Movita Juice Bar - Promoting health and taste as a brand of good value

PROMOTING

HEALTH AND TASTE AS A BRAND OF GOOD VALUE

PROMOTING AS A BRAND

PROMOTING HEALTH AND TASTE BRAND OF GOOD VALUE

Raul Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of Movita Juice Bar, on how supply chain strategy and sustainability empower the health-focused approach shaping the company.

he two founders behind California-based quick service restaurant Movita Juice Bar have spent the last nine years building a business that offers delicious drinks in the healthiest ways possible.

Launched in 2015, the inspiration behind Movita Juice Bar stemmed

from a life-changing wake-up call for Jorge Campos after his child was diagnosed with cancer. For Jorge, health had suddenly become the utmost priority and, as he looked around, he realised just how many unhealthy offerings there were on the market. He and Raul Rodriguez created the first Movita Juice Bar

“Everything at Movita Juice Bar is designed to reflect our core commitment to health and vitality”

Raul Rodriguez, Co-founder and CEO

to fill that gap, and today there are more than 20 franchise stores across the US.

Here to talk to us today is Raul Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of Movita Juice Bar, to discuss how the company’s focus on health and sustainability is driving innovation on every level of operations – from supply chain strategy to store branding.

For Raul, the core of the company’s values falls into two pillars – health and taste. “Health is our priority,” says Raul. “From the beginning, I’ve thought of the company as being in the health industry as opposed to the refreshment industry. But by the same philosophy, we knew that our products needed to taste good, so customers could enjoy good food that’s better for them. People have this idea that if a

food is healthy then it won’t taste good, and we’ve been challenging that ever since we launched the business.”

Movita Juice Bar’s healthy offerings fall into four main categories: smoothies, açai bowls, juices and functional beverages – a selection of drinks with specific benefits, such as kombucha, or their mushroom powder-infused matcha. Each of the ingredients in these products has been carefully considered to make sure they’re the most beneficial to the health of the product.

“We make our own almond milk every day, using nothing but real almonds,” says Raul. “This was something we started doing after we noticed that most commercial almond milks have a lot of chemicals in them. It was a very costly transition, as we had to ensure that every store had the equipment needed to make the almond milk in-house. But we don’t take shortcuts.

“When it comes to sweetness, we skip the sugar and opt for organic agave nectar because it's low glycemic and filled with microfibres. Plus, each of our smoothies also contains our proprietary blend of protein with no artificial ingredients.

“It’s the same thing with our açai bowls. We use organic, fairtrade açai imported from SAMBAZON in Brazil, who are the leading global supplier, and we’ve had a relationship with them for eight years now. One of our key premises is that we only use clean ingredients, and we make everything in front of your eyes. At our juice bars, customers can see every single ingredient that goes into their juice.”

However, the company strives to protect its customers from more than just artificial products – it also does what it can to protect customers from things they believe are healthy.

“Most people see orange juice as a healthy option,” says Raul. “But we don’t sell it, as there’s a lot more sugar in it than people assume. When we first started people were surprised by this, as orange is probably one of the most popular juices, but we want to protect our consumers even from themselves.

“We do use oranges in some of our products, but we take the orange peel

off because it has oils in it that aren’t good for human consumption. That’s a lot of extra work, but we try to do it right.”

And this focus on health extends to the company’s sustainability practices. As a socially responsible company, Movita Juice Bar has taken steps to ensure its operations are environmentally friendly across the entire franchise.

"We believe in taking care of both personal health and the health of the planet,” says Raul. “That's why we use eco-friendly materials for our disposables like straws, cups, napkins and spoons. It's all about aligning our practices with the wellbeing of nature."

Because of this, the brand has made sure to position itself as a brand of good value.

"Everything at Movita Juice Bar is designed to reflect our core commitment to health and vitality,” says Raul. “Our logo symbolises

“We use organic, fairtrade açai imported from SAMBAZON in Brazil, who are the leading global supplier, and we’ve had a relationship with them for EIGHT years now”

'more life,' and our motto encourages everyone to 'stay healthy' or 'have a healthy day!' The moment you step into our store, you're greeted with the invigorating scent of freshness. Our store's design and layout echo our dedication to wellness, with every product we create embodying these principles. Even our promotions are crafted to highlight our commitment to a healthy lifestyle. It's all about bringing those core values of health and vitality to life in every aspect of what we do."

But Raul believes this strong brand identity hinges on the company’s supply chain strategy.

“Supply chain is the core of our business,” says Raul. “In order to have the concept that we have created we needed a strong backbone – and that’s where our supply chain management comes in. It’s important to remember we’re not a premium brand. We’ve always strived to be accessible to everyone while offering good value

products. For that, we needed to be efficient.

“So instead of charging the customer, we decided to save on the cost of goods sold. Our key partnerships have been instrumental in that. We’ve had a relationship with SAMBAZON for eight years now, and they have always been there for us. They’re incredibly supportive, which allows us to offer what we do at a great value. This reliable supply is crucial for our day-to-day operations and plays a big part in our growth and expansion, especially important for us as a franchise."

By building such a robust supply chain, the team behind Movita Juice Bar can focus on maintaining and innovating a diverse menu that’s accessible to everyone. For Raul, the company’s menu is a reflection of its commitment to health.

beneficial? Is it a better choice compared to what's out there? And of course, does it taste great? It's all about finding the perfect balance between health and flavour to ensure our offerings are not only nourishing but also delight the customer.”

Movita Juice Bar also listens to the demands of its customers.

“Some of our smoothies have a coffee base, so we cold brew our own coffee overnight,” says Raul. “Some people started asking if they could buy just a coffee, so we created one with a healthy focus. It’s cold brew coffee with two scoops of our house blend of natural protein powder.”

So, in the midst of a period of significant growth, what’s next for Movita Juice Bar?

“The key is staying in tune with what's happening in today's society,” says Raul. “That way you’re staying informed, and you have the capabilities to offer something for everyone. We’re not a vegan juice bar, or a keto juice bar or a vegetarian juice bar, but we have those options.

“We constantly ask ourselves: Is it healthy? Are the ingredients

“Two years ago, we were approved to become a US franchise, and we’ve since welcomed over 20 new franchise stores stretching across ten states,” says Raul “Before we embraced this rapid growth, we took a step back to ensure our foundation was solid, with the right infrastructure and resources in place to meet the increasing support. Now, we’re thrilled to say we’re ready and confident in our ability to support an expansion of a further 20-30 franchise stores this

year. In the near future, we’re working on growing to at least a hundred franchise stores, which is only possible thanks to our strong foundation and long-term partnerships. The

ADDED VALUE

Shifting mindset

momentum we’re experiencing is truly inspiring.”

Learn more about Movita Juice Bar here.

Originally, Raul was uncertain about turning Movita Juice Bar into a franchise. “In the beginning, I felt that a franchise was taking away someone’s opportunity to run their own business, but now I understand that it’s the opposite,” says Raul. “Over 70% of new businesses fail, so by becoming a franchise we’re able to share our success. Instead of them having to reinvent the wheel, we can share our business model and offer people more opportunities.

“I’m of Latino descent, and there are only around 50 Latino-run franchises in the whole of the US, compared to thousands of other franchises. So now I’m viewing this as offering an opportunity.”

Events

This year Movita Juice Bar is participating in franchise expos for the very first time. “It’s a big thing,” says Raul. “But as a company we’re very excited and feeling great about our participation.”

The cost of health

Raul’s advice for eating healthily is to take more into account than the surface-level cost. “Whenever I buy food, I look at the monetary price as well as the health-propelled price,” says Raul. “Because everything comes with two prices nowadays. If you look at it like that, you'll make better choices.”

Connect with Raul