Movita Juice Bar Franchise Serves Up Teaching Moments and Work-Life Balance for California Mom

Running her Movita Juice Bar in Los Angeles doesn’t mean franchisee Laura Vergara (above) has had to cut corners as a parent. “I’m a full-time Movita operator and a full-time mom,” Vergara says. Sometimes those responsibilities overlap, such as when her 7-year-old son, Jose Santiago, helps at the family’s Movita restaurant. It’s all in a day in the life of this franchisee. The emerging brand specializes in fresh ingredients used in tasty, healthful smoothies, juices, bowls and specialty toasts.

“Occasionally, when Jose Santiago has no school and child care is unavailable, I bring him to the store,” Vergara says. “To keep him engaged, he performs small tasks like cleaning tables, greeting customers, dusting retail areas and flattening boxes. Recently he enjoyed assisting with the new Uber Eats robot deliveries (below) – under my supervision, of course.”

Family Business

Vergara carefully chooses Jose Santiago’s responsibilities when he pitches in at the restaurant. “I ask Jose Santiago to do simple yet meaningful tasks that teach him responsibility and the importance of following directions. Elizabeth is just 4 years old, so she’s still too young to participate. But she’s eager to join us, and I’m looking forward to involving her soon.”

Vergara and her husband, Jose, had no previous franchising experience before investing in their Movita Juice Bar franchise, but she says, “Owning our own business has always been our dream. Jose oversees the administrative side of our operations, while I manage the day-to-day store operations. My sister Angie is also involved as a shift captain and is training to become a manager.”