Pressed, which last summer changed its named from Pressed Juicery, recently opened its 100th unit.
And while the fast casual’s growth depends on adding new restaurants, it is also finding success with some more innovative channels.
The chain has been ramping up the Pressed Post program it debuted a couple of years ago.
Under the program, Pressed enters into a profit-sharing partnership with a local, independent coffee shop or café to sell the chain’s cold-pressed juices.
Pressed provides all of the inventory and does the re-stocking for the stores.
“We do a revenue-share with them,” Pressed CEO Pawan Kalra said. “We have over 30 of these active now. We’ll open another 60 this year.”
At Pressed’s traditional locations, the average check runs about $20 as customers typically like to stock up on bottled juices, Kalra said. At the Pressed Post outposts, however, “the average ticket is over two times what our in-store ticket is,” he said.
Pressed can get these satellite locations up and running in just a couple of weeks with very little investment.
“At the core, we want our brick-and-mortar locations first to establish the market,” Kalra said. “But (the Post units) do help us get volume and continue to drive awareness. … It’s been a leading indicator of where we may want to take stores, as well, in the market.”
The operation is similar to what Wow Bao has done with its Dark Kitchens initiative, adding its menu to dozens of brick-and-mortar restaurants around the country.
Pressed, which sells plant-based acai bowls and smoothies in addition to its cold-pressed juices, was founded 12 years ago and has expanded from Southern California to eight other states.
All of its juices and smoothies are made and bottled in Fresno, Calif., and shipped to stores.
“It’s a decision the brand made very early on, not to make the product in-store,” he said. “It’s been a key differentiator for us, with great consistency, great efficiency.”
Kalra said 90% of Pressed’s customers don’t identify as vegan; they’re simply looking for an easy way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their daily diets.
“Our demographics are evolving,” he said. “We’re seeing more diversity in consumers.”
The chain’s VIP program has been successful to build sales and traffic, he said. Members of the program load a minimum of $10 a month into their digital account with Pressed. In exchange, they receive lower prices on all menu items and better deals during promotions.
Kalra declined to say how many VIP members there are but said the program “represents a significant percentage of our sales.”
“They’ve given us a tremendous amount of loyalty,” he said. “They’re a very key part of the business.”
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.