Family Feud
Back in 2014, my father, David Antebi, became the owner of the only Juice Press franchise we ever established. After the early success of our first two stores, he wanted in on the momentum, so we set him up with a franchise on 3rd Avenue and 62nd Street. His store ended up becoming the most successful in the entire chain, run as its own self-contained entity, separate from the broader company we were building around it. In fact, my dad's store played a real role in propelling Juice Press to wider recognition, attracting even our investors and their families, which helped solidify their trust in the brand.
The lawsuit that followed had nothing to do with my dad and me. It came out of a strained relationship between him and my business partner at the time, who was also serving as Juice Press's second CEO, driven by personal friction rather than any real business dispute. Despite how well Juice Press was doing overall, tensions between the two of them escalated. Looking back, it is almost funny that many of the operational ideas and discount programs at the center of their disagreement were later adopted by the company anyway, after my dad had already sold his store back to us.
What it really came down to was that my dad wanted an exit, and he went about getting one in his own way, which eventually led to a lawsuit. It upset me at first, but I came to understand his approach was really about setting himself up to retire and move to Florida, which is exactly what happened. He sold his store back to us, we reached a fair settlement, and he let me know his thinking along the way. Once I saw it from his side, I realized it worked out well for both of us.
The lawsuit was filed in New York City, and my dad, ever the operator, hired a PR firm that got the story to the New York Post. They ran it, and somewhat to my surprise, it turned into good press for me, landing me on Page Six for the third time, this time with a large photo alongside the story. Funny enough, my dad ended up helping our public image by suing us. What could have read as a negative story did not reflect poorly on either me or Juice Press.
Circa 2014:
Back in 2014, my father, David Antebi, became the owner of the only Juice Press franchise we ever established. After the early success of our first two stores, he wanted in on the momentum, so we set him up with a franchise on 3rd Avenue and 62nd Street. His store ended up becoming the most successful in the entire chain, run as its own self-contained entity, separate from the broader company we were building around it. In fact, my dad's store played a real role in propelling Juice Press to wider recognition, attracting even our investors and their families, which helped solidify their trust in the brand.
The lawsuit that followed had nothing to do with my dad and me directly. It came out of a strained relationship between him and my business partner at the time, who was also serving as Juice Press's second CEO, driven by personal friction rather than any real business dispute. Despite how well Juice Press was doing overall, tensions between the two of them escalated. Looking back, it is almost funny that many of the operational ideas and discount programs at the center of their disagreement were later adopted by the company anyway, after my dad had already sold his store back to us.
What it really came down to was that my dad wanted an exit, and he went about getting one in his own way, which eventually led to a lawsuit. It upset me at first, but I came to understand his approach was really about setting himself up to retire and move to Florida, which is exactly what happened. He sold his store back to us, we reached a fair settlement, and he let me know his thinking along the way. Once I saw it from his side, I realized it worked out well for both of us.
The lawsuit was filed in New York City, and my dad, ever the operator, hired a PR firm that got the story to the New York Post. They ran it, and somewhat to my surprise, it turned into good press for me, landing me on Page Six for the third time, this time with a large photo alongside the story. Funny enough, my dad ended up helping our public image by suing us. What could have read as a negative story did not reflect poorly on either me or Juice Press.
(Note from the founder of goodsugar: I'm sharing articles from my Juice Press days because it was a significant ten year chapter of my life. It's also fun and inspiring. goodsugar marks my second venture in the health food industry, representing a progressive leap with an improved brand and product. I can confidently say goodsugar is better, due to fewer creative constraints, smoother operations, and a focus on quality over profits. I birthed goodsugar in the same passionate, frenzied manner as Juice Press, right from my living room laptop. Thank you.)