Younger Health-Conscious Consumers Drive Demand for Functional Beverages
The jury’s out on whether Americans are getting any smarter, but signs suggest we’re getting healthier. Raul Rodriguez intuitively felt and saw the thirst for natural, unprocessed foods and responded by founding California-based Movita Juice Bar in 2015. The brand, now with more than 30 franchises, has grown dramatically over the past decade, though its trajectory has been anything but a straight line.
At the start of the pandemic, Movita stayed open as an essential business, but sales plummeted and within weeks Rodriguez was on the brink of missing payroll and closing. Then, mercifully, fate intervened. With no vaccines available at the time, people looked to bolster their immune systems in any possible way. Movita, whose name merges Mo (more) and Vita (Latin for “life”), was suddenly in an enviable position to help fill the void. With a range of diverse offerings such as smoothies, açaí bowls, almond butter and avocado toasts, and juice shots, there was something for pretty much everyone.
On reflection, Rodriguez points to a particular cross-section of Movita’s clientele, the Gen Z market, as a source of its renaissance. “The younger generation is far more educated about protein and healthier ingredients,” he says. “The pandemic accelerated this trend, paired with today’s easy access to information.”
Health-Consciousness and the Gen Z Market
Indeed, data shows that Generation Z (those born between 1996 and 2010) is a prime driver in markets relating to health and global sustainability. According to a survey by consumer research platform Attest, 21% of Gen Z abstains from alcohol, with 34% of those citing health concerns. Mucho Mango smoothie, anyone?
Rodriguez grew up in a small town in Mexico, and would often start his days with carrot or beet juice. Today one would be hard-pressed to find much evidence of such humble beginnings. Rodriguez is a highly sophisticated marketer, with antennae for subtle changes in his customer profile. The addition of protein powder as an ingredient is a perfect example. At first, says Rodriguez, almost no one chose to add protein to their orders, saying they “didn’t want to bulk up” or “didn’t like the taste of medicine.” Now, however, protein is the default, with customers having to ask to exclude it. “That change captures just how quickly consumer understanding and expectations around functional nutrition have transformed,” he explains.
A Highly Demanding Demographic
Threading the needle to appeal to such a highly demanding demographic as Gen Z — author and culture commentator Lucie Greene calls them “brand-critical, BS-repellant” — is no easy task. As “digital natives,” Gen Z is notoriously fierce in its assessments. “When they love something, they amplify it, and when they don’t, they make that clear too,” says Rodriguez. “For brands, it’s not only wiser but more cost-effective to simply do things right: Use real ingredients, stay transparent, and deliver on your promises. With Gen Z, authenticity is non-negotiable.”
Nascent brands and potential franchisees would do well to take note. Rodriguez in particular prioritizes real-time feedback from his younger employees. Being around healthy ingredients and clean food is self-affirming and offers a form of street cred in a community with heightened awareness on wellness. Whereas such ideas have been dismissed in the past as touchy-feely or unquantifiable, business owners may ignore them at their peril. “Gen Z represents an unprecedented group of innovation and entrepreneurship,” explains Gregg L. Witt, author of The Gen Z Frequency: How Brands Tune In and Build Credibility. “This group is focused on niche interests and if brands don’t recognize this now and get on board, they are going to be left behind.”
Demand for Functional Foods
Movita exists under the umbrella of the functional beverages market, populated by a wide array of products. Sports and performance drinks, vitamin-infused waters, probiotic and prebiotic beverages, ready-to-drink (RTD) coffees and teas, relaxation and sleep aid drinks, and functional shakes and smoothies combine to create a global market valued at $149.75 billion in 2024, based on a study by Grand View Research. By 2030, that number is projected to explode to $248.5 billion.
Such growth can perhaps, at least in part, be viewed as a pendulum swing in response to the damage done during the COVID pandemic. The toll on physical and mental health forced us to reevaluate our priorities, with exercise and diet among the categories we can still control in an out-of-control environment. For Raul Rodriguez, the result has been both a boon to business and a cause for greater optimism: “All consumers today — not only the Gen Z market — are investing in brands that are aligned with a permanent cultural shift toward healthier, functional food and drinks.”
To learn more about franchising opportunities, visit Movita Juice Bar’s website.
