PRIVATE EQUITY OWNED
Jamba
Includes Jamba Juice
fast-casual · Atlanta, GA
- PE Firm
- Roark Capital →
- Acquirer
- Focus Brands
- Year Acquired
- 2018
They dropped 'Juice' from the name. Turns out that wasn't the only thing they squeezed out.
The PE Playbook
- Roark's Focus Brands acquired Jamba Juice for $200 million in 2018 — a fire-sale price for a chain that once had 800+ locations
- Immediately rebranded to just 'Jamba' in 2019, dropping 'Juice' from the name in a corporate identity overhaul
- Net loss of stores every year: finished 2024 with 727 U.S. locations, down from 800+ despite opening 49 new stores — closures outpace growth
- Absorbed into the GoTo Foods co-branding machine alongside Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon, and Carvel
Since the Acquisition
- Your standalone neighborhood Jamba is disappearing — increasingly co-located with Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon in cramped 'combo' counter setups
- Understaffed locations mean long waits for a smoothie that used to take minutes — often just one person behind the counter managing the entire line
- Customer service is nearly impossible to reach — finding a working phone number for your local Jamba is a challenge, and complaints go unanswered
- The fresh juice-focused menu has shifted to smoothie-forward with more pre-mixed ingredients — the 'Juice' they dropped from the name isn't the only thing that got squeezed out