Charlotte, N.C. — Clean Juice®, the first and most prolific USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise, has added nine new stores across the nation since July 1, 2020, continuing its rapid expansion despite the headwinds of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Clean Juice’s continued growth in a surging, health-conscious environment is attributed to the strength of its development system, its franchise support structure and the power of its brand, which is built on USDA-certified organic food and beverage offerings.
Three of the newly awarded units were expansions by existing franchise partners in the Clean Juice® system. This is evidence of a high level of franchisee satisfaction despite the turbulence the restaurant industry has experienced in the past 6 months with thousands of permanent restaurant closures and billions in lost sales revenues.
The new locations include West Frisco, Texas; Lake Mary, Fla.; and St. Johns, Fla. This will be Clean Juice’s fifth store in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, fifth in the Orlando market, and first in the Jacksonville, Fla., market. Six additional units were awarded to new franchise partners in East Lansing, Mich.; a multi-store agreement in West Palm Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton, Fla.; Phoenix; and, for the first time, northern Kentucky, the franchise’s 24th state. This will also be the first Clean Juice® store in East Lansing, Mich., and the first three in the West Palm Beach, Fla., market.
The demand for organic produce and foods continues to rise across the nation and many consumers are prioritizing nutrition and immunity-boosting ingredients in an effort to protect themselves and their families against COVID-19 and other virus-based infections. According to recent Nielsen data, the U.S. sales of organic food and drink surged 25% for the 17-week period ending June 27. The Organic Trade Association reports record sales for the organic industry in its entirety posting more than $55 billion in 2019 with projections to exceed these numbers in 2020. Clean Juice reports encouraging trends in both unit store sales and franchise inquiries.
Clean Juice reports similar trends in both unit store sales and franchise inquiries. From 2018 to 2019, average store sales approached and average 15% growth, with pre-pandemic growth trends returning in June 2020 after a 3-month dip from the early onset of the virus. New franchise inquiries are also surging with more than 650 to date in 2020 alone, indicating a strong demand for health and wellness related products and services.
“This is not only a confirmation of our systems and structures we’ve put in place but a testament to the value of flexibility and evolving quickly,” says Dave Cuff, vice president of development. “From offering franchise support webinars to providing a virtual option for our typically in-person Discovery Days at our home office, our team always maintained the ability to be proactive during the worst days of the pandemic.”
Adds Staci McDonnel, vice president of franchise development: “At first, it was challenging to shift toward Discovery Days in a virtual environment, but in the spirit of embracing a new normal and striking a new balance between creative energy and today’s technology, we’ve found an enriching new way to engage potential owners.”
Other recent Clean Juice initiatives include the launch of its new CleanJuiceFranchising.com website; an ongoing webinar series on a variety of timely topics including Emerging Through Adversity; a new Be Organic podcast; a new mobile app; the rollout of its new organic wraps and seasonal summer menu; and the launch of its Quarters for Kids® cause marketing campaign helping underprivileged children get access to organic food and being well, among others.
Landon and Kat Eckles started Clean Juice® in 2016 as the first and only USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise. Clean Juice® offers organic cold-pressed juices, smoothies, wraps, açaí bowls, toasts, Greenoa® bowls and other healthy foods in a warm and welcoming retail experience. For more information, visit www.cleanjuice.com.
SOURCE: Clean Juice