Juice, wraps, smoothies on menu at Beyond Juicery + Eatery in Green
For the fast-food diner used to McDonald’s value meals, Arby’s focus on all the meats or KFC’s fried chicken, the menu at the new Beyond Juicery + Eatery restaurant in Green will be a shock to the system.
The establishment opened this month on Massillon Road, and has taken off running, said Prada Masada, director of operations for the restaurant and five others in Ohio, including one in Copley.
The restaurant focuses on the healthy fast casual segment of the restaurant industry, a sector that’s experiencing significant growth — especially as people emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic seek healthier food and lifestyle options.
“Health and wellness are a hot topic for all of us,” Masada said.
Studies show consumers increasingly interested in healthy eating options, a trend that’s expected to rebound as the pandemic recedes.
A 2020 survey by the International Food Information Council found that consumption of protein from plant-based food climbed in 2020. The survey found that 28% of respondents were getting more protein from plant sources, 24% eating more plant-based dairy and 17% consuming more plant-based meat products than in 2019.
A report on the 2021 restaurant industry market by the National Restaurant Association found that 38% of on-premises customers say healthy choices would impact their restaurant choice.
Beyond is banking on those trends, which took hold years before COVID-19 arrived, holding steady or increasing.
Green was selected because it’s a growing community — suggesting a thriving younger demographic that focuses more on healthy food options, Masada said.
“These types of communities are the bread and butter of the business,” she said.
Although all age groups are increasingly concentrating on healthy food options, the movement is more pronounced the younger the customer.
So far, she said, the response in Green has been enthusiastic, especially during the opening.
“We had a full house here,” she said. “People were out into the parking lot.”
Beyond served 300 free strawberry banana smoothies during the opening, helping the new location to lure its target customer base.
“The younger crowd tends toward the smoothies,” she said.
Green is the latest location for owner Eric Engelke, who heads the Ohio Juice Group, which plans to open 30 stores in five years. The first was in downtown Cleveland, and two more, in Lakewood and Brecksville, are planned this summer.
Beyond menu items are weighted toward fruits and vegetables, with salads, wraps and fruit bowls. For the customer who must have meat, the menu includes a wrap with turkey and bacon and a cilantro chicken spinach wrap.
But smoothies dominate the food lineup, with items like Mango Tango (mango, pineapple, banana, cream of coconut and honey), Very Berry (blueberry, strawberry, banana, coconut water and lime) and Peanut Butter Mocha (banana, coffee, peanut butter, gluten-free oats, mocha latte and almond milk).
Bottled juices are also sold, with some unique combinations like the Crisp + Cultivate (apple, cucumber, celery, parsley, collards, spinach, lemon and ginger).
Juice “shots” include the Hot Shot (lemon, ginger, coconut water and cayenne) and Elixir (apple, wheatgrass, lemon, parsley and ginger).
It’s a far cry from a Dunkin Donuts cup of joe, but that’s the point, Masada said.
“We draw a more health-conscious crowd,” she said. “That’s who our target [is].”
Beyond’s roots go back to 2005, when a husband-wife team opened the first restaurant in Michigan.
It took a few years to reach the expansion stage, but in 2015 Beyond grew to three locations, and now has 32. The Ohio Juice Group has exclusive rights to the Buckeye State.
In addition to its focus on fresh product, Beyond works to stay in step with social media and cultural trends.
When COVID-19 took hold, it developed a HERO juice promotion with a bottle donated with every HERO bottle purchased. Masada said more than 8,000 bottles were donated to the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University.
Masada said she hopes to develop relationships with local yoga and wellness studios, and a phone app offers customers a complimentary smoothie.
Beyond also concentrates on traditional restaurant basics like fresh food and customer service, Masada said. It hires from the community and promotes from within when possible.
“We hold a high standard and we really want to be the best part of everyone’s day,” she said.
Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.
