Clean Juice

Clean Juice is an American fast-casual restaurant franchise built around juices, smoothies and health-oriented prepared foods. The brand was founded by married couple Landon and Kat Eckles in 2014 and opened its first location in Huntersville, North Carolina, in June 2015. It subsequently expanded through a combination of company-operated and franchised restaurants, initially concentrating on North Carolina before entering additional U.S. markets. The concept was designed as a juice-bar and café franchise rather than a conventional full-service restaurant. Its menu has centered on fruit smoothies, fresh and cold-pressed juices, acai bowls, avocado toast and other toast products, wraps, sandwiches and related light meals. Clean Juice’s early identity was strongly associated with organic sourcing and clean-label positioning. The company described itself as the first USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise and promoted organic ingredients as a central point of differentiation in the expanding better-for-you beverage and fast-casual sectors. The first expansion phase occurred quickly. A second restaurant opened in South Charlotte in April 2016, followed by a third location in Concord, North Carolina, in August of that year. Clean Juice launched franchising during the summer of 2016 and had signed five franchise agreements by August. Its first franchised restaurant opened in Carrollwood, Florida, in March 2017. By July 2017, five franchised locations were operating and another 58 were in development; by September, the network had reached ten operating stores, including two company-owned units. The business continued to emphasize franchising as its primary growth mechanism. In 2018, it adopted LevelUp for mobile payments and loyalty rewards, while the broader development pipeline surpassed 100 franchise units in operation or development across 16 states. Later franchise-industry recognition included a No. 154 position in Entrepreneur’s 2021 Franchise 500 ranking and the top position on Franchise Gator’s 2021 fastest-growing franchises list. In May 2024, BRIX Holdings LLC announced that it had completed its acquisition of Clean Juice. BRIX is a multi-brand franchising company whose portfolio has included Friendly’s, Orange Leaf, Smoothie Factory USA, Souper Salad and Red Mango. The transaction expanded BRIX’s portfolio to eight brands and more than 300 locations across its system. At the time of the announcement, Clean Juice had more than 80 locations either operating or under development in 30 U.S. states. Clean Juice remains positioned at the intersection of smoothie and juice bars, health-focused fast-casual dining and franchised food retail. Its scale is primarily domestic, and its brand proposition has depended on convenient beverages and light meals presented as cleaner or more natural alternatives to conventional quick-service offerings. The supplied reference material states that the company dropped its organic certification in February 2026, although many ingredients reportedly remained certified organic and some individual locations continued to source exclusively organic products. Because this change concerns a future-dated certification status in the supplied material, the precise current status should be verified against an official company or certification source.

Clean Juice was established in 2014 by Landon and Kat Eckles, a husband-and-wife founding team. Although the business dates its founding to 2014, its first restaurant opened in June 2015 in Huntersville, North Carolina. The initial concept combined a juice bar with a light-meal café and was built around smoothies, juices and organic-oriented food products. The company’s early physical expansion remained in North Carolina. A second location opened in South Charlotte in April 2016, and a third followed in Concord in August 2016. During this period, Clean Juice introduced its franchising platform. By August 2016, the company had signed five franchise agreements, establishing franchising as the principal route for scaling beyond its initial corporate locations. The first franchised restaurant opened in Carrollwood, Florida, in March 2017. By July of that year, five franchised locations were operating and 58 additional units were reportedly in development. The total operating base reached ten restaurants by September 2017, including two corporate-owned stores. This pattern reflected the company’s strategy of pairing a small corporate base with a much larger franchise pipeline. In 2018, Clean Juice added LevelUp mobile payment and loyalty technology. That same year, the system surpassed 100 franchise units either operating or under development across 16 states. The company subsequently received recognition in franchise-industry rankings, including a No. 154 placement in Entrepreneur’s 2021 Franchise 500 and the No. 1 position on Franchise Gator’s 2021 fastest-growing franchises list. The brand’s historical differentiation has been its focus on organic and health-oriented positioning. Clean Juice described itself as the first USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise and used organic sourcing, fresh beverages and minimally positioned light foods to distinguish itself from conventional quick-service restaurants. Its core menu developed around fruit smoothies, fresh and cold-pressed juices, acai bowls, toast products, wraps and sandwiches. On May 20, 2024, BRIX Holdings LLC announced that it had completed the acquisition of Clean Juice. BRIX operates a multi-brand franchising portfolio that has included Friendly’s, Orange Leaf, Smoothie Factory USA, Souper Salad and Red Mango. The acquisition brought Clean Juice into a larger restaurant-franchise group and increased BRIX’s portfolio to eight brands and more than 300 locations. At the time, Clean Juice was reported to have more than 80 locations in operation or development across 30 U.S. states. The supplied reference material also reports that Clean Juice dropped its organic certification in February 2026, while noting that many ingredients remained certified organic and that some locations continued to source exclusively organic products. The timing and current status of this certification change require verification from an official source. Clean Juice’s documented trajectory is therefore that of a regional North Carolina concept that developed into a national U.S. franchise system and was later incorporated into BRIX Holdings’ broader restaurant platform.

• 2024

  Acquisition by BRIX Holdings

  [1]Clean Juiceen.wikipedia.org

  BRIX Holdings announces completion of its acquisition of Clean Juice and adds the brand to its restaurant-franchise portfolio.

• 2021

  Franchise-industry recognition

  [1]Clean Juiceen.wikipedia.org

  Clean Juice is ranked No. 154 in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 and placed first in Franchise Gator’s fastest-growing franchises list, according to the reference material.

• 2018

  Technology adoption and network growth

  [1]Clean Juiceen.wikipedia.org

  Clean Juice adopts LevelUp for mobile payment and loyalty functions and surpasses 100 franchise units in operation or development across 16 states.

• 2017

  First franchised location opens

  [1]Clean Juiceen.wikipedia.org

  The first franchised restaurant opens in Carrollwood, Florida, in March.

• 2016

  Early North Carolina expansion and franchise launch

  [1]Clean Juiceen.wikipedia.org

  Locations open in South Charlotte and Concord, while Clean Juice launches franchising and signs its first five franchise agreements.

• 2015

  First restaurant opens in Huntersville

  [1]Clean Juiceen.wikipedia.org

  The first Clean Juice location opens in Huntersville, North Carolina, in June.

• 2014

  Clean Juice is founded

  [1]Clean Juiceen.wikipedia.org

  Landon and Kat Eckles establish Clean Juice in the United States.

A health-oriented, fast-casual juice and smoothie franchise emphasizing organic-oriented ingredients, fresh beverages and convenient light meals.

• Beverages

  Smoothies

  Fruit-based smoothies are a central part of Clean Juice’s menu and brand identity. They are positioned as convenient, health-oriented beverages and form one of the chain’s principal points of comparison with other smoothie and juice-bar concepts.

• Beverages

  Fresh and cold-pressed juices

  Clean Juice serves fresh juices and cold-pressed juices as core beverage offerings. These products support the brand’s emphasis on fresh preparation, fruit and vegetable ingredients, and a better-for-you alternative to conventional soft drinks.

• Prepared foods

  Acai bowls

  Acai bowls extend the brand beyond beverages into spoonable, fruit-based meals or snacks. They fit Clean Juice’s health-oriented positioning and provide a more substantial option for customers seeking a breakfast, snack or light meal.

• Prepared foods

  Toast and avocado toast

  Toast products, including avocado toast, are part of Clean Juice’s light-food range. They complement the beverage menu and help the franchise operate as a broader café concept rather than solely as a juice counter.

• Prepared foods

  Wraps and sandwiches

  Wraps and sandwiches provide savory meal choices alongside smoothies, juices and bowls. Their inclusion broadens the chain’s use occasions and supports its fast-casual restaurant format.

• 2024

  Acquisition by BRIX HoldingsM&A

  Background

  Clean Juice had developed into a multi-state U.S. franchise system with more than 80 locations operating or under development.

  Action taken

  BRIX Holdings completed its acquisition of the Clean Juice restaurant chain.

  Aftermath

  Clean Juice joined BRIX Holdings’ multi-brand restaurant portfolio, which the announcement described as having eight brands and more than 300 locations.

  Source

• 2018

  Adoption of mobile payment and loyalty technologyStrategy

  Background

  As the restaurant network expanded, Clean Juice sought to support digital transactions and customer retention.

  Action taken

  The chain began using the LevelUp mobile payment and loyalty rewards platform.

  Aftermath

  The technology became part of the brand’s customer engagement and transaction infrastructure during a period of rapid franchise growth.

  Source

• 2016

  Launch of the franchising platformStrategy

  Background

  After establishing its first company-operated restaurants in North Carolina, Clean Juice sought to expand the concept across the United States.

  Action taken

  The company introduced franchising and signed its first five franchise agreements by August 2016.

  Aftermath

  Franchising became the principal growth mechanism, leading to the first franchised store in Florida in 2017 and a development pipeline exceeding 100 units by 2018.

  Source

• 2022.02.15

  Reported2022.02.15

  Clean Juice announces its 100th franchise ownership group[2]Clean Juice宣布签约第100个特许经营所有权团队nrn.com

  Clean Juice announced the signing of its 100th franchise ownership group, led by the Leavitt family. The family planned to open an Idaho Falls location in late summer 2022.

• 2021.07.20

  Reported2021.07.20

  Clean Juice announces partnership with Tim Tebow as national brand ambassador[3]Clean Juice宣布与Tim Tebow合作，由其担任全国品牌大使prnewswire.com

  Clean Juice announced an official partnership with Tim Tebow, who will serve as the brand’s national ambassador. The partnership includes a national television spot featuring Tebow and other promotional materials.

• 2021.03.09

  Reported2021.03.09

  Clean Juice launches spring seasonal menu[4]Clean Juice推出春季限定菜单restaurantnewsrelease.com

  Clean Juice unveiled its 2021 spring seasonal limited-time menu, featuring dragon-fruit items and new combo options.

• 2020.10.27

  Reported2020.10.27

  Clean Juice announces Quarters for Kids program[5]Clean Juice宣布推出Quarters for Kids项目restaurantnews.com

  Clean Juice announced its Quarters for Kids cause-marketing program in partnership with Make an Impact Foundation. The program was scheduled to launch nationwide on November 1, 2020; it invites customers to add a quarter to their checks to support children’s programs.

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2020.07.23

  Clean Juice launches its branded consumer app[6]Clean Juice推出品牌消费者应用prnewswire.com

  Clean Juice announced the launch of its new consumer app, developed in partnership with Lunchbox, with ordering, delivery and an enhanced loyalty rewards program.

Read more

1. 1Clean Juiceen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Clean Juice宣布签约第100个特许经营所有权团队nrn.com
3. 3Clean Juice宣布与Tim Tebow合作，由其担任全国品牌大使prnewswire.com
4. 4Clean Juice推出春季限定菜单restaurantnewsrelease.com
5. 5Clean Juice宣布推出Quarters for Kids项目restaurantnews.com
6. 6Clean Juice推出品牌消费者应用prnewswire.com
7. 7Clean Juice Expands Popular Organic Cold-Pressed Cleanse Line Unveils Cleanse Subscription Serviceprnewswire.com
8. 8Clean Juice Introduces New Organic Sandwiches | RestaurantNewsRelease.comrestaurantnewsrelease.com
9. 9Clean Juice launches mobile app with Lunchboxfastcasual.com
10. 10Clean Juice launches subscription cleansing servicefastcasual.com