Movita Juice Bar Franchise Serves Up Teaching Moments and Work-Life Balance for California Mom
Running her Movita Juice Bar in Los Angeles doesn’t mean franchisee Laura Vergara (above) has had to cut corners as a parent. “I’m a full-time Movita operator and a full-time mom,” Vergara says. Sometimes those responsibilities overlap, such as when her 7-year-old son, Jose Santiago, helps at the family’s Movita restaurant. It’s all in a day in the life of this franchisee. The emerging brand specializes in fresh ingredients used in tasty, healthful smoothies, juices, bowls and specialty toasts.
“Occasionally, when Jose Santiago has no school and child care is unavailable, I bring him to the store,” Vergara says. “To keep him engaged, he performs small tasks like cleaning tables, greeting customers, dusting retail areas and flattening boxes. Recently he enjoyed assisting with the new Uber Eats robot deliveries (below) – under my supervision, of course.”
Family Business
Vergara carefully chooses Jose Santiago’s responsibilities when he pitches in at the restaurant. “I ask Jose Santiago to do simple yet meaningful tasks that teach him responsibility and the importance of following directions. Elizabeth is just 4 years old, so she’s still too young to participate. But she’s eager to join us, and I’m looking forward to involving her soon.”
Vergara and her husband, Jose, had no previous franchising experience before investing in their Movita Juice Bar franchise, but she says, “Owning our own business has always been our dream. Jose oversees the administrative side of our operations, while I manage the day-to-day store operations. My sister Angie is also involved as a shift captain and is training to become a manager.”
Day in the Life of a Franchisee
The Vergaras’ Movita franchise dovetails perfectly with the family’s schedule, providing ideal work-life balance, she says. “My day typically begins at 6 a.m., when I’m up and getting ready for work. I arrive at our store by 6:30 a.m. to ensure everything is prepared for opening at 7 a.m. After the morning rush, I organize the store for the closing shift. By 1:30 p.m., I head out to pick up my children from school. The rest of my afternoons are dedicated to spending quality time with my kids, helping them with their homework, and preparing meals. I’m thankful that we have an outstanding team managing the store operations in the afternoon so I can be off-site.”
Someday Jose Santiago and Elizabeth (above) are likely to be full-fledged team members, too, but Vergara won’t throw too much at them too soon. She advises other business owners to do the same. “Start small and build up gradually. It’s important to instill responsibility, work ethic and proactive thinking from a young age. It’s a good idea to begin with manageable tasks at home and slowly introduce them to your business environment. Teaching children how to work hard and thoughtfully ensures they’ll always be capable and resilient.”
Vergara believes Jose Santiago’s restaurant duties and Elizabeth’s visits and observations have already begun to mold them into well-rounded, capable adults. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to witness how their experiences positively influence them. They recognize the dedication and effort required. And I’ve noticed that their critical thinking and decision-making skills have improved.”
Why They Chose Movita
In essence, the kids are growing up within the family franchise, which opened in March 2023. Laura and Jose invested in Movita “because of the exceptional product quality and their dedication to promoting healthy lifestyle choices,” she says. “It gives us great pride to offer nutritious, delicious options to our community.”
The couple won’t stop with just the one Movita Juice Bar franchise either. “We’re excited to announce that we’re currently building our second Los Angeles County location, this one in Norwalk. We expect it to open soon,” she says. And the Vergaras recently signed an agreement for a location in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles that they hope to open in August. “We want to create more employment opportunities and actively give back to our community,” Vergara says. “We strongly believe in fostering win-win situations by providing our customers with high-quality, delicious and healthy products; offering our team better opportunities and wages; contributing positively to the franchise’s growth; and supporting our family’s well-being.”
Movita’s Support for Franchisees
Vergara says the franchisor works diligently to ensure owners’ business success and personal fulfillment. A typical day in the life of a franchisee like Vergara shows that work-life balance is possible. “The corporate team has given us excellent support, especially through Movita University, which provides comprehensive training and continuous guidance. It’s an outstanding resource available to all franchisees and their employees.”
Established in 2015, Movita has more than 30 franchised units open and under construction, and 11 corporate locations. The Movita Juice Bar franchise taps into the growing health-focused restaurant market, which FutureDataStats.com valued at $155.6 billion last year and estimated annual growth of 8.5% through 2032.
To find out more about franchise opportunities with Movita Juice Bar, click here.
