Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar

What Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar does

Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar is a fast-casual franchise concept founded in 2005 by Thom Knepp in Kent, Ohio, near Kent State University. The company sells real-fruit smoothies (30+ varieties across Classic, Citrus, Premium Blend, Red Bull, Super, Tropical, and Veggie n' Greens categories), freshly squeezed juices (Pulp Lemonade and build-your-own options), açaí and spirulina bowls, wraps, salads, and 2oz wellness shots. A core differentiator is the Pulp Enhancers system — functional add-ins including pea, soy, and whey proteins, probiotics, vitamins, immunity, fat burner, and energy blends — offered free with any smoothie. The technology stack consists of a proprietary online ordering platform (order.pulpjuiceandsmoothie.com), DoorDash third-party delivery, ActiveCampaign email automation, Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and SiteZeus location analytics. No proprietary AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The company operates a pure franchise business model under the corporate entity Pulp Franchising Inc., headquartered at 85 South Main Street, Suite G, Hudson, Ohio. Revenue is generated from one-time franchise fees ($25,000 for the first location, $12,500 for each additional), ongoing royalty fees (6% of gross store sales for the first location, 5% for additional locations), gift cards, and retail sales transacted at 70+ franchise locations. System-wide sales exceeded $40 million in 2024 across 62 locations, with 75 locations expected by 2026. The geographic footprint spans Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kansas, and Missouri.

Target customer segments include health-conscious individuals, fitness enthusiasts seeking post-workout nutrition, families with children, college students, and franchise entrepreneurs seeking proven low-cost concepts. Distribution is exclusively through franchise storefronts supplemented by the proprietary online ordering platform and DoorDash delivery. The brand holds industry recognition including QSR Magazine's Top 16 Franchise Deals for 2025, Nation's Restaurant News Top 500 (2021), and Top 5 Fastest Growing Franchise (2021). Only one location has permanently closed in the company's 20+ year history, indicating strong unit economics. A flagship NBA partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers was announced in March 2026.

Name

Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar

Legal name

Pulp Franchising Inc.

Website

https://pulpjuiceandsmoothie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar is a fast-casual franchise founded in 2005 selling real-fruit smoothies, fresh juices, bowls, wraps, and wellness shots through 70+ franchise locations across seven US states, serving health-conscious consumers, fitness enthusiasts, and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-Casual Juice and Smoothie Bar

akta.pro primary industry

Smoothie & Protein Shake Bars (THAFAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Juice Bars & Cold-Pressed Juice Shops (THAFAKAA)

Keywords

• Fast casual dining
• Smoothie franchise
• Fresh juice bar
• Healthy meal options
• Juice bar chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Cuyahoga Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: One-time franchise fee of $25,000 for first location and $12,500 for additional locations
2. Royalty Fees: Ongoing royalty fees of 6% of gross store sales for first location and 5% for additional locations
3. Retail Store Sales: Direct revenue from selling smoothies, juices, wraps, salads, and bowls at franchise locations
4. Gift Cards: Gift cards available for purchase in-store at participating locations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar operates a fast-casual franchise concept selling smoothies, build-your-own fresh juices, açaí and spirulina bowls, wraps and salads, and wellness shots at 70+ storefronts across six U.S. states. The brand differentiates its menu with the Pulp Enhancers system, providing one free functional add-on (protein, probiotic, vitamins, fiber, immunity, energy, fat burner) with every smoothie. In parallel, the company sells franchise rights to motivated entrepreneurs through a franchise program with defined one-time fees and ongoing royalties.

Product overview

Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar is a fast-casual franchise offering featuring a unified product portfolio centered around smoothies, fresh juices, blended and classic bowls, wraps, salads, and wellness shots. Founded in 2005 by Thom Knepp in Kent, Ohio, the brand operates 70+ franchise locations across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kansas (with expansion into Missouri planned). The core offerings include over 30 smoothie varieties organized into Classic, Citrus, Premium Blend, Red Bull, Super, Tropical, and Veggie n' Greens categories, complemented by customizable fresh juices, açaí and spirulina bowls, wraps and salads, and wellness shots. A key differentiator is the Pulp Enhancers system offering free add-on supplements (proteins, probiotics, vitamins, energy blends) with any smoothie. The company also offers franchise opportunities and gift cards, and has secured a 2026 partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers. DoorDash delivery is available at participating locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smoothies Over 30 varieties of real-fruit smoothies in Classic, Citrus, Premium Blend, Red Bull, Super, Tropical, and Veggie n' Greens categories, including fan favorites The Pink Dragon, Protein Packer (40g protein), Blueberry Dream, and American Swirl, available in 16oz, 24oz, and 32oz sizes.
• Fresh Juices Freshly squeezed juices featuring Pulp Lemonade (apple and lemon) and a Build-Your-Own Fresh Squeezed Juice with customizable base options (apple, orange, carrot) and up to two add-ins (kale, lemon, lime, beet, celery, ginger, cucumber, orange).
• Bowls Blended and classic açaí and spirulina bowls including Blue Spirulina Bowl, Dragonfruit Bowl, The Original Açaí Bowl, PB&G Bowl, and Avocado Bowl, with three customizable free toppings per bowl.
• Wraps & Salads Fresh wraps and salads including PB&G Wrap, Veggie Wrap, Spicy Turkey Wrap, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap, Chicken Caesar Wrap, Asian Chicken Wrap, Avocado Turkey Wrap, White Albacore Tuna Wrap, and a Garden Salad with protein add-on options.
• Wellness Shots 2oz functional wellness shots including Ginger Shot (ginger and lemon for immune support and energy) and Wheatgrass Shot (mineral-rich, detoxifying).
• American Swirl Limited-time strawberry-kiwi flavored smoothie with guava juice, pineapple sorbet, strawberries, cocowhip, blue spirulina sorbet, soy milk, and bananas.
• The Land Blend Limited-time Cleveland Cavaliers-themed smoothie created as part of the Pulp x Cavs NBA partnership, available at participating locations.
• Franchise Opportunities Franchise offering to motivated entrepreneurs with a first-location fee of $25,000 (additional locations $12,500), royalty fee of 6% of gross store sales for the first location and 5% for additional locations, available in OH, PA, WV, NC, SC, MO, and KS. Recognized as a QSR Magazine Top 16 Franchise Deal for 2025.
• Gift Cards

Quantifiable outcome

• Only one location has ever permanently closed in the company's entire history
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Cleveland CavaliersflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 March 2026Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar is a Proud Partner of the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA team. From game-day fuel to community events, Pulp supports the Cavs and brings energy to fans. Partnership includes exclusive Cavs smoothie (The Land Blend), mascot appearances, promotional events, and in-store activations at select locations.
• DoordashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership enabling customers to receive Pulp products at their location through Doordash platform. Doordash Technologies is mentioned as a tracking technology partner.
• FRANdataminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFranchise analytics and verification service providing FRANdata Verified badge for the franchise opportunity.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Juice Generation: Juice Generation is an urban juice and smoothie bar chain concentrated primarily in New York City — comparable to Pulp on menu (cold-pressed juices, smoothies, bowls) and health-conscious customer, but primarily serving a different geography (Northeast US).

Direct peers

• Smoothie King: Smoothie King is a large smoothie franchise with a heavy emphasis on functional add-ins (protein, vitamins, energy) — conceptually the closest peer to Pulp given its shared focus on customizable functional smoothies and franchise-led growth model.
• Nekter Juice Bar: Nekter Juice Bar is a franchise concept offering fresh juices, smoothies, and acai bowls with a focus on clean ingredients — directly comparable to Pulp's juice/smoothie menu, franchise growth model, and better-for-you positioning.
• Frutta Bowls: Frutta Bowls is a franchise concept focused on acai bowls, smoothies, wraps, and salads — directly comparable to Pulp on product mix (bowls, smoothies, wraps, healthy menu) and franchise growth approach.
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a 1,000+ unit franchise concept serving smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, and bowls — directly comparable to Pulp in product mix, franchise model, and health-conscious positioning, and the most relevant direct competitor in the smoothie franchise category.
• Clean Juice: Clean Juice is a certified-organic juice bar franchise offering juices, smoothies, and bowls — comparable to Pulp on franchise model, juice/smoothie category, and health-conscious positioning, though differentiated by its organic certification angle.
• Vitality Bowls: Vitality Bowls is a superfood-focused franchise offering acai bowls, smoothies, wraps, and cold-pressed juices — directly comparable to Pulp on menu, franchise model, and health-conscious customer targeting.
• Robeks: Robeks is a long-standing juice and smoothie franchise offering fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies, and bowls — directly comparable to Pulp on product mix, franchise model, and target health-conscious consumer.
• Playa Bowls: Playa Bowls is a rapidly growing franchise specializing in acai bowls, pitaya bowls, smoothies, and juices — directly comparable to Pulp on menu overlap (especially bowls and smoothies), franchise model, and better-for-you positioning.
• Jamba: Jamba is a national smoothie and bowl franchise chain offering blended fruit smoothies, juices, and bowls — directly comparable to Pulp on product, channel (storefront retail), and franchise model, and a meaningful competitor for franchisee recruitment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PulpMayfield
• Instagraminstagram.com/pulpjuiceandsmoothiebar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pulp-juice-smoothie-bar-ice-cream-frozen-desse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar