Recently, I was approached by a popular restaurant here in town to use my cold-pressed juices for their signature cocktails. Apparently, this is all the rage in larger metropolitan areas?
Is there anyone out there who has done this? Worked with restaurants to offer their juices as cocktail mixers? If so, did you sell in bulk? In growlers? Other packaging? What did you charge for these juices?
I have so many questions and I’ve tried to find info online, but I thought this would be a great outlet for these detailed questions, and to learn from others.
We have done it. Technically, it is against the law if your juice is raw and non HPP. I would keep it small and under the radar as if you invest too much time into it the local board of health can shut you down
Would it be “legal” if the juice was made/pressed at the restaurant? You mention to ‘keep it small.’ I’d love to learn more. Did you provide juice in bulk? One last question: Are you still doing this? If not, curious as to why you decided not to continue to offer your juices. Other than, perhaps your juices are/were raw and non HPP?
M’Lissa,
Have done it in bulk before, and correct, it is not within health department regulations to do so if the juice is raw and made at another location, by another business. If the juice is made on-sight, that business would have to have the appropriate HACCP Plan in place just like yours does. It would be their product at that point, not yours, so you would need to figure out what you would charge for labor…not worth it in my opinion, but many many juice bars do it outside of and in spite of the legality.
When my business offered it to the hot local brunch place on Saturdays for signature cocktails, their owner would pick it up from us in a cambro that morning. We offered approximately a 15% discount per volume and that seemed agreeable, considering they served in their own glassware and in a smaller volume. (e.g.; we sold in 12oz jars and they served over ice in their 8 or 10oz glasses.
We do not HPP. We sometimes do provide juice in bulk for special bar events but only on occasion and mostly citrus. Its not really that profitable for us although it is fun to collaborate and possibly a way to cross promote but we always want to focus on what we are doing at our locations rather than spread our time and resources too thin for less of a profit.
I am going to be opening a juice bar within a hotel/ restaurant and they want me to add juice to their brunch menu for saturday and sunday / and wedding events. Do you think growler / bulk would suffice or should we just offered bottled juices. I don’t know the legal terms behind this, if this would then fall under collaboration or a partnership?
