Patrons of the Ruby Jean’s Juicery at Town Center Plaza in Leawood may have noticed some significant changes in recent days.
For one, the business has stopped accepting paper money entirely, opting for fully cashless operations moving forward.
Owner Chris Goode opened the Leawood location in March 2022, and says after eight years of operating the business he’s learned that the “pros” of accepting cash simply do not outweigh the “cons” and it was simply time to move on.
“Going cashless really helps us expedite the service times,” Goode said. “It’s just a safer approach too and offers a better experience, whether you’re tapping your phone or card it only takes a few seconds and we don’t have to worry about counting cash.”
Cash isn’t the only thing disappearing from the store at 11828 Roe Ave. Goode has also streamlined the menu in Leawood, eliminating food he says wasn’t popular with customers, and was burdening the overall operation. A recent signed posted to the business’s door reads:
“After a year of listening to our customers at this location we have shifted our menu and focus by removing food. Our new menu will consist solely of our handcrafted juices, smoothies, performance shakes, grab-and-go items and healthy snacks.”
Goode says the menu shift is a part of a larger effort to identify what each of his three locations around the city are excelling at and focusing on those. In the case of the Leawood store, customers were zeroing in on Ruby Jean’s cold pressed juices, and wanting to get them as quickly as possible, while the food offerings were standing in the way of things.
“By gearing our focus on the cold pressed juices and other beverages we’re really able to lower wait times, so people can get in and out,” Goode said. “We want a fast paced experience and so we’re pivoting away from having too many food offerings at this location.”
Brand is refining presence throughout the metro
Goode said his Troost location in Kansas City would still cater to customers wanting a wider food menu and experience, but Leawood would move forward as a hub for beverages and light, healthy snacks, such as protein rounds and sweet potato brownies.
The company has been busy finding new ways to get the product out into the community and into the hands of new audiences. This includes catering throughout the city. They’ve also established relationships with the Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Current, and even taken orders from opposing teams and clubs coming into town. Corporate events have been happening across town as well, including setting up a juice bar at a recent Children’s Mercy wellness event.
While the brand has utilized a number of different pop up spaces in recent years, Ruby Jean’s has become a more permanent fixture at the City Market downtown, with a booth there since Father’s Day.
Soon, people will be able to find and order cold pressed juices from Ruby Jean’s on delivery apps, like Uber Eats, Goode said.
The biggest news and change for the brand could be coming very soon in the form of an announcement of a major distribution deal. Goode refuses to reveal too much of what is in the works, but he promises the deal is with a local entity that will help secure a footprint for Ruby Jean’s cold pressed juices all over the metro area.
