Dive Brief:

• Brix Holdings completed its acquisition of Clean Juice, bringing its portfolio total to 325 restaurants across eight brands, the company said Tuesday in a press release. 
• Brix plans to open 10 Clean Juice stores by the end of the year, with another 15 to 20 expected for 2025, the company said.
• The parent company said that it plans to focus on improving Clean Juice operations and that it will create improved store designs and re-engineer its menu and supply chain.

Dive Insight:

The growth plan is a significant shift for the chain, which has been shrinking. At the end of 2022, it had 135 units, but Brix recently reported the chain had 75 units. After Clean Juice switched from made-in-house juices to pre-made juices in 2022, several franchisees said the move added to ongoing profitability issues. Roughly 50 operators have taken the brand to arbitration to get out of the system, according to Restaurant Business. 

Brix previously told Restaurant Dive that many of the issues with operators have since been resolved and remaining franchisees are focused on growth.

“We already have a growth plan developed and will begin executing new initiatives in the coming weeks,” said Roberto DeAngelis, chief experience officer at Brix. “We have a dedicated and enthusiastic group of franchisees eager to revitalize this brand, along with a substantial development pipeline that will fuel our future growth.”

Brix plans to bring Clean Juice’s juice into retail outlets like grocery and convenience stores, the company said.