What should I check before buying a juice bar?

A juice or smoothie bar depends on perishable produce, equipment and busy periods.

Produce and waste

Fresh produce spoils quickly, so ask how the bar buys it, how often deliveries arrive and what happens to what is left. Ask for purchase records beside sales, and ask how the owner tracks waste. If the records are thin, ask why.

Blenders, juicers and refrigeration

The machines run hard through the busiest hours. Ask for their age, repair history and who services them, and ask to see them work. Find out which pieces are leased. Your inspector or a technician can look at the main units, and the same questions in how to assess equipment condition apply here.

Peak hours and nearby traffic

Many juice bars see rushes in the morning, at lunch or after workouts. Ask for sales by hour and by day if the point-of-sale system holds them. Then find out how much comes from a nearby gym, office tower or mall. If that neighbour changes or leaves, the bar is affected, so ask about their plans and about the lease.

Brand rules and staffing

If the bar is part of a franchise, ask what the brand requires for recipes, suppliers and fit-out, and who must approve the sale. Then ask how staff are scheduled across a day, how they are trained, and how long they stay. A bar that runs on a few reliable people needs a plan for keeping them.