Robeks Franchisee Robert K. Has Been Bringing Flavorful and Healthy Smoothies to the Los Angeles Area for Sixteen Years

Robert K.’s wife had been a fan of Robeks Fresh Juices & Smoothies healthful and fruitful snack drinks long before he ended up buying the franchise location she frequented. "While it wasn’t the career I initially expected, living a healthy lifestyle was something I could get behind wholeheartedly," says the owner today, after 16 years as a franchisee with the brand. 

Before joining Robeks as an owner, Robert had worked in the medical-device industry, but the travel schedule of the position didn’t align with his personal and familial priorities. “As the vice president of sales for a medical-device business, I spent too much time away from my wife and our newborn baby at the time,” he said. “In 2001, I began looking into various franchise concepts to diversify my portfolio, specifically in the QSR segment, as I was drawn to the simplicity of operations. While many of the food service models included products that went bad quickly, resulted in unnecessary waste or created the risk of foodborne illness, Robeks offered a clean, efficient and fun concept.”

Since the first Robeks opened in 1996 and began franchising five years later, the brand has earned a healthy portion of the booming bowl, fresh juice and smoothie franchise market, expanding to feature 83 franchise locations across the country. With a recent brand refresh and menu revamp, Robeks franchisees are in a better position than ever to provide healthy food in a colorful, high-energy setting. Now, with a goal of reaching 100 locations by 2021, Robeks is focused on franchise growth.

Robert was pointed in the direction of Robeks by his wife, who was a frequent customer of the brand when it originally started in Southern California. Robert researched the concept and contacted the corporate leadership team, who steered him toward buying the location in Rancho Cucamonga and created a deal that included also purchasing the Los Angeles area location from a passive owner.

“The demand for healthy options and bowls continues to grow, and it was clear that Robeks was at the forefront of the U.S. smoothie market,” Robert said. “I was very fortunate to get an opportunity to buy an existing store before I was finished building a new one. Buying an existing location gave me the real-world knowledge to fine-tune the design and layout of my new store and eventually save costs. Every step of the way, the Robeks team provided exceptional support to ensure that each location was successful.”

At Robeks, franchisees are given a full suite of support that includes site selection, design, and construction. In addition, the brand’s best-in-class franchisee training infrastructure includes a seven-day, intensive program of in-store training on systems and procedures, product knowledge, management, local store marketing, operations and customer service. Three more days of continued training and assessment are provided at the Los Angeles headquarters. To guarantee a smooth roll-out, Robeks deploys operations reps to each new store for a week after opening.

After ten years of ownership, Robert sold the Rancho Cucamonga operation in 2014 and has since focused solely on the Los Angeles area store, which has grown to become one of Robeks’ top-performing locations. Throughout the years, Robert points to Robeks’ flexible ownership opportunity as integral to his growth strategy and community engagement. For example, after years of building relationships with local schools, Robert had the opportunity to open the country’s first public high school juice bar several years ago.

“The local high school offered us the opportunity, which allows us to extend our brand and our products outside of our four walls,” he said. “We deliver fresh-made smoothies every morning to the local school district. If you’re not finding new ways to grow the business, even in small increments, your competition is most likely gaining ground on you.”

Looking forward, Robert is confident that healthy options and delicious smoothies aren’t going out of style anytime soon. “We’ve seen a lot of different quick-service trends come and go, but we’ve been able to grow through them and stay stable in a category that is ever-expanding,” he said. “Customers are always going to want to be healthy and live longer, and Robeks offers that successful business model to build upon.”

The total estimated cost to open a Robeks is $228,450-$340,000. The brand offers discounts for veterans and multi-unit owners. For more info, visit: https://robeksfranchise.com/