News

Juice It Up outpaces rest of industry

January 19, 2017

Despite reports of significant declines across the restaurant industry as a whole, Juice It Up finished 2016, with a strong Q4 and an even stronger year overall, according to a company press release. The chain reported that same-store sales were up 7 percent over the previous year and its average unit volume was up 4 percent over 2015. This marks the fourth consecutive growth quarter for the brand.

The chain also reported a 5-percent SSS increase in Q4, over the previous year and credited the growth to a variety of factors including the return of its Pumpkin Pleaser Smoothie along with the new Pumpkin Pleaser Smoothie Bowl. In addition, a system-wide gift card campaign, with 10 percent of all gift card purchases donated to the non-profit, No Kid Hungry, created a heartfelt call to action which led to greater sales. Also contributing to the strong financials were the seven new franchised locations that opened in 2016, bringing the chain-wide total to 88 units operating across four states, Frank Easterbrook, Juice It Up CEO, said in the release.

"Today's consumers are skeptical of fad diets and quick fixes, and are more interested in healthy choices that can easily be incorporated into their everyday lives," he said. "For us, raw juicing was never just a trend, and our consistent growth along with today's thriving segment proves that millions of Americans feel the same way. We love that both our guests and franchise partners are hugely benefiting as consumers invest in living healthier lifestyles."

To kick off 2017, Juice It Up launched its line of cold-pressed bottled juices made from locally sourced, organic ingredients, to add another revenue stream for franchisees and an extra level of convenience and healthy choices for guests, Easterbrook said.