Starting a juice bar truck business is, without doubt, a viable option if you are considering a new venture that comes with a minimal start-up budget, high-profit margin, and minimal food prep. This business also boasts of a low entry barrier since you don’t need any catering experience to venture into the business.
A juice bar truck provides customers a no-hassle way to get their daily servings of fruits and vegetables. These bars used to attract only the most health-conscious consumers; however, their mass appeal has grown massively owing to a heightened interest in wellness.
For a market estimated at $158 billion in 2016, the fruit and vegetable juice market is expected to hit $257 billion by 2025. This is remarkable global growth. Experts note that the total revenue for juice and smoothie bars in the United States will reach $3 billion with an expected annual growth rate of 1.8%.
Steps on How to Start a Juice Bar Truck Business
Table of Content
Conduct Market Research
Right before you skydive into any business opportunity, it’s recommended that you carry out extensive market research and also check out the local competition in your area. If you intend to open a juice bar truck, then you should consider visiting the local juice bar stores in your area to view their menu, taste their products, and also observe the clientele.
What sort of people frequent these bars? How busy are the locations? Is this the sort of business you will like to start? What price is being charged in your area for a small, medium, and large-size juice cup? This is an easy and efficient way to determine if this is a business you would like to explore further and invest your time and resources.
a. Target Audience?
Juice is a favorite drink for people of all age groups, therefore, when starting and running a juice bar truck business, you would not have to bother much about your clientele. Also note that a juice bar truck business can be started anywhere, regardless of whether the community is made up of young or old adults.
One of the most notable advantages of starting a juicing business is that people are becoming more health-conscious, and fewer people are buying from stores, owing to the presence of preservatives in packaged juices. The area you are setting up should not matter since you have a moving truck. Your juice bar truck will be most welcome especially at crowded places where people can easily locate you.
b. Is Juice Bar Truck Business a Profitable Business?
Yes, juice bar trucks have the potential to be quite profitable. According to industry reports, the average revenue of a well-managed juice bar truck can range from $100,000 to $600,000. They have profit margins that are bigger than other restaurants since labor and expenses are much lower.
c. Are There Existing Niches in the Industry?
No. While there are no pronounced niches in the industry, most businesses in the market use their menu and product choices to differentiate themselves. While you can decide to keep it simple and stick to fresh cold-pressed juices only, you can also decide to get creative with various juice combinations and highlight a tropical fruit of the day. However, ensure you consider your staffing requirements and the types of equipment you’ll need to produce certain menu items.
d. Who are the Major Competitors?
- Nectar
- Bon Me Truck
- The Green Pirate Juice Truck
- Blenders and Bowls
- Morales Fruit &Juices
- ZugoLiquitarian Truck
- Mambo Juice Truck
e. Are There County or State Regulations or Zoning Laws for Juice Bar Truck Business?
Yes, the laws tend to vary significantly between regions and states, regardless of the country you live in. Have it in mind that some countries are strict and have many caveats to scale through before you jump in, while some are lax and may not have many regulations.
However, note that the easiest and best way to get adequate information about the health regulations that govern your areas is to consult your local health department or small business center. They will be able to make available the relevant information and direct you appropriately.
f. Is There a Franchise for Juice Bar Truck Business?
- Cafe2U: $109,146 – $154,621
- Mister Softee: $158,500 – $181,000
- Kona Ice: $124,750 – $147,550
- Maui Wowi: $76,400 – $569,000
- CAFÉ2GO: $85,300
g. What Do You Need to Start a Juice Bar Truck Business?
- Business plan and menu
- Adequate budget
- Licenses
- Truck
- Equipment
- Reliable supplier
- Marketing and sales plan
Memorable Juice Bar Truck Business Names
- Wellness Truck
- Drive & Brew
- Neighborhood Smoothie
- Mobile Smoothie
- The Fruit Van
- Classic Fiction
- City Round Smoothie Cafe
- Fresh Bucket
- Mighty Smoothie
- Island Nature Truck
- Juice Merchandise
- Pulp Truck
- Crave Magic
- Happy Nature
- Stop N’ Rejoice
- Neighborhood Pulp
- Juice on Wheelers
- Peach Truck
- Juice Time
- Hour of Juice
Register your Business
a. What Type of Business Structure is Best for Juice Bar Truck Business?
You need to understand that how you structure your company is very vital as Uncle Sam needs to understand how you intend to collect and report taxes. The most popular structure for juice bar truck businesses is the LLC or Limited Liability company as it protects your finances in case of business failure.
b. Steps to Form an LLC
- Choose a Name for Your LLC.
- File Articles of Organization.
- Choose a registered agent.
- Decide on member vs. manager management.
- Create an LLC operating agreement.
- Comply with other tax and regulatory requirements.
- File annual reports.
c. What Type of License is Needed to Open a Juice Bar Truck Business?
- Business License
- Employee Identification Number
- Foodservice License
- Insurance Policies
- Food Safety and Handling Certificate
- Federal and State Tax documentation
d. What Type of Certification is Needed to Open a Juice Bar Truck Business?
There are no mandatory certifications needed to start and run a juice bar truck business. However, there are certifications available to help you boost your credentials and reputation in the industry. Certifications to consider include;
- Certified Food Protection Professional (CFPP)
- Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS)
- Certified Professional – Food Safety (CP-FS)
- Food Safety Manager Certification
- ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification
- Certified Pastry Culinarian
e. What Documents are Needed to Open a Juice Bar Truck Business
- DBA
- EIN
- Federal Tax Payer’s ID
- State Permit and Building Approval
- Business License
- Driver’s License
- Employment Agreement (offer letters)
- Operating Agreement for LLCs
- Insurance Policy
f. Do You Need a Trademark, Copyright, or Patent?
Although you can come up with your signature juice to set yourself apart in the market, but applying for intellectual property protection just to protect your recipe might be a waste of time and resources since all anyone needs to do is to add another ingredient to that recipe to alter it to become their own recipe. However, if you feel there is a need to protect your company name, logo, slogan, or any other material, you can contact an experienced IPP attorney to help you apply for an IPP.
Do your Cost Analysis and Budgeting
a. How Much Does It Cost to Start a Juice Bar Truck Business?
Depending on your business concept, a truck, trailer, or step-van can be converted into mobile juice bars, and there are numerous flexibilities in the build-out of these units. However, expect to invest around $50,000 – $100,000 to start a juice bar truck business.
b. What are the Costs Involved?
- Multifunctional juicer: $300– $1500 per item
- Citrus juicer: $200– $300 per item
- Automatic fruit and vegetable peeler: $50– $100 per item
- Refrigerator: $1000– $1500 per item
- Blenders and shakers: $200– $400 per item
- Ice maker: $2000– $3000 per item
- Point of sale hardware: $1000–$1500
- Point of sale software: $20– $60
- Disposable tableware: $500– $1000 per month
- Truck and other truck-related designs: $25,000
- Ingredient supply (fruit, vegetables, milk) $3000– $5000
- 2 employee salaries ($7.50–9.00 per hour) $2500–$3000
c. What Factors Determine the Cost of Opening a Juice Bar Truck Business?
- Size of Vehicle
- Equipment
- License and Permits
- Branding, Promotion, and Marketing Plans
- Insurance
- Supplies and Ongoing Expenses
- Equipment
- Cost of Recruiting and Training Your Staff
d. Do You Need to Build a Facility?
There is no need for a facility when looking to start a juice bar truck since you will be selling products out of your van or truck. You might want to invest in a large magnetized sign that can be placed almost anywhere on your vehicle and will not damage it.
e. What are the Ongoing Expenses for Running a Juice Bar Truck Business?
- Fuel
- Insurance
- Marketing supplies
- Utilities
- Cost of Ingredients
- Staff salaries
- Equipment maintenance
- POS/ Inventory software service
f. What is the Average Salary of your Staff?
- Manager: $32,860
- Business development specialist: $30,750
- Chefs: $28,660
- Drivers: $22,440
g. How Do You Get Funding to Start a Juice Bar Truck Business?
- Personal Savings
- Small Business Loan
- Traditional Commercial Loan
- Business Line of Credit
- Crowdfunding
Write a Business Plan
a. Executive Summary
The Fruit Van (TFV) is a new juice bar truck that will see to the healthy cravings of the residents of Austin, Texas. Our business will be based on offering fresh fruit juices, smoothies, and other refreshments to customers. We intend to provide our customers with top-notch services by always being where they want, making convenience and quality our watchword. At TFV, we expect our target market to be residents and individuals working in the city of Austin, Texas.
b. Products and Service
- Fruit Juice & Nectar
- Smoothies
- Salads
- Scoops
- Snacks & Refreshments
c. Mission Statement
At TFV, our mission is to blanket our city and all other surrounding locations with our mobile trucks offering only the best products. Our trucks will always make available healthy products, offer discounts, and/or provide other enticements for people.
Vision Statement
Our vision at TFV is to build a well-renowned juice bar truck business that will meet the needs of our customers in the regions where we have our outlets and to sell Franchises all across the United States of America.
d. Goals and Objectives
Our aims and business objectives at TFV are to become a well-known mobile juice business in the city of Austin. We aim to draw in more crowds by providing healthy, nutritious, and fresh juices and some edibles. In addition, we plan to add more trucks and grow the number of our fleets to at least 7 trucks before the end of our 5th year in business.
e. Organizational Structure
- Manager
- Business development specialist
- Chefs
- Drivers
Marketing Plan
a. SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Strong gross margins
- Strong online presence on different social networking sites and efficient social media management
- Wide product portfolio
- Leadership and management skills
- High quality
- Convenience
Weaknesses
- Need to recruit staff and provide training
- Going into an already existing market
- It will take time to start the business up
- Inventory spoilage
- Will not have many trucks to get people to know the business and product
Opportunities
- The emergence of e-commerce and social media marketing
- Exponential growth in the population
- Moving with the current social and lifestyle changes
- Bringing healthy drinks to the market
- Get all brand new technology around the market
Threats
- An increasing number of direct and/or indirect competitors
- Weather changes
- High barriers of entry
c. How Do Juice Bar Truck Businesses Make Money?
Note that a juice bar truck business generates revenue from charging customers for fresh, quality juice-based beverages. Have it in mind that pricing will most often depend on the ingredients, time, skill, and expertise it takes to purchase and prepare these drinks.
d. Payment Options
- Payment with cash
- Payment via credit cards
- Payment via online bank transfer
- Payment via mobile money transfer
e. Sales & Advertising Strategies
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Social Media Management
- Lead Funnels
- Social Media Advertising
- Reputation Management
- Local Authority Packages
- Email Marketing
- Software Development
- Content Syndication
- Web Design
- Video Marketing
- Graphic Design (Print & Web)
- Content Writing & Marketing
- Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC)
Financial Projection
a. How Much Should You Charge for your product/Service?
A good number of businesses in this market try to keep the cost of ingredients down to about 30 percent of the retail price to be able to cover ongoing expenses and make a profit. Have it in mind that a juice drink made with several ingredients can cost anywhere from $6.00 to $16.00, depending on the cost of ingredients and the local economy. Meanwhile, note that organic ingredients will attract a higher price.
b. How Much Profit Do Juice Bar Truck Owners Make a Year?
Truth be told, a juice bar truck can bring in some serious profit. If you run your juice bar truck efficiently, your annual income can range on average from $100k to upwards of $300k, depending on your business location. And that’s after all expenses are paid.
c. What Factors Determine the Amount of Profit to Be Made?
- Number of trucks
- Season
- Business management style
- Marketing and advertising plans
- Branding and credibility
d. What is the Profit Margin of a Juice Bar Truck Business?
According to industry reviews, juice businesses should have around 50% – 70% gross margin on the products they serve before overhead like rent, taxes, and labor. If your estimated gross margins don’t fall within this range, consider increasing prices or finding ways to cut costs.
e. What is the Sales Forecast?
- First Fiscal Year (FY1): $75,000
- Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $190,000
- Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $522,000
Set Up your Shop/Office
a. How Do You Choose a Perfect Location for Juice Bar Truck Business
When starting a juice bar truck, although mobile, it is very necessary you consider the location. Note there are certain questions you will need answers to, such as – will there be enough footfall in the area? Is this the right demographics for the type of products we are selling? However, regardless of the answers you find, here are things to look out for when choosing ideal routes for your trucks.
- Health-conscious consumers
- High-traffic areas
- Sidewalks and foot traffic
- Parking availability
- Other juice bars
b. What State and City are Best to Open a Juice Bar Truck Business?
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Norfolk, Virginia
- San Francisco, California
- Orlando, Florida
- Buffalo, New York
- Oakland, California
- Chula Vista, California
- Tucson, Arizona.
c. What Equipment is Needed to Operate?
Here is a list of equipment and supplies you’ll need to start and run your juice bar truck:
- Juicers – Centrifugal, masticating, citrus, and wheatgrass juicers
- Blenders – High-powered blenders with sound enclosures
- Food Prep – Peelers, chef knives, and cutting boards
- Refrigeration – Refrigerated storage for produce, glass case merchandisers for bottled juices
- Ice Machines – Ice machines that produce enough ice for your blended drinks
- Cups, Bowls, Lids, Straws – Eco-friendly disposables for serving juices, smoothies, and smoothie bowls
- Prep Table/Cutting Boards – You’ll need plenty of space to cut fresh fruits and vegetables.
- 3-Compartment Sink + Hand Washing Sink – This is a requirement for washing knives, spoons, cups, and other utensils on the truck.
- Coffee Maker – Even if you specialize in juice and smoothies many vendors increase their sales by offering coffee as well.
- Display Unit — This will help you sample your eatables in a safe and easy way
Hire Employees
In this line of business, you need to build a team of vendors and trained staff. Have it in mind that the success of your business will depend on your ability to make available fresh ingredients that are prepared and served by skilled and personable staff.
However, when hiring staff, there is no need to look for special skills. The equipment you will be using is not the hardest thing to use; you will only have to explain once or twice to a new employee how things work. Nonetheless, ensure that the person can learn fast.
Launch the Business Proper
Indeed you will need to launch your business properly, but before your grand opening, it can be helpful to make certain practice runs. Note that a soft opening is a modified opening that gives your team the platform to test out the flow of service. You can observe potential hiccups and have a better understanding of what processes you need to improve before the grand opening. Other things to consider include:
- Friends and Family Night: Note that you can invite friends and family of your staff for a sneak peek opening. This is another reliable way to ease into things especially since there’s less pressure when you know all the guests.
- Neighborhood Meet-up: You can also send soft opening invites to neighboring businesses and residents. It gives you the platform to meet all your neighbors and get the word out in your community.
- Limited Menu: Do not forget to start with a small limited menu. Instead of making available all juices on your menu, you could just provide three different juices. It’s less daunting for your employees when you start small.
a. What Makes a Juice Bar Truck Business Successful?
- Provide branded packaging.
- Add a special menu for kids.
- Expand the menu by adding coffee, tea, lemonade, ice cream, frozen yogurt, healthy pastries, green salads, etc.
- Open a couple more juice bars around the city.
b. What Happens During a Typical Day at a Juice Bar Truck Business?
As the owner of a juice bar truck, your daily activities will include acquiring ingredients, developing new recipes, pricing drinks, updating your menu, training new staff, and of course, keeping your books up to date. You will also want to set aside time for advertising your business.
c. What Skills and Experience Do You Need to Build a Juice Bar Truck Business?
- Customer service
- Management skills
- Marketing
- Teamwork
- Problem Solving
- Communication
- Work Ethic