QSR June 2022

DEPARTMENT ONES TO WATCH

Joe & the Juice Playing in two beverage segments is providing massive runway for growth. BY BEN COLEY

the demand for the juice, coffee, and sand wiches are pretty similar from market to market, and the [menu] mix that we see, it is also quite similar from market to mar ket. What we have seen is that our products are as well perceived on the West Coast as in London.” Consumer demand for Joe & the Juice’s products has been on the rise, to the point sales are “significantly above,” pre-pan demic numbers, Nørøxe says. The CEO attributes multiple factors. For one, the brand leverages a modernized app tailored to consumers’ preferences, with a loyalty program in which guests can earn points and unlock tiers. Nørøxe also believes increased awareness of health and wellness amid the spread of COVID thrust his brand into the spotlight. That is likely to keep growing, per research from The National Restaurant Association. In the organization’s 2022 State of the Indus try report, chefs across the industry listed immunity-boosting snacks and immunity boosting/functional ingredients among their top 10 culinary trends for this year. “One that we really put a lot of focus on early in the pandemic was the health and wellness pillar,” Nørøxe says. “We don’t want to be religious about the health aspects of our products, but we want to offer you healthy and good-for-you alternatives to other players on the street.” Joe & the Juice, founded 20 years ago by Kaspar Basse, oversees more than 300 locations across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, including roughly 65 stores in the U.S. The plan is to double to 600 units by 2025, with 200 more in Europe and 100 domestically. Stores range from 850 to 2,150 square feet, and typically work best in central busi ness districts that have access to affluent customer bases. Nørøxe explains Joe & the Juice is able to operate CONTINUED ON PAGE 62

lineup of creatively named juices—Iron Man (apples, strawberries, kiwi, ice), Hell of a Nerve (elderflower, banana, strawber ries), and Pick Me Up (apple, strawberries, banana, ice). The beauty of it, CEO Thomas Nørøxe says, is Joe & the Juice sees no cannibaliza tion between the two products. To him, juice makes up the DNA of the brand, but coffee attracts the frequency and daily routine. Those are the first points of contact for fresh customers. Once guests are drawn in, their attention heads toward portable sandwiches and breakfast bowls fit for an accelerating digital age. “Going into a new market, it does take some time to really gain the trust from the guests,” Nørøxe says. “But when we have been there for some time, we really see that

FOUNDER: Kaspar Basse HEADQUARTERS: Copenhagen, Denmark YEAR STARTED: 2002 ANNUAL SALES: $170 million (2021) TOTAL UNITS: 311 globally; 64 in the U.S.

THE GLOBAL COFFEE BEANS MARKET IS PROJECTED to reach $42.5 billion by 2025, according to Grand View Research. And the fruit and vegetable juice segment is expected to be roughly $229 billion by 2030. The predictions are nothing but good news for global concept Joe & the Juice, the rare fast casual that manages to play in both beverage segments, from its drip coffee, ice latte, and grey macchiato to its

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JUNE 2022 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com