Bonnie Mulligan
The well-known benefits of juicing have prompted countless consumers to get their fruity nutrients in liquid form. And although the traditional juice carton can still be found in grocery store coolers, many supermarkets, restaurants, and other eateries offer something even more appetizing: fresh fruit juice in a variety of tantalizing flavors. Opening a juice bar or market focused on fresh-squeezed, unique juices can be quite (pardon the pun) fruitful.
Even in the fresh juice sector, there are many options for consumers to choose from. Bottled, cold-press juices are undoubtedly popular with many health-conscious customers. However, they have quite a few drawbacks. In contrast, the fresh juice options you can offer when opening a juice bar will appeal to customers of all demographics. Let’s examine why juice bars may have a leg up on the competition.
More Flavor Combinations
Today, about 40% of Millennials say they are bored with standard juice flavors, which has prompted bottled juice companies to get creative with their options (yes, that’s how kale ended up in your juice). That said, there are only so many possibilities with bottled juice. If you aren’t a fan of a company’s offerings, you may be out of luck. But when you use commercial juice machines to create menu options at your restaurant, market, fitness studio, or juice bar, you’ll be able to offer many more options to your customers. Whether you allow them to completely customize their beverage of choice or do a regular rotation of new flavor combinations, you’ll be providing them with more variety and more control. Ultimately, that means greater customer satisfaction and a greater likelihood of repeat business.
Higher-Quality Ingredients
This isn’t to say that fresh bottled juices have a lower quality of ingredients. But when you compare many of the conventional juices you’ll find in the aisles of your supermarket with the fresh-squeezed juices you can get at a juice bar, the differences may be staggering. The process of making those store-bought juices may involve decreasing the actual number of nutrients in the carton — and of course, there may be additives that customers simply don’t want. In contrast, juice bar staff members will make their products from scratch right in front of the customer. Not only is the produce itself carefully sourced and fresh, but the product is made and consumed right away (no additives necessary). That means better quality control and better branding that can encourage consumers to choose your juice bar over what’s available to buy at the grocery store.
Personalized Experiences
As we mentioned earlier, opening a juice bar would allow for the possibility of letting customers tailor their orders to fit their preferences. That’s a huge plus for many consumers. But even more than that, running a juice bar provides an opportunity to really connect to local customers. That’s an experience that can’t be replicated when you sell juice in a carton or a bottle. Even if your store stocks independent juice makers’ products, you still don’t get a chance to create something special for customers. But by having a juice bar in your store or restaurant, you can make those long-lasting connections and keep consumers coming back for the unique products you offer.
If you’re toying with the idea of offering fresh juice in your market, restaurant, or other facility, you may be wondering why you should bother investing in juicer machines when you can simply stock some shelves with bottled juices. You may not realize how big of a difference this choice can make in your customer satisfaction and brand visibility. But by squeezing juices on-site, you’ll really stand out amongst the competition and be in a position to carve out a niche for yourself — all thanks to the fresh flavors and service you’ll offer.
