350 000 - 500 000 ₽
Revenue:360 000 - 810 000 ₽
Net profit:90 000 - 210 000 ₽
Payback period:10-12 months
The trade in freshly squeezed drinks fits perfectly into the trend towards a healthy lifestyle, and also quenches your thirst for new products, so a fresh bar is an idea that will definitely be in demand.
A fresh bar is a stationary or mobile catering center that specializes in the preparation and sale of freshly squeezed juices (fresh juices) or other drinks based on them. They can also be called jus bars or smoothie bars. Fresh bars are a relatively new phenomenon for Russia. Such establishments appeared relatively recently in the wake of consumer interest in the idea of a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet.
The idea to create a minibar, where instead of alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks will be sold healthy natural and, most importantly, fresh juices, came to our country from America. Nowadays, fresh bars have become commonplace in many European countries. In the United States, entrepreneurs who open fresh bars earn more than $ 3.5 billion a year. Of course, in Russia it is not worth counting on such a profit so far. But there is no doubt that such a phenomenon as fresh bars is promising for creating your own business.
The main advantages of opening fresh bars:
small initial costs (from 350 to 500 thousand rubles);
high profitability (from 80%) and a high level of margins on drinks (from 200-300%);
the ability to open a point on a small area of several squares;
simple technology for making drinks;
no serious staffing requirements.
What can be found in the fresh bar menu
The assortment of the fresh bar can include not only freshly squeezed juices, but also smoothies, mineral and sparkling waters, coffee, tea, snacks and desserts such as fruit purees, muffins, cookies, ice cream and more. Smoothies - a thick drink in the form of berries and fruits mixed in a blender with the addition of ice, milk or juice. Despite the presence of food on the menu, the main emphasis is still on soft drinks and cocktails based on juices and / or milk.
Since fresh bars are positioned as points of sale of healthy food and drinks, the assortment must be determined based on this concept. In a large shopping center, where several eateries, pizzerias, pastry shops and other catering establishments will be located near you, it makes sense to expand the range not by introducing other dishes, but, for example, by developing new recipes for cocktails and fruit desserts. But if your fresh bar will be installed in the office center, in addition to drinks, you should think about making and selling various snacks. But even in this case, do not deviate from the concept of a healthy diet. For example, if you sell hamburgers, you still won’t be able to compete with “full-fledged” eateries, but you run the risk of spoiling the image of your company, which will no longer be associated with a real fresh bar among customers.
Some entrepreneurs go even further when compiling an assortment of their bars. For example, in certain Moscow fresh bars you can buy not only juices, cocktails and desserts, but also extracts of various medicinal plants. Moreover, a bottle with natural contents of 100 ml can cost the buyer 1.5 thousand rubles. Extracts and elixirs are positioned as an alternative to conventional vitamins and bioactive supplements. True, it is difficult to say whether such products are in great demand.
When choosing the concept of assortment, some entrepreneurs proceed from the considerations that buyers of natural drinks care not only about their nutrition, but also about health in general. Therefore, for example, even organic cosmetics are sold in Japanese fresh bars. However, if you plan to introduce organic cosmetics into your assortment, study the demand for it in advance and keep in mind that you will need to expand your sales area somewhat and hire sales consultants with medical education.
The fresh market in our country is only developing, but its participants have already run into the problem of positioning their products. Previously, freshly squeezed juices and various cocktails based on them and with the addition of milk could be purchased only in expensive restaurants that set a large margin on them, now owners of fresh bars are trying to break consumer stereotypes and promote their product as healthy, tasty and, most importantly affordable. True, they are not in a hurry to reduce margins on it, since in this case the payback periods of the point will increase significantly. Therefore, experts advise finding a compromise solution: for example, leave the margin for freshly squeezed juices and smoothies at the same level, and create the appearance of affordability and low price by reducing the retail cost of various other drinks based on them (cocktails, fresh ice and ice cream).
What room is suitable for a fresh bar
A large area is not required to place a fresh bar. A full-fledged point can be opened at 4-6 square meters. Unlike other similar establishments, the products presented in such a bar are in demand all year round. In the hot season, people buy soft drinks based on natural fruits to quench their thirst, and in the winter months as a healthy cocktail rich in vitamins. All these features determine the location of your fresh bar. First of all, it should be in a place with high traffic, preferably close to a cafe or restaurant.
The best location options for opening a fresh bar:
shopping centers and hypermarkets;
business centers;
fitness centers;
Airports
train stations;
water parks;
cinemas;
Recently, fresh bars can be seen at car dealerships and at various events. For example, mobile bars that are installed at exhibitions. But still, most often fresh bars can be seen in large shopping centers right in the middle of the aisle. This retail format is called island (“an island in the shopping center”). A detailed business plan with calculations for a fresh bar in the island format in the shopping center can be found here.
A large flow of people for fresh bars is important, including due to the properties of the products. Juices and cocktails are perishable products that cannot be stored for a long time even in the presence of refrigerators. Within the first thirty minutes after preparation, a fruit drink without any additives loses both a number of its beneficial properties and its taste. Of course, with a large flow of customers, some drinks can be made in reserve so as not to create a queue, but in other cases they are prepared immediately after placing the order. Thus, if your bar is installed in an open area, passers-by can see how the process of preparing a cocktail or juice occurs, which will increase customer confidence.
What equipment is needed for fresh bars
A significant item of expenses when organizing your fresh bar is the purchase of special equipment. The minimum set of commercial and industrial equipment for a standard point for the sale of freshly squeezed juices and drinks based on them will cost about 200 thousand rubles.
Minimum set of equipment for fresh bar:
universal juicer, juicer for certain types of fruits (for example, citrus fruits or pomegranates);
blenders and mixers;
devices for cleaning fruits and vegetables;
refrigerators and cabinets;
bar counter;
showcase;
cash register and cashless payment system;
coffee machines;
ice machine;
ice cream fridge;
work cabinets (they can also be located in the bar counter).
When choosing a supplier of equipment (primarily juicers and mixers with blenders), pay attention to the fact that he offers after-sales service for the equipment he sold. With a high load, even new devices often fail, and its repair in the absence of warranty service can fly into a pretty penny.
From dishes in fresh bars, as well as at other similar points of public catering, disposable plastic plates, glasses, coffee mugs, forks and spoons are used, as a rule. Glassware can be used quite rarely, but in these cases the fresh bar does not refer to the catering system, but rather to catering.
Additional costs are associated with the design of a sign, the application of the logo of your bar (or a network of fresh bars) on the side of the racks, the manufacture of branded napkins (optional), flyers or business cards. Leaflets and business cards, as well as the bright design of the outlet, are the main tools for attracting customers. For this reason, so far not a single fresh bar can boast of a memorable brand that is heard by many. Purchases in them are made spontaneously, and not purposefully, and buyers at best will then remember the approximate location of the bar, but not its name or logo.
What kind of staff is required for a fresh bar
If buying equipment and renting a trading place is the biggest expense item for your fresh bar, then finding the right working staff is quite possibly the most difficult task that you will face in organizing and running your business.
As a rule, most owners of fresh bars are looking for a girl or woman under the age of 45 to replace the seller. Moreover, the main selection criteria are decency, politeness, sociability and accuracy. It does not take a lot of time to develop a juicer or mixer, so the requirement for the ability to handle equipment is not at all key.
It should be borne in mind that you will need to find not one seller that meets your requirements, but at least two or three. Keep in mind that shopping centers, where fresh bars are often located, are open seven days a week from morning to late evening. For a point in a busy place, you will need three sellers who will work in shifts (for example, a week in a week or three days in three). The seller’s salary usually consists of two parts - salary (fixed amount) plus interest on sales (on average, about 10%).
A separate issue is the prevention of theft. The owners of the points for the sale of fresh fruits where the cash register is installed check their employees for good faith, arranging test purchases. As your “mysterious buyer” may be your acquaintances or friends.
What profit can fresh bars bring
The business for the manufacture and sale of drinks based on freshly squeezed juices is highly profitable - from 80%. The minimum markup on the product is about 200-300% (300% on freshly squeezed juices and less on other drinks based on them). For example, 250 grams of fresh juice at a cost of about 40-45 rubles is sold at retail at a price of 120-135 rubles. At the same time, at least 25-30 liters of this drink are sold per day, and on weekends and in the summer months, sales can reach 45-50 liters if a good place has been chosen. Thus, the proceeds from the sale of juices alone may amount to 360-810 thousand rubles per month. Taking into account the cost of production, rent, payroll and other expenses, net profit at such turnover will be from 90 to 210 thousand rubles. The payback period of a fresh bar depends on several factors: location, assortment, competent promotion, product quality, customer service, etc. The average payback period of such a point is about 10-12 months.
Experienced entrepreneurs advise potential players in this segment even at the stage of opening one point to think about developing it to a network of several fresh bars. If you do not have experience in this area, then it is better to gain it within at least one year, managing one fresh bar, and then build a network based on the knowledge gained. In this case, the payback period of the project will be about three years. There is another way to develop your own business on the basis of an already functioning fresh bar - the subsequent creation of a network of cafes or restaurants of healthy eating, which are now considered a promising area.
Sysoeva Lilia(c) www.clogicsecure.com - a portal to business plans and guidelines for starting a small business 08/18/2019