Jamba

How to Start a Jamba Franchise

Jamba Franchise Information

What began as Juice Club in 1990, in San Luis Obispo, Calif., evolved into Jamba Juice, then formally became just Jamba® in June 2019, to reflect the brand's wider variety of consumer offerings. Today, Jamba is the global lifestyle brand leader serving on-the-go freshly blended fruit and vegetable smoothies, made-to-order bowls, fresh-squeezed juices and shots, boosts, and bites.

The brand has more than 850 locations operating in 36 U.S. states, as well as overseas. For the past three decades, Jamba has led the way in making balanced options easier and more accessible by serving delicious, made-to-order smoothies, juices, and bowls. With an eye on customer satisfaction, the Jamba company continues to innovate and grow their menu of desirable food, blends, and beverage options. Jamba franchise owners are invited to "Own the Whirl'd."

Are you considering franchising? Here are a few points about the Jamba brand that prospective franchisees need to know:

Fresh made simple: Jamba's diverse menu of blended drinks and energizing bites requires little prep, meaning no early mornings or late nights.

Optimal locations: Their real estate team can provide real estate selection assistance and support.

Marketing made easy: Their dedicated marketing team creates national initiatives, LTOs, and social media campaigns to drive engagement and encourage brand loyalty.

Education for all: Receive comprehensive owner training as well as access to digital resources that will help you train your own team.

Always the right fit: Choose from a variety of footprints including traditional stores, drive-thrus, and nontraditional buildouts ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 sq. ft.

Smooth operations: Franchising is tough work! Jamba franchise owners can receive help tracking and measuring their store's performance through data analysis, business reviews, and more.

Atlanta-based Focus Brands Inc. owns Jamba, a leading developer of global multi-channel foodservice brands. Focus Brand, through its affiliate brands, is the franchisor and operator of more than 6,000 restaurants, cafes, ice cream shops and bakeries in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and more than 50 foreign countries.

Originally known as "Juice Club," the Jamba brand was founded by Kirk Perron. In 1999, the brand made a strategic acquisition of 96 Zuka Juice locations, which kick-started their expansion plans into overdrive. In Entrepreneur Magazine's 2022 Franchise 500 list, Jamba ranked 189th, marking their third consecutive year to be included in the prestigious rankings.

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

How much does a Jamba franchise cost?

To start a Jamba franchise of your own, here are the financial requirements and ongoing franchise fees associated with franchising/business ownership:

• Initial franchise fee: $35,500
• Initial investment: $378,650 - $843,000
• Cash requirement: $120,000
• Net worth: $300,000
• Veteran incentives: $15,500 off franchise fee
• Royalty fee: 6%
• Ad Royalty fee: 3%

Is Jamba a master franchise opportunity?

Master franchise agreements (MFAs) allow a franchise owner the right to become their own mini franchisor, owning, developing, and operating several units within a specified territory. The brand is recruiting master franchise owners for their international expansion and select U.S. states, as well as single and multi-unit franchisees. Specific U.S. states targeted for growth include the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas. A full list of available territories can be found by following this link.

Is Jamba looking for international franchisees?

Looking for a franchise location overseas? Jamba is offering master franchise, single, and multi-unit opportunities for their international expansion in the following countries: Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the Baltic Sea States.

Support and training offered by Jamba.

Jamba is an iconic brand that offers superior training and ongoing support to new franchisees in the system. A new Jamba owner can expect 22 hours of classroom instruction and 90 hours of on-the-job training. Jamba offers new franchisees with support in site selection (real estate), construction and design, operations, training systems, supply chain and distribution, technology, marketing strategy and consumer insights, social and digital media, juice menus, and off-premises business development in the form of catering and delivery. The brand also provides specific guidance for grand openings, invitations to meetings and conventions, field operations, website development, advertising co-ops, and a toll-free help line.

What do Jamba franchise owners make?

According to the latest figures from the brand, the average net sales for the fiscal year 2021 per location is $754,052 (calculated from 592 franchises in traditional locations and 747 total franchises in operation as of Dec. 31, 2021). For a closer look at Jamba's financials, please refer to Item 19 of the brand's franchise disclosure document (FDD).

Is Jamba a semi-absentee franchise with a passive ownership opportunity?

Semi-absentee or part-time ownership of a Jamba franchise is not available.

What would you do as a franchisee?

Jamba is not just a food franchise or a restaurant franchise, it's a small business opportunity. An owner of a Jamba store is expected to run the day-to-day operations of their location, creating, and serving fresh squeezed juice, and multiple items from their food and drink menu with a premium on customer service and the customer experience. A Jamba owner hires and manages staff, orders inventory, and manages the location's bookkeeping. Because Jamba is not offered as a passive income opportunity, it's expected that each franchise owner will be intimately involved in running the business and all operations.

Ingredients for the perfect franchise (what the brand is looking for in an ideal owner):

Jamba's brand mission is that eating better should be easy. For this reason, the brand is looking for like-minded individuals who share the same passion for helping others get on the path toward a vibrant, high-quality life. As a Jamba franchise owner, you'll be expected to share their vision for providing industry-leading smoothies, juices, and bowls and understand the importance that exceptional service plays in your business success. Jamba wants to work with franchise owners who are eager to succeed, grow into multiple locations, and who will take pride in owning their business. Jamba is community focused and building a strong connection to your guests is key to developing this iconic brand.

Experience in restaurants, food service or retail is an advantage, but not essential to being approved as a new Jamba franchise owner. Candidates applying for a single-unit agreement should have a credit score of 700+, liquid capital of $100,000 or more, and a net worth of over $300,000. For candidates applying for multiple units, the requirements in terms of both professional backgrounds and skill sets are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Jamba is entrepreneurial in spirit and the brand appreciates working with people who think and dream big. The brand is always interested in speaking with area developers but understands that some people start smaller and have a solid growth plan. Jamba has built successful businesses from the ground up, so they know what it takes, and they're excited to help guide their new franchise owners toward similar success.