Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Sullivan.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Modern Juice Co. was started by my wife, a small group of friends and me as we were looking for a lifestyle change and simply started making custom juices from home. My wife and I would buy different kinds of juicers to see which one worked best for what we were doing. In the process, we would play with recipes and get feedback from our friends and we learned the nuances of what different people liked compared to what we liked. Over time, the equipment got bigger, the recipes began to expand and develop, and we came to the decision that it was time to open our own juice bar. At the time, cold-pressed juice bars were exploding everywhere. We wanted something different, with a different focus and a business with an experience rather than simply providing a product. We built our business based on the idea that everyone has different tastes and needs when it comes to juicing and smoothies, so we made everything on our menu to be fully customized to fit the needs of our customers.
In early 2018, we opened our second location, this time in the Treasure Coast with a group of partners from the Stuart area. The growth of the company with our second location has taught us a lot of lessons in streamlining our systems in order to keep the product consistent. We have also been given the opportunity to bring our quality and lifestyle focus to such a great community.
We take great care to research our vendors and resources to help us provide the best products available. The quality of our smoothies, juices, and bowls is what separates us from the big smoothie chains out there. Our focus is on whole foods and the elimination of refined sugars, and we have built a solid group of daily and weekly regulars that have incorporated our products into their routines. We have been able to help lots of people on their fitness and weight loss journeys. Being a part of people achieving their goals has been the most rewarding part of our business.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve been in the restaurant business since I was a dishwasher in high school. I have been lucky enough to be involved with some great restaurants and groups over the years which has allowed me to be involved with opening new restaurants as well. However, nothing prepared me for the stress of opening my own business with all of my savings on the line, a new baby on the way, and opening our store during the Christmas holiday. Stress is an understatement.
We had a great first year, which was a total blessing. Over the past four years, we have had some very cash-strapped months, not sure if we would have enough money to keep moving forward. When the finances get tight, the questions of whether or not this is all worth it certainly attack the brain. I would be lying if I didn’t admit to questioning myself or questioning the value of the brand in our community over the years. Then someone would tell me that they went into the store for the first time and really enjoyed it and can’t wait to come back or I would run into one of our regulars who is down 45 lbs. since the last time, I saw them and they thank me for being there to help them along the way. It’s those experiences that keep me motivated during the hard times.
After these experiences, I decided to take on some partners for a second store and go through it all over again. Luckily, the feedback has been awesome from our community thus far and we’re looking forward to being a strong part of the community in Stuart.
Please tell us about Modern Juice Company.
We are a smoothie/juice bar with locations in Jupiter and Stuart. We specialize in smoothies, made to order juices, and blended acai bowls. Our focus is on whole food based recipes and a commitment to eliminating refined sugars. All of our products are made to order unlike what has become the traditional Cold Pressed juice bar concept. We also serve a small selection of cold-pressed juices, small grab and go food items, as well as partnering with local food vendors like Bianca’s Brazilian Bites and PAC Pastries.
I am most proud of our staff and their commitment to our brand mission. If it weren’t for the team around me, there’s no way we would be where we are today.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would say that it would have been nice to have more money available to help with initial capital, but I think opening with a bank account nearing $0, gave me the kick in the ass I needed to make it work. Comfort creates complacency.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.modernjuiceco.com
- Phone: 561-320-9300 & 772-291-2640
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @modernjuiceco @mjcstuart
- Facebook: facebook.com/modernjuiceco facebook.com/mjcstuart
- Twitter: @modernjuiceco
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
