We get asked that all the time. People are often surprised that we are not part of a big chain or backed by a large corporation. I think it is because we are very good at what we do. Our team has deep experience in this industry. We have helped build a large national chain before, and while we will not name it anymore because it no longer represents what it used to be, we learned a lot from that experience.
Now, with goodsugar, we are building something very different. Something special. And we are holding on to it with care and intention.
In our first brand, launched in 2010, we were not prepared for how successful it would become. The growth was fast, and so were the mistakes. We expanded too quickly. We took on locations we should have passed on. We did not yet have a clear philosophy or a defined set of values. The partnership between myself and my former cofounder became misaligned. We made compromises that cost us.
We did not lock in the values that matter to us today. We did not commit to purity. We did not insist on no pasteurization. We did not establish ingredient excellence as a nonnegotiable. And most importantly, we did not build a culture that consistently supported the people on our team. We had something magical in the early stores. But by the time we hit Store 20, things began to fall apart. Hiring was rushed. Systems were sloppy. The soul of the company began to fade.
With goodsugar, we are doing it differently.
We know what works now. We are building slow and smart. We are not going to add animal protein. We are not going to compromise by switching to conventional produce. We are not going to pasteurize our juice. We are not going to cut corners with ingredients. We are going to stick to what we believe in. And we are going to support our team with kindness, consistency, and integrity.
Yes, we will build more stores. But not too many. Not too fast.
My team and I already know the exact number of stores that are manageable. We understand what needs to happen at each stage of this growth. Right now, with just one location, we have proven a financial model that is sustainable. We have documented what works. We know what must be repeated in store two. That is the goal. Not speed. Not size. But consistency.
Store two does not have to be better. It has to be the same. Store three must reflect the same quality and values. That is how you scale something with integrity. That is how you build a legacy.
Yes, everything evolves. But in our old company, we were not evolving. We were expanding without improving. We were solving problems with speed, not wisdom. I did not yet have the experience to lead or the clarity to say no when it mattered. Most of all, I did not yet have a philosophy.
Now I do.
are you going to open more stores? is this your only store? store locations?