Nékter Juice Bar, the pioneering champion of the fresh and clean juice bar movement, has partnered with Produce Alliance to ensure the procurement and delivery of the freshest and most local produce to each of its 100-plus restaurants that now span the country from California to North Carolina. Through a network of more than 50 specialty distributors of fresh produce, the partnership will bolster Nékter’s procurement, national distribution and food safety assurance programs as the juice bar concept quadruples its footprint over the next few years.
“Restaurant brands that deliver transparency, ingredient quality and authenticity like Nékter Juice Bar will win the hearts and loyalty of the American consumer,” said Steve Schulze, co-founder and CEO, Nékter Juice Bar. “Nékter continues to be a trailblazer in the fresh and clean juice bar movement, and as we grow, our partnership with Produce Alliance allows us to maintain our high standards and provide our guests with the freshest ingredients from growers across the country. Essentially, fresh will always be in season at Nékter Juice Bar no matter what the part of the country you live in.”
As Nékter Juice Bar continues to expand across the country, including entering Florida, Ohio, Minnesota, Oregon and Tennessee this year, its partnership with Produce Alliance is exceedingly important to ensure only the freshest and highest quality produce is provided to each restaurant. The partnership provides an uninterrupted supply chain to improve sourcing and distribution efficiencies and is inclusive of Nékter’s growing Grab N’ Go options, including its cold-pressed bottles and healthy snacks. While the vast majority of the brand’s research and development is done in-house, Produce Alliance will also contribute expertise stemming from decades of culinary innovation and expertise.
“Produce Alliance is tremendously excited to team up with Nékter!,” said George Melshenker, owner and president of Produce Alliance, LLC. “We hope we can help them further achieve their goals of a fresh, healthy and active lifestyle within the United States and beyond. Their brand is attributed to a great option for today’s culture and Produce Alliance is really thrilled to be a partner to such a great brand. We are thankful for today’s business with them and tomorrow’s growth.”
According to Schulze, Nékter and Produce Alliance share common goals and core values around ingredient integrity and transparency. “As we grow, we will not compromise our standards, and will always seek innovative solutions and likeminded partners that will continue to set the industry standard,” continued Schulze.
Headquartered in Chicago, Produce Alliance specializes in providing fresh produce category management services including procurement, national distribution, information services, and food safety assurance to food service clients across North America, the Caribbean and beyond. The company manages an alliance of 50+ independently owned specialty distributors of fresh products, with combined produce sales of over $4 billion annually. For more information, visit www.producealliance.com.
Founded in 2010, Southern California-based Nékter Juice Bar is the category leader and pioneer of the modern juice bar experience with a 100 percent, freshly made, clean, nutrient-rich and delicious menu of juices, Superfood smoothies, acai bowls, and healthy snacks that can be customized based on individual diet or lifestyle preferences, such as vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, low-fat, and low-sugar. With an unwavering commitment to ingredient transparency, authenticity and innovation, Nékter Juice Bar is rooted in the fundamental philosophy that “healthy” can taste great, be easily accessible, and be affordable too.
Now with more than 100 restaurants in the United States, and 150 more in development, Nékter plans to grow to 425 company- and franchise-owned restaurants by 2020. Recent awards include: the 2018 “Best Buy in Franchising” Zor award from Franchise Times; the 2016 “Hot Concept” award and the 2017 “Next 20” Brand to Watch by Nation’s Restaurant News; #217 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500®; and #334 on Inc. Magazine’s 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Company List in 2016. Nékter continues to seek entrepreneurs who want to bring The Nékter Life to more communities around the United States and beyond. For more information, please visit www.nekterjuicebar.com or https://nekterjuicebar.com/franchise.
