A juice bar franchise can be an exciting business opportunity. But in order to make money with a smoothie shop, you need to have more than a good business plan, you need to have exactly the right supplies. Smoothie and juice shops require specialized equipment, ingredients and paper products in order to satisfy thirsty customers.

When choosing supplies for a juice store, remember, smoothie shops are a business where quality matters. You can't cut corners and go with inferior products. With that in mind, this guide will help you find supplies for juice chains that include:

1. High quality fruit for smoothie chains;

2. Proper juice chain equipment;

3. The right recipes to make your smoothie shop a success.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Order high quality, fresh fruit for your juice store

A juice bar franchise that does not use high quality, fresh fruit will not last in this competitive business. These days, customers have many choices when it comes to getting a healthy snack or meal and they will notice if your fruit is not premium quality. This is one place you do not want to try to cut expenses.

I recommend: Professional Produce is a shipper, distributor and broker that will help you find premium quality fruit. Check out their website to learn more about how produce distributors track down quality products. General Produce works in the same proactive way to solve your produce needs. The company can tailor a produce supply program to meet your exact goals.

Fill your juice shop with equipment made for juice chains

The most important piece of equipment inside a smoothie shop is the blender. Juice chains need to have blenders that can quickly whip up a high volume of drinks, without making a lot of noise. This combination of speed and quietness can only be found in top of the line commercial blenders.

I recommend: To compare prices and features of several types of blenders, check out A-Best Fixture. The company has a good selection of commercial blenders, with good descriptions of their features. D & P Enterprises also has a number of blenders from various manufacturers that you can compare.

Find great smoothie recipes and mixies that will keep your juice shop customers coming back

Now that you have the ingredients and the proper equipment, all you need are delicious smoothie recipes that will wow your customers. Be sure to offer a variety of smoothies and juice drinks, from low-calorie classics for those on a diet, to protein packed power drinks for the gym rats.

I recommend: For unique smoothie recipes, check out Allrecipes.com. The ingredient lists and directions are easy to follow, and the recipes are rated by users of the website. Smoothie Web has dozens of drink recipes, sorted into categories that include breakfast smoothies, diet smoothies and even crazy smoothies. Buy JET Fruit Smoothie Mix by the case at Java Estate Roastery. Buy wholesale smoothie mixes from Epicurean Foods after you open a wholesale account.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When purchasing smoothie shop equipment, such as blenders, consider also purchasing a service contract. That way, if such an important part of your fruit juice shop breaks down, you can get it fixed quickly.
• •  If possible, purchase organic fruits for your smoothie shop. More and more customers are demanding organic products, and an organic fruit smoothie has great appeal.

Juice chains are located in cities all over the country. Their menus offer a variety of juices and smoothies including brand new flavors and old favorites. People like them because they can get a blended juice smoothie for a reasonable price without having to prepare it themselves.

Cash in on smoothie shops by opening your own in your city. Large conglomerates own these chains and franchise them out, so get the scoop on start up costs and other regulations. Decide if you will run it yourself or hire a management team. Look for the following when deciding on franchise terms for juice chains:

1. Choose specialty juice franchises and serve healthier drinks.

2. Locate a juice shop by initial investment.

3. Weigh pros and cons in choosing your smoothie shop.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Check availability and pricing for local juice stores

Not every franchise has openings in your area. Once you have decided on a chain, contact them to find out if you can open a store in your area. If they have no need in your local area, they will send you a list of close areas that need a local restaurant. You can also decide on a restaurant chain based on total price or down payment needed. You can check your state to see which restaurant chains have openings.

I recommend: Smoothie King offers franchises and offers two stores in one selling smoothies and vitamins combined. Begin your application process to franchise one of these stores. Tropical Cafe Smoothie requests you fill out their information form to start the application process for their franchises.

Ask the juice bar franchise about initial investment

Initial investments for restaurant chains is usually high however, some cost less than others cost. Before you decide, find out exactly what monetary commitments you will need to make upfront. Remember also, that the initial investment for the franchise fee only covers the franchise itself and you will still need working capital for such expenses as electricity, phone and payroll.

I recommend: Juice It Up offers franchise opportunities with an initial franchise fee of $15,000 to $25,000. There is also a real estate deposit, permits, furniture and equipment, and other expenses you must pay before you open conveniently listed here. Maui Wowi offers franchise opportunities with a minimum of $50,000 liquid capital to $250,000 total net worth.

Open smoothie and juice shops for immediate business

When you open a chain store, you are cashing in on the name of the franchise. People know that whether your store is in Maine or California they will get the same menu and service and they stop at a familiar place. This is why you buy a franchise but the down side is there are tight regulations on franchises. You will get your operating schedule, menu and décor from the company. If you fail to meet your obligations, which usually include buying all of your supplies from them, you will lose your franchise.

I recommend: Food Franchise provides franchises available in every state. You can also check franchise availability based on total price. Check all requirements to see if this is the right opportunity for your business. Franchise Business lists restaurant chains that have available franchise opportunities. Check the requirements such as hours of operation and training before you invest.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Purchase business insurance for your juice store before you open for business. Make sure your insurance covers all hazards including accidents and food poisoning as well as the normal fire and theft.

Training in any job is essential when managing a juice or smoothie shop. Whether managing a chain or a brand-new shop, knowing how to properly run the store can make or break the business.

There are an assortment of training options when launching your smoothie or fruit juice shop. You can garner training before jumping into the fruit juice business, or you can continue learning along the way. Whatever option you consider, think about the following when investigating juice chains education and training:

1. Seek training from national juice shops.

2. View online videos where you can learn tips on making smoothies and juices, which can help in running your juice store.

3. Investigate education and training options from those who already own a juice bar franchise.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Select training from smoothie and juice shops

Many of the larger juicing stores offer on-site training, which can be the best teacher, especially if you plan to work for that corporation. This can be essential if you want to manage or own one of the franchises. Check out the training package before investing time and money in the business.

I recommend: Smoothie King has a training program that lasts 20 days, with several days allocated to orientation, management training and on-site training. Jumpin' Juice & Java has its staff travel to your location to implement training. This is how they ensure that the staff is well-equipped to handle the intense training schedule.

Look for online videos that offer tips to operate a juice store

If you happen to be a visual learner, then it might be helpful to locate online videos to learn the odds and ends of smoothie making. While reading through manuals can be informative, watching the videos can show you exactly what needs to be done during training. Check out some industry leaders to learn their tricks of the trade.

I recommend: Dr. Smoothie University provides numerous videos on making smoothies and juices. There is also a link at the bottom of the page that provides information on smoothie recipes. VideoJug also provides a link to numerous beverage-related recipes on its site. Search through the options to find juices, shakes and smoothie recipes to add to your repertoire.

Contact experts who already own their own juice or smoothie chains

Oftentimes there's no better option than going straight to the source. Check out franchise leaders or attend conferences where juice shop experts can share their experiences.

I recommend: Contact Chris Mueller who owns the Best Smoothie Franchise in Tampa. With 10 years of experience, he can be a wealth of knowledge, helping you get started in the juice shop business. The America's Food & Beverage Show is an annual conference where the industry leaders come to talk about their wares and what marketing programs work for them.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Think about joining a beverage-based organization to learn more about how juice stores operate. Smoothie and juice shops are very similar to other beverage franchises, and you can learn plenty from being a member and attending seminars led by the committee's members.

Operating a juice chain can be a profitable business, as long as you know the terminology and can operate the chain successfully. By offering quality service with efficient appliances, you can boost your product selection as well as your client base. With juice chains located all over the country, you want to offer the highest quality products. In order to do that, you must familiarize yourself with some common juice chain key words.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Smoothies

Typically at juice chains, you'll find a selection of smoothies, which are blended frozen drinks made out of juice, fruit, yogurt, ice and supplements. They became a popular, healthy alternative to milkshakes, and they can be used as meal replacements.

I recommend: Visit Pioneer Press to learn some handy tips when making smoothies.

Dietary supplements

Dietary supplements are oftentimes added to juice chain drinks to enhance your diet. Included in this mix are: vitamins, herbs, minerals, enzymes, glandulars and amino acids, just to name a few.

I recommend: Visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to learn more about dietary supplements.

Citrus presses

Citrus presses, also called citrus juicers, allow you to squeeze out the juice of one fruit into a juice drink. They can come in handheld versions or ones that easily stand on a counter. Presses are most commonly used to extract the juices of lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit.

I recommend: Learn more about citrus presses at HappyJuicer.com.

Centrifugal juicers

Centrifugal juicers are the most popular juicing option. They don't just extract the juice of fruit, but they also chop up vegetables. A grating device is located inside the juicers, which helps to finely dice up the vegetables or fruit. The pulp is collected on basket walls as to not interfere with the juice.

I recommend: Learn more about centrifugal juicers at Harvest Essentials.

Blenders

Blenders can also be used to extract juice from fruit, similarly to juicers. The downfall, however, is that the pulp is not separated from the juice. The blenders should be used to make smoothies, rather than to make juice-based drinks.

I recommend: Check out The Best of Raw Food to learn what blenders work best to make smoothies.

Energy shots

Energy shots are two-ounce versions of a basic energy drink that you can add to your juices or smoothies. Regular energy drinks usually contain a mix of caffeine and B vitamins, which provide an extra boost when consumed.

I recommend: Learn more about how energy shots boost business at BevNET.com.