What is a Juice Bar?

What is a Juice Bar?

A juice bar refers to a small business that primarily sells a selection of different juice, which are usually freshly squeezed from a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

What is the history of Juice Bars?

Dr. Norman Walker invented the first juicer machine in the 1930s in California and his invention, the Norwalk machine, used a hydraulic press to extract the juice. The invention of the juicer sparked an interest among people who became interested in drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juice. As a result, juicing machines evolved over the following decades, and, by the 1990s, nutritionists started advocating for the health benefits associated with drinking fresh juice. 

Since the juicer was invented in California, it was popular among Californians. Businessman Dave Otto opened one of the first local juice bars in 1975, the Beverly Hills Juice Club, which still exists today. But, it wasn’t until the first juice bar chain, Jamba Juice, started in the 90s that juice bars became a mainstream business.

What is typically on the menu at a Juice Bar?

The main item sold at a juice bar is freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice. Typically, a juice bar menu consists of a variety of different fresh fruit and vegetable juice and smoothie options that can be customized to the customer’s preferences along with drinks designed by the business. 

Usually, a juice bar offers the following fruits and vegetables to be juiced: apples, lemon, orange, pineapple, mango, beets, spinach, kale, cucumbers, carrots, and more.

Moreover, a juice bar usually offers smoothies in addition to juice, which can often be purchased as a smoothie bowl that includes toppings, such as chia seeds, honey, peanut or almond butter, cocoa nibs, goji berries, and more. Some juice bars may even offer cold-prepared food items, such as salads, wraps, and sandwiches.

How do you start a Juice Bar?

There are a few different ways to open a juice bar, so you first need to decide which concept you want to pursue. You can open a dine-in juice bar and serve food items along with your juice options, or you can open a juice truck or stand if you prefer to have a mobile business. And, there’s the option to do a counter-only style juice bar, where customers typically stop in to purchase their juice on the go.

Whichever option you decide on, the first step to starting a juice bar is to write a business plan. Other steps include finding a location, securing financing, and designing your juice bar menu. 

Since the main purpose of a juice bar is to sell juice, you will need also to find a good wholesale source for fresh fruits and vegetables. Most states also require you to obtain a health department permit, a food handler’s license, and a food sales permit to open a juice bar.

How much does it cost to start a Juice Bar?

There are many factors that influence the startup cost of opening a juice bar, including location, size, and menu. On average, the cost of opening a new restaurant is $425,000 when space is purchased and $275,000 when renting.

To open a small juice bar, you can estimate to pay between $150 and $800 per square foot depending on if you’re leasing or purchasing space. Monthly rent for restaurants can range from $2,000 to $12,000 depending on location and size.

What are the most popular types of Juice Bars?

The most popular juice bars are ones that have really good juice! Customers deem a juice bar good based on the taste and freshness of juice, so the main factor in determining whether or not a juice bar is popular is how good, and how fresh the juice tastes. 

Another popular aspect of a juice bar is whether the fruits and vegetables are sourced locally, as customers typically prefer to cut down on the distance their produce has traveled when purchasing a healthier food option. 

Popular juice bars also offer various to-go options, both for juice and packaged food items, such as salads or wraps.