The Big Squeezy opened a location today inside Matherne’s Supermarket downtown, its fourth in Baton Rouge.
The new location is the juicery’s second downtown after opening a standalone store last year at 327 North Blvd.
Ash Shoukry, co-owner of the Big Squeezy, says the expansion is the first of several new Big Squeezy locations to open in coming months.
Shoukry says new stores will open on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans and on the first floor of the LSU Student Union by mid-August. Two other Baton Rouge locations are under contract, though Shoukry declines to say where those will be.
The Matherne’s Big Squeezy location will be open from 7 a.m. until around 2 p.m. every day to capitalize on the downtown supermarket’s lunch rush. Matherne’s opened in 2015 on the first floor of 440 on Third, a mixed-use development.
“We felt that downtown is an up-and-coming area,” Shoukry says. “We’ve noticed here in Louisiana that some of the supermarkets are missing a few things, and we felt a juice bar would really help create a footprint.”
The Matherne’s location will offer a smaller menu and new offerings like Acai bowls and breakfast bars. Other Big Squeezy locations—including the Perkins Road overpass and Alexander’s Highland Market—also offer a variety of smoothies, gelatos and power bites, among other options.
Shoukry says the North Boulevard store has fit in well downtown, and he hopes the Matherne’s location will capture another slice of that market.
The four additional stores planned in the coming months are part of an expansion effort Shoukry hopes will grow the Big Squeezy’s cult following and expand convenience for customers.
Shoukry, who splits his time between Louisiana and California, says Louisianans are not as behind the curve as people think on the trend toward healthier food and a more knowledgeable consumer.
“You’d be surprised. They just need it to be close to them. They’ve always been hungry, they’ve always been educated, and they’ve always been wanting options for healthy fresh choices,” he says. “If you offer it, they’ll come.”
—Sam Karlin
