As the demise of Crumbs Bake Shop, and its cupcake kingdom, roils the food industry, one analyst is already predicting the next hot trend that is likely to cool off: Juices.
That’s the word from Darren Tristano, executive vice president of restaurant research company Technomic.
In a blog this week, food guru Tristano wrote that juice concepts, while “all the rage today,” are at risk of over-saturation and too much competition. The Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus is now home to Jamba Juice and Freshu Grill and Juice Bar.
“With health and wellness getting more play from affluent and millennial consumers, it’s clear the cold-pressed juice concepts will be pushing hard to expand,” Tristano wrote.
“Even though these concepts have price points over $10 in major markets like Los Angeles and New York, it’s clear that Hollywood-starlet impact on our country with juice cleanses is evident. Juice specialists will likely expand quickly as the fad continues but the trend will settle into concepts that represent reasonable prices for the mainstream consumer.”
He predicted that big brands such as Starbucks’ Evolution Juice and Juice It Up will have an edge in this competition.
“But ultimately, the ‘craze’ will settle down and many restaurants will likely see declines in sales that make it difficult to continue their operations,” Tristano wrote.
