Smeraldi's Ristorante at The Regal Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles has served a signature papaya fruit smoothie as part of its Power Breakfast since 1990. Made with yogurt, papaya, banana, maraschino cherries and orange juice, the smoothie is especially popular when the hotel serves as the headquarters for the Los Angeles Marathon, according to Executive Chef Roger Pigozzi. But it pays for itself quickly because the actual cost of the product ingredients is minimal. About half of Jamba Juice units share space with Starbucks Coffee or Noah's Bagels operations. Whether they look at juice drinks to energize a menu, complement other concepts or grow as a stand-alone chain, operators can cash in on rising consumer interest by blending a little creativity with a few fruits and vegetables.
Juices are very hot.
Donna Hood Crecca is a Hauppauge, N.Y.-based freelance journalist.