NEW ORLEANS, LA — Main Squeeze Juice Company®, the 28-unit juice bar and smoothie chain, hit the ground running in 2023 with an impressive first quarter. Although many people start their health journey in January and often drop off, this wasn’t the case at Main Squeeze Juice Co. In fact, consumer growth continued to rise through March. 

“A lot of the time, healthy concepts see a rise around New Year’s and then a drop-off,” said Omar Herrera, interim Marketing Director for Main Squeeze Juice Co. “However, we’ve actually seen momentous growth since January. And we don’t expect things to slow down anytime soon.” 

During the quarter, Main Squeeze Juice Co. opened a location in Mont Belvieu, Texas, which was a huge success. With the opening, the brand introduced several new changes for franchisees. These include shortening the time it takes to get to the market, as well as an enhanced staff training process. 

“We cut down the opening timeline because we want franchisees to be able to open as soon as they’re ready,” said Herrera. “We also restructured our training process to better engage employees and have them more involved in the heart of the company. We’ve really put a high emphasis on the culture aspect to set franchisees and the team members up for long-term successful relationships..”

Heading into the second quarter, Main Squeeze Juice Co. is expecting double-digit signings and several openings to close out the first half of 2023. The brand is targeting markets such as Arizona, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.

To accelerate further growth, Main Squeeze Juice Co. acquired Tennessee-based I Love Juice Bar, a 23-unit brand with locations primarily in Tennessee and Texas. The acquisition bolsters Main Squeeze Juice Co.’s strategy to Making Healthy Easier®, serve more customers, accelerate growth and increase value for its franchisees. The two companies will merge under the Main Squeeze Juice Co. system and name with the intent of integrating the best of both brands. 

“We are thrilled to welcome I Love Juice Bar to our family,” said Thomas Nieto, CEO of Main Squeeze Juice Co. “The move comes with huge benefits for both brands, as well as our customers. This acquisition is expected to increase our market share, which increases our customer base. Not only that, but this new buying power and leverage will improve unit level economics at all locations to the benefit of all franchisees.” 

With the brands already sharing similar values, such as having a plant-based, health-forward menu, the transition will be cohesive and lead to new developments for franchisees. The Main Squeeze Juice Co. team is analyzing the top menu items at I Love Juice Bar to create a menu that customers will love. By revisiting and innovating the menu, the brand aims to improve unit-level economics for franchisees, and the acquisition provides plenty of opportunity to be able to do that. 

As for new products and innovation, Main Squeeze Juice Co. introduced Remedy, a limited-time-only juice, during the quarter. Remedy contains a powerhouse pairing of the root turmeric and black pepper. This juice is designed to increase the absorption of nutrients to the body quickly to reap the major anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. The juice was also a part of the limited-time-only Kickstart Cleanse, which was designed by the brand’s in-house nutritionist and includes a lineup of six fresh, nutrient-dense and cold-pressed juices. 

“We want consumers to come into our store and not feel intimidated by the amount of selection that we have,” said Herrera. “This Kickstart Cleanse took out the guesswork. We helped consumers by pre-packing the juices for them, and we saw a lot of interest since we introduced it.” 

Looking ahead, Main Squeeze Juice Co. is working to support franchisees through significant advancements in technology. This includes updates to the point-of-sale technology, delivery and the customer loyalty program. 

“We’re rebuilding a lot of technology on the back end,” said Jessie Williams, Senior Development Director at Main Squeeze Juice Co. “There’s a lot of innovation and improvement coming, which ultimately leads to faster ticket times and more ease of use for the franchisees.”  

The initial investment associated with opening a Main Squeeze Juice Company store will range from $385,050 to $682,750. For more information on franchising with the brand, visit https://www.mainsqueezefranchise.com/.