Jamba Juice said it plans to open a new unit in Pasadena, Calif., that will serve as a sort of innovation lab for the chain.
The new unit, dubbed “Old Town Café,” will feature a test kitchen, interactive bar area and a larger seating section, and will provide a testing ground for new menu items and restaurant solutions.
“The Jamba Concept store will allow us to push the boundaries of the brand and enable us to innovate in three key areas: product development, technology and the customer experience,” said Jamba Juice CEO James White. “The key to capturing today’ consumers is to provide them with unique and memorable retail experiences. The Concept Store’s interactive bar, test kitchen and other innovative elements will be unique to anything customers have experienced in the industry.”
Wendy’s earlier this year opened its own incubator concept to test new technology ideas, as did fast-casual Freshii.
Old Town Café is slated to open in January 2016.
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