Clean Juice, the first and only national USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise, and quick-service restaurant announced the signing of the brand’s 200th unit in less than seven years of franchising. The honor of the brand’s 200th store was awarded to the Shango family who will open three locations in Michigan beginning with the first in Grand Blanc, MI.
Family spokesperson Matthew Shango says, “our decision to invest in Clean Juice was simple once we experienced the brand and tasted the food. Knowing that the people of Michigan are health-minded and look for ways to actively engage in clean eating habits, our family felt strongly that Clean Juice would be welcomed with open arms given its reputation for serving delicious, clean, all-organic food options. It’s clear that people around the country want healthier fast-casual options and we wanted to get it to them now. Also, as a strong Christian-faith family who immigrated from Iraq years ago, we were drawn to the brand’s pride in its Christian beliefs and how those beliefs are interwoven into its core values and practiced by the people who run it. This was extremely important to me and my family.”
Shango, who together with his family owns other retail businesses and commercial real estate, added that deciding on a brand to invest in came down to Clean Juice’s key differentiating factor of using all USDA-certified organic ingredients across its menu offerings while “other concepts that simply promote healthy food options but really aren’t very healthy and certainly aren’t all organic,” he said.
The Rising Star of Quick Service Restaurants
The rising star of organic fast-casual brands achieves this record-setting milestone after a dynamic first quarter where the brand signed 14 new stores while expanding its national footprint into its 30th and 31st states in Utah and New Hampshire, respectively. The popular franchise credits its massive growth by focusing on a personal guest experience and offering a line-up of superfood-ingredient smoothies, wraps, salads, acai bowls, and more along with developing new seasonal product innovations like the new organic Refreshers blended juice-smoothie announced last month. Clean Juice’s success is topped-off with a dedicated focus on educating the public about the benefits of eating organic, punctuated with the help of the brand’s first national ambassador, Tim Tebow.
“This is a historic milestone for us, and we couldn’t be prouder,” says Landon Eckles, co-founder, and Chief Executive Officer of Clean Juice. “But we’re not stopping, we’re just getting started.” Rooted in strong faith and a vision fueled by passion, the Clean Juice family has grown into a network of dedicated professionals starting with its Franchise Partners and Home Office support staff of more than 30. “Together, we are humbled in serving our guests with truly healthy, clean, and organic food and beverage options that are typically hard to find. Our core values have never shined brighter than this moment as we welcome the Shango family and celebrate our 200th store.”
The brand’s complete 2021 financial report showcased continued growth and exceeded expectations across the franchise’s key performance indicators, including same-store sales (SSS) and guest count (SSGC). In 2021, the company reported its best fourth quarter ever including a cumulative SSS growth of over 20% and SSGC growth of 23%. For the full year of 2021, Clean Juice had a total SSS growth of over 16% growth and served more than 3.3 million total guests in 2021, up 41% from the previous year.
“We are focused on our mission of providing the best quality, fully organic food and beverages in the industry, and guests love it. We aim to continue to grow and strengthen our brand and that starts with joyfully serving thousands of guests each day as we march confidently toward our 500th store with a healthy body and strong spirit,” adds Eckles.
Clean Juice’s exponential growth pattern wasn’t slowed during the previous two years of the global pandemic. It has emerged strongly into the new year and built strategically from quarter to quarter, day by day with marquis successes and accolades. In addition to the brand’s 200th location, Clean Juice shares news of expansions into Utah (St. George) and New Hampshire (Amherst), Idaho Falls, ID; Bowling Green, KY; Hinsdale, IL; Edmonds, OK; Pearland, TX; Prosper, TX; and multi-unit agreements in Lexington and Louisville, KY; Dothan, AL; Pensacola, FL; and Las Vegas, NV.
