Juice It Up! New Partnership New Electricity for Angles Baseball

 

Baseball is back with a 162-game season and an opportunity for restaurant brands to step up to the plate and stand out.  One success clue than no one can deny is that the right partnership will drive top-line sales, bottom-line profits, and brand awareness according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. 

Good partnerships will drive positive brand awareness edifying a brand with new electricity according to Johnson.  That said, Juice It Up!, one of the nation’s leading handcrafted smoothie, açaí bowl and raw juice chains, announced the addition of a new heavy hitter to its lineup. Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, just a few miles from Angel Stadium, and with over 80 franchise locations in Southern California, Juice It Up! is proud to step to the plate as a Proud Partner of Angels Baseball, marking the brand’s first professional sports partnership. Juice It Up!’s new baseball sponsorship includes a variety of activations, including in-stadium concessions, fan promotions and community events. 

According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.” 

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different. 

Susan Taylor, President and CEO of Juice It Up, stated, “With deep roots in Southern California and the surrounding communities where so many of our dedicated Juice It Up! franchisees serve our guests, we are thrilled to take the field with a team that’s been synonymous with Southern California for more than 60 years,” ... “This new partnership is a natural step for Juice It Up!, especially since our brand personality and motto to ‘Live Life Juiced’ overlays perfectly with the passion and excitement fans bring to their love for the Angels.”

Here is more of what they had to say; “Central to its partnership with Angels Baseball, and brand new to Angel Stadium and its legion of fans, Juice It Up! will operate a concession stand in the third base courtyard, which will feature the brand’s superfruit bowls, including its Açaí Berry Bowl and Dragon Fruit Bowl topped with tasty granola, strawberries, and blueberries. Fans can enjoy their flavorful and functional treat conventionally in a bowl or in a souvenir helmet to commemorate their time at the ballpark. 

Juice It Up! also will activate its Angels Baseball sponsorship with a fun and innovative in-game promotion guaranteed to have fans keeping close tabs on the Angels bullpen and its win column. All season long, every time an Angels pitcher records an official “Save” at the Big A, Juice It Up! will celebrate with guests by offering a small Classic Smoothie for free! To claim their free smoothie, fans must be Juice It Up! Rewards members and visit the brand’s more than 80 locations in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside or San Bernardino counties participating locations the day after the Save.

“As an Orange County native, I have been a fan of the Angels for decades, and I am very grateful for this opportunity to partner with the team,” says Chris Britt Co-Chairman and Co-Owner of Juice It Up! “Going to Angel Stadium to cheer on the Halos is something I’ve done since I was a kid, so my excitement is off the charts to be able to offer our famous Açaí and Dragon Fruit Bowls to a community of Angels fans that I have been a part of for so long. I know everyone will just love them!”

Complementing its fan activation when an official Save is recorded, along with the in-stadium availability of the brand’s delicious superfruit bowls, Juice It Up!’s multifaceted agreement with the Angels includes a variety of highly visible in-stadium signage and sponsorships of community events such as the annual Angels 5K Run in July. 

“Angels Baseball and Juice It Up! is the perfect double play combination” says Ed St. Geme, also a Co-Chairman and Co-Owner of Juice It Up! “As we continue to build on several years of accelerating growth in California and beyond, pairing the tradition of the Halos at the Big A with our brand’s popular Açaí and Dragon Fruit bowls, along with the many fan and community activations, should be a real winner for Angels Baseball, Juice It Up! and our amazing franchise partners.”

Since 1995, Juice It Up! has delivered products that help support guests in their wellness journeys with menu choices that are quick, convenient and healthier than other options. Following a record-setting three-year period from 2019 to 2022 in sales and other franchise metrics, the brand is continuing to cement its status as a leading franchise offering in the smoothie and juice sector and reinforcing its widespread reputation for menu and product innovation, including a wealth of options like its popular classic smoothies, Açaí and other superfruit bowls, functional delicious raw juices and fiber-rich plant-based smoothies. Robust sales, AUV growth, experienced leadership and world-class franchise support have become Juice It Up! hallmarks, complementing the brand’s reputation as an innovator of both popular and lesser-known superfruits and functional food science. 

Angels Chairman, Dennis Kuhl, stated, “We are so pleased to welcome Juice It Up! as a proud partner of the Angels,” says. “We welcome the opportunity to team up with local brands to expand the stadium’s offerings and give fans even more options when visiting the park, all while cheering on our beloved team.” 

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success.

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New Technology Brings Fresh Food to You

Food trucks have delivered fresh food to work sites, workers, and offices for 100 years or so.  However, like everything else technology has evolved and one company is now using advacned robotics to drive incremental success according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Ono Food Company, is launching later this month the first of a fleet of mobile food trucks powered by advanced robotics that’s right advance robotics in a food truck. 

Ono Blends, is billing its smoothie shop on wheels, as the first mobile restaurant in the world that uses cutting edge technology and advanced robotics to power everything from ordering to food production. The company plans to launch Ono Blends in late October at a popular Venice, Calif. food truck lot, where it will share space with Roy Choi’s pioneering food truck, Kogi BBQ.

Regular readers of this blog know that “differentiation does not mean different it means familiar but with a twist” well  Ono Blends Co-founder and CEO Stephen Klein stated  “There’s no one else doing this,”

Klein, worked at grocery delivery company Instacart and robotic coffee bar Café X in San Francisco, clearly garnering the insights, for his innovative, incremental food platform, Ono Foods that launched in July 2018 with his business partner Danny Fukuba. Fukuba previously led robotic assembly for SpaceX and worked at Zume Pizza, which uses robot pizza cooks. Johnson says this guys know food, technology and portability all hallmarks of the grocerant niche.

Ono Foods, focus is on state-of-the art food trucks that move around and feed people in so-called food deserts. “We believe the future of robotics is modular. It can be placed in different locations,” Klein said.

Garnering $2 million in capital raised from investors, the team spent the past several months developing a menu of healthy but affordable custom blended smoothies. Signature and customizable shakes are made by an assembly line of machines outfitted in a 56-square-foot space inside a 23-foot long Mercedes Sprinter.

 Interactive and participatory the team built a viewing window is built at eye-level so customers can watch their smoothie being prepared. Klein stated “Ono’s robotics system resembles the automation at fast-casual bowl concept Spyce in Boston, which made national headlines when it opened in May. Famed chef Daniel Boulud is an investor.”

Let’s talk making fast food fast and fresh, Ono robots can crank out a 20-ounce avocado & matcha smoothie in about 60 seconds. The cost: $5.95. Klein said the price is a bargain when compared to brick and mortar shops in the Los Angeles area.

Consider that Moon Juice, which has three shops in boujee Los Angeles enclaves, sells its wellness-centric shakes for $12 to $14. Klein continued “Fast-food options usually fall into two buckets: fast, healthy, and unaffordable, or fast, unhealthy, and affordable and nothing in between,”. “Combining our backgrounds in tech, automation, and culinary fine dining, we knew we could fill this void to give more people access to healthy, high-quality food.”

While technology is crucial to the business model, Klein said food quality is paramount. “The quality of the food is still the most important thing. Automation is the means to the end,” he said. Every drink is “designed to keep people energized and rejuvenated throughout the day,” the company said.

Technology is important for all food retailers according to Johnson.  Ono Blends said advanced robotics improves order accuracy, minimizes food waste, reduces water usage, and improves speed of service.  Food safety is also enhanced with self-cleaning technology.

Is you brand getting faster, fresher, or closer to you customers? Are you focusing on relevant customer touchpoints that are both interactive and participatory?

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

Superfoods Smoothies Fuel Success at Nekter Juice Bar

The halo of ‘better-for-you’ in the form of superfoods is the foundation for the new electricity fueling sales at Nekter Juice Bar according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Nékter Juice Bar, recently introduced two new energizing and skin-boosting smoothies featuring plant-based collagen and turmeric, two of nature’s most powerful Superfoods according to the companies press release. The new drinks are Dragon Berry Bliss and Turmeric Sunrise smoothies are part of Nékter’s new seasonal menu, which includes the return of fan favorite, Charcoal Vanilla Skoop, and Nékter’s annual Spring 1-Day Cleanse sale.

Steve Schulze, co-founder and CEO, Nékter Juice Bar stated “At Nékter Juice Bar, constant innovation allows us to offer increasingly healthier options for our guests,”… “Our new smoothies incorporate some of the latest and most powerful Superfoods that fuel overall wellness from the inside out.” 

For example Nékter’s new Dragon Berry Bliss smoothie features 100 percent plant-based collagen in a creamy and nourishing blend of blueberries, dragon fruit, banana, orange juice, coconut water, and a touch of agave nectar. Nutritional benefits are also plentiful and include:

·         Collagen—Exclusive plant-based blend with anti-aging benefits that enhances skin, hair and nails and promotes a glow from within.

·         Blueberries—With more antioxidants than green tea, blueberries are packed with Vitamins A, C and E, and also help promote more youthful-looking skin.

·         Dragon Fruit—Improves digestion, and amps metabolism, immunity and energy.

·         Orange—One of the planet’s best sources of Vitamin C and a powerful antioxidant.

·         Banana—Chock full of potassium and an instant source of energy.

The new Turmeric Sunrise smoothie is a refreshingly light and flavorful blend of pineapple, mango, coconut butter and coconut water with a bright touch of lime and zesty turmeric. This smoothie is exceptionally hydrating, and helps fight inflammation and boost immunity. Among the functional nutritional benefits are:

·         Turmeric—One of nature’s most powerful anti-inflammatories and antioxidants, turmeric also adds a tangy flavorful kick.

·         Pineapple—Nicknamed the “natural weight loss food,” pineapple is low-calorie with no fat. Its high Vitamin B content also helps boost energy.

·         Coconut—Naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal, coconut is also extremely hydrating.

·         Lime—Bursting with Vitamin C and antioxidants, lime helps boost immunity, burn fat, and brighten and rejuvenate skin.

What is your new electricity? How do you plan to drive incremental top line sales and bottom line profits according to Johnson; partnerships specifically strategic partnerships will be driving retail success in 2018. Are you looking for a partnership to drive sales?  

Johnson stated “in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as digital hand held marketing, local fresh food,  grocerant consultants, urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), autonomous delivery, better-for-you, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, delivery, and voice ordering.

So just what is your New Electricity? Success does leave clues www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  is the global leader in grocerant niche business development.  We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  Has your company had a Grocerant ScoreCard completed a Grocerant Program Assessment, or new Grocerant niche product Ideation?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us