Clean eating isn’t just about improving health. It can be an entire lifestyle shift. And for one couple, it even led to a great business opportunity.
The founders of Clean Juice decided to start their business after seeing just how much of an impact clean eating made for them personally. Read about their journey and more in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Sells healthy juice and food options.
Co-founder Landon Eckles told Small Business Trends, “We sell Organic, Fresh Juices, Smoothies, Protein Smoothies, Acai Bowls, Cold Pressed Juices, Juice Cleanses, and a few complementary bites – everyone’s favorite being Avocado Toast!”
Business Niche
Offering a certified organic juice franchise.
Eckles says, “Clean Juice’s main distinguisher is that we are the first and only USDA certified organic juice bar franchise. In fact, we decided to create the business because certified organic produce was non-negotiable for us. We found that there was no franchise option that served all organic produce in their products, so set out to create a juice bar that was able to bring this option to their guests. We also really believe in leading with kindness and making sure our guest experience is top notch.”
How the Business Got Started
After the couple realized the importance of clean eating.
Eckles says, “Kat [Eckles, co-founder], a self-proclaimed recovering Taco Bell addict, discovered the importance of eating an organic, plant based eating after we had our first daughter a decade ago. Immediately becoming obsessed with a daily green smoothie, she realized how different this kind of eating made her feel and she was hooked. I caught on a few years later and made juicing and blending a staple in our home. Feeling the huge change it made to our own energy levels and overall wellness, we knew it was something we needed to bring to the masses.”
Biggest Win
Building a great team.
Eckles says, “There are a lot of ‘wins’ we could talk about when reflecting on the last few years of being in business. We could talk about when we broke that million dollar threshold, or when we finally go our organic certification, or when we opened the doors to our first franchise store; however, what will always be the biggest win in our hearts is the team that has come together to make Clean Juice a success. Our home office staff and our employees in our stores are nothing short of incredible and are such a crucial part of our success.”
Biggest Risk
Building the brand in the first place.
Eckles explains, “We are a millennial couple with five kids and people might think that franchising is a risk for us. It was indeed a huge step but we believe that if you are passionate about something, you will make it work. Founding Clean Juice was a huge commitment which we had to self-fund – we used all our savings and maxed multiple credit cards. It was scary and over-whelming, but we learned how to rely on God and have certainly been overwhelmingly blessed with our growth.”
Lesson Learned
Plan for the future.
Eckles says, “We will be moving to our third office in 2 years later in 2017, so I think planning more strategically for future growth would have been beneficial. We thought our first office of 600 sqft. would be able to sustain us for 2 years, and we are about to move into 7500 sqft. which is awesome!”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Helping the community.
Eckles says, “We would love to use it to help make a difference in our communities. We have an initiative called JAJO where we do a service project each quarter and we would love to use that money to really create a project where we make a big difference.”
Favorite Quote
“Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.”
Eckles explains, “We have incorporated our favorite Bible verse, 3 John 1:2 , into our mission statement. This is also our favorite quote, which has served as a great inspiration throughout our lives.”
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Images: Clean Juice; Top Image: Landon and Kat Eckles
Aira Bongco
There is also a growth of businesses that are geared towards improving health. Healthy juices is one industry that is growing and the demand seems to be growing as well.
A typical juice that I make in the morning with my vitamix blender as a few leaves of Swiss chard or kale, and apple and a banana and usually a couple of handfuls of fresh berries or frozen berries. I will also add a vegan protein power with some hemp seed, ground flax and any other dissolvable nutrient that you would like to add such as vitamin C etc.