Beyond Juicery + Eatery is known all over metro Detroit for not only serving healthy and delicious smoothies and wraps but making people feel great. Even amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, Beyond Juicery + Eatery continued giving customers a memorable experience as 11 of 14 locations remained open, offering both curbside pickup and delivery.
Founder and CEO Mijo Alanis said the Renaissance Center, Somerset and Equinox locations had to close, but measures were put in place at the others, so that staff members felt both safe and supported.
“People, community and brand are the three reasons we decided to stay open,” Alanis said back in April. “I call it the three-prong approach.”
PEOPLE
Alanis said that he had always wanted to implement daily check-ins with franchisees but, as a result of the crisis, fell into it this spring.
“Every single day, franchisees are getting calls from us, letting them know we’re here and to see if they have any questions,” Alanis explained. “Seems like everyone around us is afraid, and we need to make sure our store owners are not, or else it could cause its own sort of virus inside of the stores. Our goal in doing this has been to calm their nerves.”
In addition to franchisees, Alanis said they were in constant contact with vendors, as well, ensuring that the supply chain and quality is still there.
“We get our produce in fresh every other day right now,” Beyond Juicery + Eatery vice president Elliot Disner said in an April interview with FOX 2 Detroit. “It’s normally every day, but we went down to every other day because our suppliers are trying to make due with their smaller crews.”
Beyond Juicery + Eatery mainly uses local suppliers, always trying to first source in Michigan. For example, both the peanut butter and almond butter used to make smoothies come from Germack Pistachio Co. in Eastern Market. Lumetta Produce in Madison Heights is another main supplier, as well.
“We needed all of our people to know we care, are listening and will remain in their corner the entire time,” Alanis said.
COMMUNITY
With some team members working from home, Alanis said Beyond Juicery + Eatery also embraced the opportunity to connect with customers, calling people on a daily basis in order to figure out what they wanted and what they really needed during the crisis.
“We’re going hour by hour and day by day, not only listening to our customers but finding creative ways to keep things going,” Alanis said. “None of this could have happened without my creative team.”
Basic grocery items including eggs, milk, leafy greens, bread, fruit and even toilet paper were available for same-day curbside pick-up or delivery at eight locations, as well as a variety of kit options:
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“Juice Lovers Kit,” which came with 12 assorted bottled juices and 12 assorted bottle shots,
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“Fiesta Kit!” that had 12 oz. of Beyond Juice’s fresh salsa, ingredients and instructions to make fresh guacamole and Aunt Nee’s Tortilla Chips,
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“Party Kit!,” which included one pint of grape tomatoes, ½ pound of carrots, ½ pound of celery, 12 ounces of Beyond Juice Hummus, 12 ounces of Beyond Juice Salsa and Aunt Nee’s Tortilla Chips,
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Kits for Kids, such as “Apple Sauce!” that came with instructions and ingredients for kids to make their own applesauce, and “Smoothies!,” which had instructions and ingredients for kids to make their own fruit smoothies, as well as accompanying activity sheets
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And so many more.
“Along with many other restaurants and businesses in the area, we wanted to be another option,” Disner said in his interview with FOX 2. “It’s just really cool to see the community pulling together, making food as accessible as possible to everyone in all these communities we’re in.”
BRAND
Alanis said that when the other side of the crisis is reached, the Beyond Juicery + Eatery brand still needs to be there.
“The future as of today looks like a blend of what we use to do, and some of what we are doing today,” he said. “We are closer to our guests and employees more so than ever, and our curbside app ordering is great for us and the guests. New stores will surely be built with this in mind.”
Beyond Juicery + Eatery currently has locations in Downtown Birmingham (off Maple), Southfield, Somerset Mall (Troy), Birmingham (off Cole), Eastern Market (Detroit), Equinox (Bloomfield Hills), Grosse Pointe Woods, West Bloomfield, Northville, Shelby Township, Clarkston, Rochester Hills, New Center and the Renaissance Center (Detroit) with others opening in the near future.
For more information, visit beyondjuiceryeatery.com.
