Restaurant brands are constantly under pressure to introduce something new. Juice It Up is taking a more measured approach by making sure new products can deliver for both customers and franchise owners before expanding them throughout the system.
Led by CEO Susan Taylor, the smoothie and juice franchise has developed its menu strategy around products that taste good, provide a clear benefit and make financial sense at the store level.
That formula is helping Juice It Up respond to growing consumer interest in protein and functional nutrition without becoming overly dependent on short-lived food trends.
Juice It Up Capitalizes on Protein Demand
Protein has emerged as an important growth category for the company in 2026.
Juice It Up started the year by giving its established Zone smoothie line a fresh push through additional fruit combinations. The smoothies feature protein powder and peanut butter, giving customers an option designed around both flavor and higher protein consumption.
The promotion proved to be more than a small menu experiment. The limited-time products represented over 10% of systemwide sales during the first quarter.
Later, Juice It Up added protein smoothies made with Chobani Greek Yogurt.
The Chobani launch was not created overnight. Planning for the partnership started roughly two years before the products made their way onto the menu.
During the first six months of 2026, the two protein initiatives contributed an additional $1.3 million in protein-related sales. The category grew 31% compared with the same period a year earlier.
Franchise Economics Come Before Expansion
Those results help explain why Juice It Up puts so much emphasis on testing.
New products are evaluated at 11 stores before wider implementation. Ten of those locations are operated by franchisees, giving the company an opportunity to see how an idea performs under everyday franchise conditions.
The process is designed to answer more than whether customers enjoy a product.
Juice It Up also needs to know whether the item can be prepared efficiently, whether employees can be trained properly and whether the economics are attractive enough to justify the franchisee’s investment.
For a franchise system, that distinction matters. Rolling out a new menu item can require operators to purchase inventory, train employees and change existing procedures.
Testing helps the company understand those challenges before bringing an idea to the entire network.
Franchisees Help Shape the Menu
Juice It Up also relies on its operators for insight into changing customer preferences.
Quarterly franchisee roundtables give store owners an opportunity to discuss what they are hearing directly from guests.
That feedback can reveal new requests and shifting buying habits that may not immediately appear in broader industry data.
The company’s leadership then combines those observations with its own research when considering future menu decisions.
Following Consumer Behavior Instead of Hype
Taylor’s team keeps an eye on new developments across the restaurant industry, but being first to every trend isn’t the goal.
The company is more interested in identifying changes that could become lasting consumer habits.
Juice It Up studies menus from international brands, follows food conversations on TikTok and other social channels and gathers ideas from industry conferences.
The leadership team also meets annually to take a broader look at the menu. The discussion includes which products remain important, which items may no longer serve the brand and which categories offer opportunities for future development.
This process helps prevent an increasingly common restaurant problem: jumping onto a trend just as consumers are beginning to move on.
A Long-Term Strategy for an Established Franchise
Juice It Up has been operating for 31 years, but Taylor’s focus is increasingly on the customer of the future.
The company wants its restaurants and menu to remain relevant to the next generation rather than waiting for declining transactions to signal that changes are needed.
For franchise brands, Juice It Up’s approach offers a valuable lesson. Menu innovation doesn’t necessarily require constantly introducing new products.
Sometimes the smarter strategy is to test carefully, listen to franchisees, understand where customers are heading and invest in ideas with the strongest potential for sustainable sales and profitability.
Discover more about Juice It Up! franchise opportunities.
