Franchising

Clean Juice serving Pittsburgh Penguins

November 12, 2020

Ann Marie Laird, a franchisee for Clean Juice, is opening her third store, north of downtown Pittsburgh. The restaurant marks the fourth store in the market in under three years and has earned the designation of "official provider of organic, cold-press juices" for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Lemieux Sports Complex, which is the primary practice and training facility for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Located just across the street from the sports facility at 2085 MacKenzie Way, Suite A300, Clean Juice opens Saturday and is a preferred caterer for the community rink, including visiting teams, according to a company press release.

"One of the biggest aspects that interested me in becoming a multi-unit Clean Juice franchise owner was the lack of organic, healthy, clean, fast-casual food options around our city," said Laird, who after a series of job layoffs took her 20-plus years of professional experience down a different path. A mother of two boys, she earned a certification in holistic health and started coaching and consulting on the benefits of healthy eating and organic food nutrition. During this time, she also discovered Clean Juice.

"Once I experienced Clean Juice's organic menu, I decided right away that this was something special, and I wanted to be a part of it," she said in the release.

Laird opened her first Clean Juice location in Wexford in December 2018. In February 2020, she opened her second store at Donaldson's Crossroads but it closed in March due to COVID but reopened at the end of May. The Cranberry Township location experienced some construction delays due to the global pandemic but continued toward its November 2020 opening.

"Ann Marie has a grinder-mentality and that's something we value at Clean Juice," Landon Eckles, CEO, Clean Juice, said in the release. "We are very proud of Ann Marie's continued accomplishments including the opening of her third Clean Juice location in the greater Pittsburgh area," he said. "We are honored to partner with the beloved Penguins in serving organic fuel to many elite athletes, fans, and sports-minded families and their children who visit the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex yearly."

Landon and Kat Eckles started Clean Juice in 2016 as the first USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise.