CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Clean Juice is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country, something the owners say is a shocking but pleasant surprise.
The healthy juice bar franchise chain is owned by a husband and wife duo who say COVID-19 may have actually helped their company grow even faster.
Kat and Landon Eckles started out with humble goals in 2015, with a whole-health mission in mind.
"We wanted to do something healthy, make a positive impact in the community," Landon said.
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Kat’s a certified health coach, Landon’s the business guru, and together they now run one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country.
"It's really cool to have that partnership and know that you’re both building a family together and a business, there’s just something really special," he said.
The Eckles family includes five kids and the family has 13 Clean Juice stores of their own. Beyond their own stores, there are another 100 Clean Juice franchises in 28 states.
Landon still can't believe it.
"It’s pretty crazy – I still smile and get goosebumps," he said.
Especially after last year. When COVID-19 shut down much of the world, Clean Juice sprang up through the cracks.
"We opened 20 stores last year. We were projected to do 30 so we did miss on a few, but every single month after that we actually did better than we did in 2019 and we’ve continued that trend," he said. "The past 12, 14 months have been absolutely incredible for the brand and I think it’s a testament people want to do things to continue to improve their health and wellness."
Clean Juice is also getting a shot of star power; they recently partnered with Tim Tebow to help promote their brand and have plans to grow even beyond the 28 states they’re in now.
"It's pretty special to see all that hard work and dedication and mission really ten times what our initial prayer was- it’s pretty cool," Eckles said.
They already have big plans for growth, and some franchises include drive-thrus for additional service. The Eckles family is ready to build more storefronts and expand their menu options as well.
Contact Michelle at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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