expertise to help made-to-order restaurants manage their ordering, staffing and other business processes to boost profits.

Pro football player Cortland Finnegan is another partner in I Love Juice Bar and our expansion. He discovered us as a customer. As an elite NFL cornerback, he knows the importance of nutrition and exercise for peak performance, and that’s what attracted him to I Love Juice Bar. It didn’t take long, though, before the Samford graduate recognized that I Love Juice Bar represented a great business opportunity. Customers don’t just stop in at I Love Juice Bar — they linger. They hang out with their friends and make new ones. I Love Juice Bar has achieved a sought-after status — becoming a “third place” where people gather when they aren’t at home or work, a relaxed haven for healthy-minded people.

Cortland saw a brand with tremendous growth potential as well as the ability to help build healthier communities. He invested in I Love Juice Bar and plans to make it a key part of his post-NFL career. He hopes to leverage his celebrity status to help build relationships that bringing juicing to schools and organizations, and he is encouraging other athletes to do the same in their communities.

The growing market for healthy foods and healthy franchises

Americans are seeking healthy foods. According to a 2012 report by food industry researcher Technomic, 64% of Americans agree that it is important to eat healthy and pay attention to nutrition. That’s up from 57% just two years earlier. Fifty-six percent of survey respondents said they ate local foods once a week in 2012 (up from 47% in 2010), and 55% said they ate natural foods once a week in 2012 (up from 44% in 2010).

Americans have demonstrated a deep desire to get back to simpler foods that are not heavily processed, that they know, and that they can trust. It’s part of the same trend that has made farm-to-table increasingly popular. People want to know that their food is fresh, that it is ripe, and that it was grown by local or regional farmers rather than shipped halfway around the world by a giant conglomerate.

I Love Juice Bar helps franchisees develop relationships with local farmers where possible and uses recipes that showcase fresh and often local produce. Everything is made fresh in the store — the most popular fresh juices are made on-going all day long for customers who need a healthy grab-and-go solution, and all other juices and smoothies we serve are made-to-order. That provides the freshest possible juice and allows customers to customize their juices to their tastes or nutritional desires.

How do I inquire about a juice bar franchise?

If you have a passion for health and want to bring something new to your community, you may be a great I Love Juice Bar franchisee. Startup costs range from$172,860 to $302,805 depending on the location, and you should have $60,000 in liquid capital and a net worth of at least $300,000 to get started.

Ready to learn more? Click the button below to learn more about our business model, or fill out the form on this page to download our free franchise report and get in touch with us!