Goodnature Radio

Toni McCarvel, founder of Wild Honey in Richland Center, Wisconsin, shares how she built a juice bar, cafe and bakery from scratch in a small town. On this episode of Goodnature Radio, Charlie and Chef Ari Sexner catch up with Toni on site, just weeks after Wild Honey's grand opening.Toni came from a nursing background and grew up on a farm in North Dakota. She walks us through the whole journey of working with the Goodnature consulting team.

We cover branding first and letting the brand guide the menu, with honeybees, jewel tones and gold throughout. From there, the conversation moves to developing and simplifying the menu with Ari, adding a coffee program, and baking bread and bagels in house. Toni also explains her screen-printed juice bottles and the story behind the Wild Honey Colada.

We also get into a question many new juice bar owners ask: should you stay plant-based or add meat? Toni shares how she balanced her values with what her community wanted, working with local farms and keeping it simple.

She also explains how customers are already growing from sweeter juices toward greener ones.If you are planning a juice bar outside a big city, or wondering how a turnkey consulting package comes together from brand to opening day, this one is for you.

Huge thanks to Toni for taking time out of a busy day to join us.

Chapters

0:00 Live from Wild Honey

1:16 Meet Toni McCarvel

4:52 Life in Richland Center, Wisconsin

8:02 Working with Goodnature consulting

11:11 Building the Wild Honey brand

15:53 Developing the menu with Ari

18:14 Adding a coffee program

20:39 Sandwiches, bakery and juice bottles

26:25 The smoothie program

29:24 The famous lemon ricotta pancakes

31:57 Plant-based menu vs adding meat

35:14 Growing with your customers

Katelin Slifer and Chris Goode share real-world operational insights on scaling cold-press operations, expanding wholesale, and preparing for JuiceCon.Come to JuiceCon! https://goodnature.com/juiceconRunning a juice business can feel like working on an isolated island. Charlie and Ari sit down with two long-time operators: Katelin Slifer, founder of Juice Co LG in Los Gatos, California, and Chris Goode, founder of Ruby Jean's Juicery in Kansas City, Missouri.Katelin details the logistics of high-volume corporate catering, like pressing thousands of bottles for major tech events, and how she is expanding production into an additional facility across the street. Chris breaks down Ruby Jean's transition from storefront retail to wholesale distribution across more than 165 Whole Foods locations, the cash flow realities of retail versus wholesale, and outreach work done through the Ruby Jean's Foundation using the Hummingbird cold-press juicer.The group also previews what operators can expect at JuiceCon in Austin, Texas, including speaker presentations, audience panel discussions, local juice crawls, and the annual green juice recipe competition.Chapters0:00 Branding and Large Corporate Catering Events4:53 Welcome to Goodnature Radio8:21 Expanding Production and Catering at Juice Co LG10:08 Scaling Wholesale Distribution with Ruby Jean's13:22 Ruby Jean's Foundation and Community Outreach16:14 The JuiceCon Community and Past Events25:26 Sponsors and Creative Products at JuiceCon27:11 Event Schedule, Green Juice Competition, and Austin31:13 Advice for Juice Business Operators

Join Goodnature and 200 juicing professionals in Austin, TX, November 5-6th, 2026. JuiceCon is the industry conference where like-minded people come together to share valuable knowledge about operating a successful juice bar or other cold-pressed juice business. Tickets are on sale now, prices go up August 1st, 2026. Get tickets at https://goodnature.com/juicecon.

This episode of Goodnature Radio covers effective inventory management for juice bar owners, focusing on using physical order guides to track stock levels, set par values, and streamline ordering processes. Learn practical tips to avoid over or under-ordering and build strong relationships with vendors.

Resources

Good Nature - https://goodnature.comSchool of Juice - https://goodnature.com/school-of-juiceJuice Con - https://goodnature.com/juiceconAri's Consulting Services - https://goodnature.com/consultingRecipe Calculator Spreadsheet - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X9nCpnToAFZcZ5GdJf793vtqZKM2_TxgoaZyldHj178/edit?usp=sharing

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and episode overview02:45 Upcoming events: School of Juice and Juice Con11:00 Main topic: Managing inventory with physical order guides19:26 Choosing and working with produce and equipment vendors21:57 Negotiating with vendors and establishing payment terms25:11 Value-added products and special produce considerations

In this episode of Goodnature Radio, Charlie Wettlaufer and Chef Ari Sexner discuss the essential steps for opening a juice bar or similar retail location. They cover the importance of staff training, the differences between soft openings and grand openings, and provide a detailed schedule for pre-opening activities. The conversation emphasizes hands-on training, customer service techniques, and marketing strategies to ensure a successful launch.Download the document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10-33UF8QGoSN6RQl768E96lwK0aIrJmeNoVmocQta4Q/edit?usp=sharingChapters00:00 Introduction to Juice Business Planning02:54 Understanding Soft Openings05:39 Training Staff for Success08:20 Hands-On Training Techniques10:58 Juicing and Smoothie Preparation14:04 Customer Service Training16:47 Pre-Opening Strategies19:37 Executing the Soft Opening22:15 Marketing and Promotions for Grand Opening24:53 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

In Episode 63 of Goodnature Radio, we go over effective menu design, Chef Ari demonstrates how to make an "upper echelon" $20 smoothie, and we spill the beans on the next JuiceCon, schedule for November 5th-6th 2026. Join the JuiceCon update list at https://www.goodnature.com/juicecon.

Blueberry Coconut Smoothie Recipe

Blueberry, Frozen 8 oz

Banana, Frozen 4 oz

Milk, Coconut 8 oz

Sea moss gel 1 TBL ( Skin, body composed of 102 minerals and nutrients, sea moss contains 92 of these 102)

Collagen, Unflavored 1 TBL (skin, joint)

Honey, Manuka 1-2 tsp (Antibacterial, Immune system)

Bee Pollen, 1 pinch for garnish (Antibacterial, Immune system)

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:47 JuiceCon 2026 Announcement

00:09:31 Enhancing Customer Experience with Effective Menu Layout

00:25:29 Creating Upscale Smoothies: A Live Demo

Goodnature Radio Episode 62 - Kendra and Missy discuss the journey of starting and running Dirt Juicery, a family-owned juice bar. They share personal milestones, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and the importance of community engagement. The discussion covers menu innovations, production strategies, and the significance of having a dedicated team. The guests emphasize the value of learning and adapting in the business world, encouraging aspiring juice bar owners to take the leap and pursue their dreams. Just do it!

Chapters

00:00 Celebrating Family Milestones

02:22 Introduction to Dirt Juicery

04:58 The Journey to Juicing

07:43 Building a Family Business

10:29 Menu Innovations and Seasonal Offerings

13:07 Juicing Operations and Production Strategies

15:57 Community Engagement and Juice Cleanses

18:59 Staffing and Team Dynamics

21:48 Challenges of Expansion

24:23 Advice for Aspiring Juice Bar Owners

27:10 Future Plans for Dirt Juicery

Commercial cold press juicers: https://www.goodnature.com/juicers

Juice business consulting: https://www.goodnature.com/consulting

Commercial Juicing Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/407299067217191

Goodnature Hummingbird: https://www.goodnature.com/juicers/hummingbird

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Companion article with product links: https://www.goodnature.com/blog/commercial-juicing-essential-equipment-and-tools

Detailed breakdown of essential equipment for juicing, highlighting the importance of efficiency and innovation in the kitchen. In this conversation, Charlie Wettlaufer and Ari Sexner discuss essential kitchen tools and equipment for smoothie production, focusing on efficient cleaning techniques, organization, and food safety. They explore various tools such as blenders, spatulas, refrigeration units, and sanitation equipment, emphasizing the importance of efficiency and functionality in a commercial kitchen setting. The discussion also highlights the significance of proper temperature management and the use of high-quality food prep tools to enhance the overall smoothie-making process.

Chapters

00:00 Charlie’s Injury and Recovery Journey

11:44 School of Juice: Upcoming Event Details

12:09 Essential Equipment for Juicing Operations

31:19 Efficient Cleaning Techniques

32:54 Essential Kitchen Tools for Smoothies

35:53 Refrigeration Organization for Smoothie Production

38:50 Optimizing Freezer and Cooler Use

40:23 Temperature Management in Refrigeration

41:10 Utilizing Speed Racks for Efficiency

44:05 Food Prep Tools for Smoothie Making

51:09 Spice and Flavor Enhancement Tools

53:17 Sanitation Equipment for Food Safety

Commercial cold press juicers: https://www.goodnature.com/juicersJuice business consulting: https://www.goodnature.com/consulting

Join us for School of Juice Live Sessions June 11-12, 2025: https://www.goodnature.com/school-of-juice-live

In this episode, Charlie Wettlaufer and Ari Sexner discuss various topics related to the juice industry, including the upcoming School of Juice live sessions, the impact of tariffs on juice businesses, troubleshooting juice separation issues, and ideas for seasonal juice menus as spring and summer approach. They emphasize the importance of networking, hands-on training, and adapting to market

changes.Commercial cold press juicers: https://www.goodnature.com/juicersJuice business consulting: https://www.goodnature.com/consulting

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Episode 60

02:59 School of Juice: Upcoming Live Sessions

09:05 Understanding Tariffs and Their Impact

12:02 Juice Separation: Troubleshooting Common Issues

20:13 Spring and Summer Juice Menu Ideas

In this episode, Charlie Wettlaufer and Ari Sexner discuss the common mistakes people make when starting a juice bar and how to avoid them. They cover essential topics such as finding the right location, creating a unique concept, understanding costs, hiring the right people, and the importance of soft openings. The conversation emphasizes the need for thorough preparation and understanding of the juice bar business to ensure success.Chapters00:00 Common Mistakes in Starting a Juice Bar08:02 Finding the Right Location and Lease13:15 Creating a Unique Concept and Brand21:05 Understanding Costs and Pricing23:22 Hiring the Right People26:45 The Importance of Soft OpeningsCommercial cold press juicers: https://www.goodnature.com/juicersJuice business consulting: https://www.goodnature.com/consulting