A California-born juice and smoothie chain is finally crossing into Alabama, with Nékter Juice Bar set to open its first location in the state next month at Riverhills Shopping Center on Highway 280. No exact opening date has been announced yet, but the new shop will join the retail strip near Chuck E. Cheese, Aldi and Art's Music Shop in the unincorporated part of Shelby County.
The coming store was first reported by the Shelby County Reporter, which noted the chain has not revealed exactly when doors will open on Highway 280. The shopping center itself sits along one of the busier stretches of road in the area, with a property listing from Barber Companies putting daily traffic on Highway 280 at 90,000 vehicles.
What's on the Menu
Nékter built its reputation on cold-pressed juices, made-to-order smoothies and açai bowls, and the Shelby County location is expected to carry the same lineup. According to Nation's Restaurant News, the chain's menu spans fresh juices, superfood smoothies, wellness shots, grab-and-go cold-pressed juices, healthy snacks and multiple cleanse programs. The company's own menu page describes its smoothies as blended fresh to order and its juices as pressed to order, packed with roughly three pounds of fruits and vegetables per bottle.
Beyond the classics, newer additions to the menu include protein waffles, build-your-own parfaits and protein poppers, per the brand's own site. Açai bowls remain a signature item, combining a thick fruit-based blend with toppings like fresh fruit and granola.
A Decade-Plus of Growth
Nékter Juice Bar traces its roots to 2010 in Southern California, according to Nation's Restaurant News, and the brand has been expanding steadily since. The outlet reported the company had grown to 330 locations open or in development, following a stretch that saw it push into more than 30 new markets across 2022 and the first quarter of 2023.
That expansion has been building for years. Back in June 2021, Birmingham was already named among the major new markets Nékter planned to enter, alongside Chicago, Northwest Indiana and San Antonio, Texas, according to franchising.com. That same report noted the chain had 200 additional locations in its pipeline at the time and had posted companywide sales growth of more than 50% compared with the prior year.
How Other Grand Openings Have Looked
While no Alabama-specific promotion or operator has been confirmed, recent openings elsewhere offer a sense of how Nékter typically rolls out new stores. In Fort Worth, Texas, a location along Heritage Trace Parkway opened as the chain's first in north Fort Worth and was owned and operated by a Northlake resident, Community Impact reported. Its grand opening featured $5 small smoothies all day and free protein waffles for customers spending more than $15, while supplies lasted.
A separate opening played out this year in Pittsburg, California, where Nékter began serving customers at 2261 West Leland Road in the Shoppes at San Marco complex, according to The Mercury News. That East Bay location held its own grand-opening celebration in September.
For now, the Shelby County opening adds a new food and beverage option to the Highway 280 corridor, joining the retail mix at Riverhills Shopping Center. Whether the Alabama debut brings similar grand-opening deals or a hometown franchise operator remains to be seen, as neither detail has been confirmed for the Highway 280 shop.
