Starbucks has closed a $30 million dollar deal with Evolution Fresh to launch a chain of juice bars this year. Starbucks Corp purchased the California-based juice maker with plans to move into the health and wellness market by offering fresh, healthy juices and snacks completely seperate from the coffee shops we are used to on every street corner.
Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz hopes that buying Evolution Fresh, sold in a few health retailers including Whole Foods, will lend credibility to the bars for their health-conscious consumers. Evolution Fresh, which was started by the founder of Naked Juice, uses a heat-free, high-pressure pasteurization process they claim retains more nutrients compared with using conventional heat pasteurization.
Starbucks has been quiet about how many bars they plan to open and the name of the chain, but do say they hope to open the first around the middle of this year. It is also unknown is they will keep their famous mermaid logo, which recently dropped the word “coffee” from its design.
Schultz has said the company will fill a demand in the market from people who use fresh fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies as meal replacements, those looking to lose weight, eat healthier and for those who participate in cleanses to detox and rejuvinate.
The goal is to seperate themselves from the other juice and smoothie chains in the market, namely Jamba Juice. While Jamba does offer low-calorie and fruit based options, most of their smoothies are full of ice cream, sherbert and thick, syrup bases. As consumers are becoming more aware of the quality of ingredients in their purchases, they are demanding heathier alternatives. Until the official menu is released, only time will tell if Starbucks can live up to their promises.
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