Premium smoothie franchise Robeks is on a tear, with year-over-year same-store sales up for 21 consecutive months. Through August, average store revenue is up 9 percent compared to 2012.

 

The consistent sales growth has been driven by a series of new menu items, which culminated in January with the nationwide roll-out of a revamped menu, reorganized into new categories such as “Performance,” “Power,” “Nature’s Best,” and “Fan Favorites” to help customers understand their options.

 

“We worked with our franchisees to learn more about our customers and what they are looking for,” says CEO Steve Davidson. “Those insights combined with our market research led to the new menu, which has been a huge hit.”

 

One of the biggest boosts has come from vegetable juice sales. Robeks has always offered fresh-squeezed juices, but vastly expanded its juice menu to meet the demand for more green vegetable juices. Juice sales doubled nationwide, and they tripled in some locations.

 

Other menu innovations that have contributed to the sales growth include:

 

• Smoothies made with Greek yogurt, which have been popular with customers looking for more protein and fewer carbohydrates.

 

• The Tropi-KALE smoothie, which introduced customers to the leafy green superfood and quickly became one of the top sellers for Robeks.

 

• Limited-time offerings like Almond Milk & Date smoothies, which have drawn more people to Robeks.

 

The new menu items are part of a tradition of innovation that has made Robeks a leader in the smoothie industry. Robeks was one of the first restaurants to introduce customers to açaí, helped popularize other Brazilian superfruits, and was one of the first smoothie chains to offer smoothies made with Greek yogurt.