main squeeze Juice co - no obstacle is Too hard to handle for This Brother and sister franchisee Duo

no obstacle is too hard to handle for this brother and sister franchisee duo

main Squeeze Juice co. franchisees, Andrew Blackwell and Jennifer perkins, have opened five locations in the new Orleans area in the past three years, three of which opened in the last nine months.

If opening three businesses in under a year wasn’t hard enough, the brother and sister duo have also faced many challenges including the covID19 pandemic, hurricanes, and raising young children.

Blackwell and Perkins dove into the juice and smoothie business after deciding they wanted to own a business that contributed to the overall wellbeing of the communities they would operate in. After owning three Anytime Fitness gym franchises, they discovered the need for a healthier, quickservice restaurant. Main Squeeze Juice Co. was the perfect franchise opportunity for the duo with its nutritionist-designed, superfood-centric menu that offers a daily source of plant-based nutrition packed with natural and quick energy. While the pair has had much success with Main Squeeze Juice Co., it has not come easy as Blackwell and Perkins have been presented, with many obstacles, the most recent being Hurricane Ida. The storm

Page 17Page 17 F r AN c HIS ee IN A c TI o N

“blackwell and Perkins dove into the juice and smoothie business after deciding they wanted to own a business that contributed to the overall wellbeing of the communities they would operate in.”

caused severe destruction across Louisiana and the New Orleans community. Perkins and her family were displaced from their home due to severe damages and are currently living out of a hotel while repair begins. The duo’s Main Squeeze Juice Co. stores were mostly unaffected from a damage standpoint but were without power for over 2 weeks. Being without power for such a long period of time resulted in the loss of all their fresh inventory. It took nearly 5 days for them to clean out all of their freezers and coolers as well as disinfect each location. When the power finally came back on, Blackwell and Perkins wasted no time opening their doors and they received an overwhelming amount of support from the local communities. “Being able to offer a fresh, plant-powered smoothies to people who have been living off of MRE’s (meals, ready-to-eat) felt amazing and is the very reason we decided to join Main Squeeze Juice Co. in the first place,” said Blackwell. “While our community has a long uphill road ahead of us, it’s rewarding to know that we can offer a sense of normalcy to our loyal customers as they deal with the aftermath from the storm.” their community, Blackwell and Perkins were still able to open their fifth Main Squeeze Juice Co. location just weeks after Hurricane Ida tore through New Orleans. During this time, all of their locations were able to offer the community fresh options, which many were unable to access elsewhere. While many other businesses hit pause over similar circumstances, Blackwell and Perkins took on the challenge and stayed committed to their customers. Their resilience comes as no surprise because of their loyal customer base and great family support system.

Raising young families while owning five Main Squeeze Juice Co. locations has been a lot of work for the duo. Finding a work-life balance can be complicated when owning multiple franchises. Luckily, as siblings and co-franchisees, Blackwell and Perkins have seamlessly integrated family into their business. From their children always stopping into the locations for a quick treat to Perkins’ oldest daughter, Brooklyn, working for them, they have been able to spend time with their families while living out their entrepreneurial dreams.

Perkins family

Blackwell. “They have spent countless nights and weekends helping out when we are short staffed and the kids love spending time with their amazing grandparents! Jen and I owe our success to our family, our employees, and our customers because we couldn’t do it without them!”

While it is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on the restaurant industry, Blackwell and Perkins have not let it stop them from continuing to build their franchises. By offering nutrient-rich, whole, natural foods, they have been able to thrive throughout the pandemic. The ingredients used at Main Squeeze Juice Co. are fresh, never pasteurized, 100 percent plant-powered, and have been shown to increase immune systems. With many consumers becoming hyper-conscious of what they are putting into their bodies since the start of the pandemic this has led to an overall increase in sales.

While Blackwell and Perkins have experienced many challenges in their first few years as Main Squeeze Juice Co. franchisees, they have shown that they have what it takes to be successful leaders and franchise all stars. As they continue to thrive, the duo has no plans of slowing their roll in their home state of Louisiana.

To learn more about franchise opportunities with Main Squeeze Juice Co. please visit https://www. mainsqueezefranchise.com/