From Dishwasher to Franchisor with Mijo Alanis from Beyond Juicery + Eatery

In the early 2000’s, life-time Restaurateurs Mijo Alanis and Pam Vivio began to notice a shocking new trend: while working in Pam’s family restaurant, they watched as people traded in their cheeseburgers and french fries for salads and fresh produce. After witnessing more and more customers seek healthier options, they began to theorize about a new concept that served fresh, healthy foods and smoothies. While this type of concept had begun to take a foothold on the East and West Coasts, Mijo and Pam were among the first to test the concept in the Michigan market. In 2005, they opened the very first Beyond Juicery + Eatery location in Birmingham, Michigan delighting its customers with a focus on healthy and fresh ingredients that tasted Beyond good! Mijo started out in the restaurant business as a dishwasher and through the experiences of working in the corporate restaurant world as well as behind-the-scenes work in a family-owned business, he had the makings of a successful franchisor. As the visionary of this business, Mijo now focuses on building and growing Beyond Juicery + Eatery and in this episode, he shares his journey and the opportunities franchising brings to the table.   Key Takeaways: [1:51] - Mijo is the founder of Beyond Juicery + Eatery and shares his experience building the business. [4:24] - Through an experience working with his future father-in-law, Mijo learned what it was like to own a business. [6:21] - Mijo and his wife are founders of Beyond Juicery + Eatery as well as still involved with her family’s restaurant. [8:12] - Mijo noticed the trend in what people were throwing away. [10:43] - They launched the first juice bar with extensive background and experience in 2005. [12:11] - What are the things needed to maintain a team during times of labor issues? [14:10] - People don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses. [15:48] - Putting people in the right role makes a huge difference. [18:10] - Opening it was the first step, and then Mijo figured things out as he went along. [19:54] - Mijo shares the moment he learned that franchising was a great option. [21:34] - Beyond Juicery + Eatery is more than juice. They have an extensive menu that includes all fresh and clean ingredients. [24:29] - Most locations are in Michigan, but Beyond Juicery + Eatery is expanding. [25:54] - The core values of Beyond Juicery + Eatery are looked for in franchisees. [28:49] - The qualities of a successful franchisor are visionary, manager-leader, and entrepreneur.   Mentioned in This Episode: Franchise Website: Beyond Juicery + Eatery Beyond Juicery + Eatery Website