Opening a juice bar is usually a good idea because it is one of those year-round businesses. Unless you live in a geographical area with eight months of snow yearly, your business will never suffer due to a drop in demand. Depending on your preferences and means, you may choose to start a juice bar from scratch. Or you may decide to buy into an established juice franchise with an existing marketing apparatus. For the latter option, you’ll need to find a franchise that’s looking promising. If you’re looking for such an opportunity, you can pop over to Clean Juice, a franchise for sale.
If you prefer to start your juice bar business from scratch, follow these steps.
1) Decide On the Type of Juice Bar You Want to Open
The idea of a juice bar is a small place that serves a wide range of drinks, including beverages and natural juice. Of course, you may choose to spice things up and add small food items on the menu though that becomes something slightly different.
A typical juice bar is a small area, whether in a section of a building or a whole building. Alternatively, you can choose to have a mobile juice bar, meaning you can move your business around to find customers as needed. With a mobile truck, all you have to do is ensure that there is a reliable source of electricity to power your mini-refrigerator and juice. Of course, you have to ensure that the city you’re in allows such things. A mobile juice truck is best for regions with prolonged hot seasons. If you choose to establish a juice bar that focuses on one specific type of drink, ensure that there is sufficient demand for it.
2) Create a Business Plan
A good strategy is the foundation of every successful business. You don’t want your juice bar business to start on the wrong foot. This means you have to write a good business plan, one that lays out the general direction for your juice bar business and how profitability will be realized. A good business plan should detail things like:
i)Management structure
ii) Competition research
iii) Prospects for development and hitting financial milestones
iv) Investment and expense predictions
You don’t want to be the business owner that just “wings” it and hopes for the best. A sound business plan ensures that you know exactly what to do when starting your juice bar business.
3) Choose a Location
Location is crucial to a juice bar business. You can’t expect your business to prosper if you set up shop in a run-down part of town or any location with limited foot traffic. You should always keep your ideal customer in mind. Fresh juice can be slightly more expensive than regular beverages. As such, you want to set up your juice bar in a place where people can afford it. For instance, a shopping mall is an ideal place for a juice bar because of the numerous shoppers that come to such places. If you prefer a mobile juice bar, ensure to map out specific spots where you’ll position your mobile bar.
4) Create a Menu
A juice bar is one of those businesses that lives or dies by its product. In this case, the type of juice you sell will determine whether you’re making a profit or closing shop within a year of setting up your juice bar. Ensure to have a fantastic menu, one that encourages customers to come back to your establishment. For instance, if you’re solely focused on smoothies and fresh juice, you can spice things up by adding unique flavors to them to get different tastes. You can keep experimenting with different flavors until you come up with your ideal recipe for the best juice.
5) Get Your Finances Right
Nearly everything about your juice bar will be tied to money. You’ll need money to rent a space to set it up, purchase the necessary equipment and inventory, pay your employees, re-stocking, pay licensing fees, and a host of other things. After getting through all the previous steps, create a budget for your juice bar and figure out how to get the necessary funds. You may have to take out a loan from an institution like a bank to cover your start-up costs.
6) Purchase the Equipment and Inventory
Once you’ve secured the funds, rent a nice place where you’ll set up your juice bar. If you prefer a mobile one, you may need to get a van that’s outfitted for such purposes. Buy a specialized refrigerator, juicer, and all the necessary things you’ll need for your bar. Hire the right people to help you run your juice bar. Of course, you should have taken care of all legal issues like getting a license to operate your juice bar in a specific location.
All in all, you’ll have your juice bar up and running once you follow all those tips.
