Irvine, Calif. — Juice It Up!, one of the nation’s leading handcrafted smoothie, açaí bowl and raw juice chains, has promoted Susan Taylor to president and chief executive officer. She joined Juice It Up!’s senior leadership team last September as vice president of operations. A restaurant industry veteran of nearly 30 years, 14 of which were with Jamba, Taylor will lead Juice It Up!’s next phase of growth.
Celebrating its 25-year anniversary in 2020, the Juice It Up! brand was acquired in 2018 by SJB Brands, LLC, a partnership between franchise food industry leaders Chris Britt and Ed St. Geme and executive partner Chris Braun, who served as the company’s CEO for the first 2+ years following the acquisition. The three owners remain actively involved in guiding the strategic direction of the brand, a centerpiece of which has been building out a strong and experienced leadership team now led by Taylor.
With Taylor at the helm, the brand will continue to build upon its diverse offerings of flavorful and functional superfruit, protein and plant-based smoothies, raw and blended juices, and açaí and other superfruit bowls. Major near term initiatives include unveiling the brand’s new store design in two locations this summer, including one flagship corporate location, completing the launch of skip-the-line mobile ordering, continuing to grow third-party delivery with partners such as DoorDash and Postmates, introducing a revamped guest loyalty program and ongoing development of new products to support optimal health, functional nutrition and immunity. All of these initiatives and more are designed to fuel franchisee success by growing sales, unit count and profitability.
Juice It Up!, one of the nation’s leading handcrafted smoothie, açaí bowl and raw juice chains, was founded in 1995 with headquarters in Irvine, Calif. With over 100 locations open or under development across California, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas, the company is showcasing a new restaurant design, a heavier focus on functional products and ingredient transparency, and a menu refresh. For more information, visit www.juiceitupfranchise.com.
SOURCE: Juice It Up!