Smoothie bars and kiosks are perfect for the health-conscious person that wants a healthy and refreshing vegetarian, organic or natural drink on-the-go.
Smoothie bars are now mainstream and provide a simple solution to get a tasty beet-carrot juice or berry-orange smoothie as a post-workout top up or midday snack.
Below are five steps to opening up a smoothie or juice bar:
Location
A major aspect of setting up the successful smoothie kiosk or bar is getting the location right. A small start-up is often based on a rented mall kiosk or cart. Urban health clubs or fitness clubs might be a great place to base the business. Juice bars running at health clubs often sell their merchandise to about 15-25% of users.
An open counter smoothie bar is usually the most practical and stylish choice, plus it also makes it possible for the customers to watch as the juices or smoothies are being made.
License and protection
Anyone opening a smoothie or juice bar will need to hold the official licenses for operating this type of business. Other issues to consider include liability insurance, business bank accounts, and tax ID number. Check with the local authorities to make sure the proper paperwork is obtained. Plus, the premises could be inspected by the health department, so make sure to find out about the rules of running a food establishment, such as refrigerator temperatures.
Create a menu
In addition to favorite smoothies like strawberry-banana and orange-banana, create some of the more unique or seasonal ideals like Goji berry, Acai. Or perhaps smoothies to help boost the intake vitamin C. Other extras include ginseng and vitamin supplements.
Marketing
Get a full promotional and marketing campaign up and running to ensure the smoothie bar gets the required business from the moment it opens. Use color brochures and flyers with special launch offers, calorie counts, and recipes. Get the new customers in by offering trial size samples of smoothies and juices.
Tips for the smoothie bar
Smoothies are often used as a strategy for weight loss. So, to capitalize on this, offer a variety of low-calorie or dairy-free smoothies and offer these in small glass sizes. Full size glasses can still be used for the regular customers that may wish to indulge in ice cream or peanut butter smoothies.
Join an existing juice bar or smoothie franchise that is already popular as this often makes it easier to attract the initial customers. Setting up a business entirely on your own with no brand-name recognition is that much more difficult.
Even though the franchise option does come with certain fees to become a member, it is possible to gain from some of the other services and resources offered, such as company consulting and training.
Warnings with running a food or drinks outlet
Be careful in the foods and drinks industry and clearly list the full ingredients included in the smoothies, shakes, or juices offered. This is to help those with allergies who can become quite ill with an allergic reaction if the wrong food is eaten.
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