Alright I admit it, I’m a purist. I love juice bars because they help members achieve “total fitness.” You may love them because they sweeten your bottom line. Nutrition is my passion, yet most folks ignore this aspect of their training regime. But, imagine if there was a way to pull it all together: “Exercise and nutrition equals total fitness.” Done right, juice bars can become a tremendous asset to your club, in more ways than one.
A Bad Rap
Over the years, juice bars have received a bad rap and why not? They deserved it. Most gym owners catered only to testosterone-dripping muscle-heads – not that there was anything wrong with it. Either clubs were blending up chalky, bad-tasting powders with water and ice, and calling them protein shakes, or flashy companies were dropping their concepts at your doorstep, while you dropped big dollars into their pockets, all to make a chemically engineered smoothie. Bodybuilders don’t mind holding their noses and drinking swill if they think it’s going to help them, but the average guy does.
Time has changed many things, especially the demographics. Now, health clubs have more than the big guys pumping iron in their health clubs. Health clubs have opened their doors to “regular Joes,” and the wives of the “regular Joes,” and their kids, even their grandparents. It’s absolutely awesome what is happening in the industry. People are getting the message. Now, let’s help them achieve total fitness.
The Formula for Success
So, is it really possible to offer healthy and tasty food products designed to help your members achieve total fitness without first obtaining a degree as a dietician? You betcha! The bottom line is, you get the formula right and your members will begin achieving their performance goals faster than they’ve ever dreamed…Your membership base grows, and your profit dollars hit the ceiling.
In order to have a truly successful juice bar you can’t just sell shakes and smoothies. You need to sell a variety of wholesome, healthy food products – things that your members will try once, and then come back for more. In addition, this new breed of gym member needs to be educated. Since opening the doors to my own business in 1999, I have had the opportunity to visit and speak with thousands of club owners and their members, and I have learned a great deal from them. I believe the common denominators to success are real food and education. How can you expect members to come back day-afterday to buy healthy shakes and whole food products if they don’t understand the necessity of putting them in their bodies?
In a club setting, you are lucky enough to have your customers’ undivided attention for what, in a retail setting, is really quite a lengthy period of time. Think about it…You have a captive audience! Take advantage of this. Your customers are there because they care about their bodies. All you have to do is educate – and you’re a step ahead in that department as well. Your members already know and trust your staff, and your personal trainers are your greatest asset when it comes to juice bar sales. If your staff is behind the products, then they can use their influence to entice members to try the products out. Remind personal trainers that by helping customers achieve their goals quickly through a healthy diet, their clients will be happier with themselves and with their trainers.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that any juice bar, in any establishment, can serve as a great profit center if high quality products are sold, and all staff members are on-board with member education.
Remember, you don’t need to invest mega-bucks in building a juice bar. Depending on what resources you have, it is quite possible to purchase a blender, use some proven recipes, and you can begin selling smoothies…And, believe me, with proper member education, your juice bar products will sell. So, next time you are experiencing steady or declining membership sales and you need a way to generate cash, consider investing a small amount of money in a juice bar. I believe it’s a win-win situation for you and your members.
Dan Young is President of Performance Food Centers, Corp. He is accomplished in juice bar concept and design as well as being certified in personal training and sports nutrition. He can be contacted at 866.632.1927, or visitwww.performancefoodcenters.com.
