Juice It Up! announced the promotion of Susan Taylor to president and Chief Executive Officer. Susan joined Juice It Up!’s senior leadership team last September as VP of Operations. A restaurant industry veteran of nearly 30 years, 14 of which were with Jamba, Taylor will lead Juice It Up!’s next phase of growth, leveraging her franchise system background to emphasize growth in same store sales, average unit volume, unit count and franchisee profitability.
Celebrating its 25-year anniversary in 2020, the Juice It Up! brand was acquired in 2018 by SJB Brands, LLC, a partnership between franchise food industry leaders Chris Britt and Ed St. Geme and executive partner Chris Braun, who served as the company’s CEO for the first two-plus years following the acquisition. The three owners remain actively involved in guiding the strategic direction of the brand.
“Susan is a dynamic, people-oriented brand builder and franchisee advocate who is highly strategic and successful at driving results. Since coming on board last year, she has made huge contributions in furthering the evolution of the Juice It Up! Brand,” Britt and St. Geme say in a combined statement.
Braun adds, “We’re very confident Susan will continue to drive the brand’s commitment to our franchise partners while delivering exceptional experiences across the board. The entire Juice It Up! family looks forward to working with her in this natural evolution of her leadership role.”
Major near-term initiatives include unveiling the brand’s new store design in two locations this summer, including one flagship corporate location, completing the launch of skip the line mobile ordering, continuing to grow third-party delivery with partners such as DoorDash and Postmates, introducing a revamped guest loyalty program, and ongoing development of new products to support optimal health, functional nutrition and immunity.
“I’m thrilled and humbled to have been given the opportunity to lead this talented team and continue our forward momentum in capturing a larger share of the market, which we are well poised to do,” Taylor says. “I am looking forward to really digging in and uncovering unique ways to increase franchisee growth and profitability and strengthen the guest experience while taking Juice It Up! to new heights.”
The brand’s leadership team has identified trade areas markets in California and the Western U.S. ideally suited for an established smoothie, bowl and juice concept like Juice It Up! The company currently has over 100 locations open or under development across California, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas.
