Case Study
Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar x Chowly Platform
From Juice Bar Dream to Digital Powerhouse
+17.0%
Increase in 1st-Party Digital Sales
March YoY comparison after launching the Chowly Platform
+$121,000
Saved in Commission to 3rd Parties
Annually after switching to the Chowly Platforms
3x
Increase in Website Traffic
Website sessions tripled from January to March
“We focus on healthy, delicious food that’s often a mess to make at home and just easier to grab out. We’ve figured out how to package it all in a beautiful way and create a fun environment where people want to hang out and enjoy some healthy bites at the same time.”
Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar is a mom-and-pop smoothie shop with big heart and loyal regulars.
Back in 2020, two longtime friends—airline pilot and radio personality Neil Paris and mortgage broker Chris Butts—were tired of overpriced, underwhelming lunch spots near home. So they opened their own: a bright, welcoming spot named after Neil’s daughter, serving up juices, smoothies, bowls, and plant-based meals that don’t break the bank.
Guests loved it. Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar quickly became a local favorite with regulars dropping by multiple times a week. A second location opened in 2023—and demand kept growing. But behind the scenes, things were getting complicated. Between third-party fees, outdated tools, and a clunky Square Online setup, managing off-premise orders and keeping everything up to date was draining time and cutting into profits.
Neil and Chris already had full-time jobs, two general managers, and no marketing team. They needed a better system—but not more work.
Chris handles the back-office work—payroll, landlord communications, operations—while Neil focuses on the guest experience, menu, and vibe. With just two general managers running both stores and no dedicated marketing team, they keep things lean. That’s why a done-for-you platform wasn’t just a nice-to-have—it was essential.
That’s where the Chowly Platform comes in.
They moved from Square Online to Chowly’s done-for-you platform—designed to drive more direct orders and optimize digital storefront. With a branded website, mobile app, and rewards program, Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar launched promos, ran Google Ads, and saw first-party sales take off. Website traffic tripled, menu updates got easier, and everything ran through one system.
Today, Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar runs leaner, reaches more guests, and stays focused on what really matters: great food, real connection, and making sure every customer feels at home.
Challenge
Running two locations with full-time jobs and a small team, the founders of Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar, Neil and Chris, didn’t have time to babysit tech.
Their digital setup was scattered, slow, and eating into profits. What they needed was something simple, efficient, and built for busy operators like them.
Instead, they faced:
- Third-party fees with no clear path to shift customers direct
- No visibility into ad performance or ROI
- Outdated Google listings and inconsistent search results
- Menu updates that required multiple logins and too much time
They needed more than a band-aid. They needed a platform that could simplify operations, reduce fees, and grow first-party orders—without adding more work to their plates.
The Shift
For Neil and Chris, the turning point at Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar came when they realized they didn’t need more tools—they needed one platform that could handle it all.
The Chowly Platform stood out not just for its features, but for its ability to quietly power the entire digital side of their business while they stayed focused on guests and operations.
With full-time jobs and a lean team, they didn’t have time to chase down support tickets, toggle between platforms, or track down order data across different systems. Chowly offered a done-for-you approach with serious upside—more visibility, less chaos, and real profitability.
Here’s how the Chowly Platform delivered:
- A custom-branded website built to convert and drive direct orders
- SEO and keyword optimization to boost search rankings and increase Google traffic
- A first-party ordering strategy focused on reclaiming revenue and building loyalty
- Fully managed Google Ads with attribution data tied to actual orders
- Menu syncing and control across all channels from one dashboard
- Dynamic Pricing to increase margins on third-party apps—automatically
- Real-time Google Profile tools to keep listings accurate and converting
- A central control center that connected the dots between marketing, menus, and money
With the Chowly Platform powering the digital storefront side, Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar is growing faster, converting more orders direct, and running lean—without sacrificing service or adding complexity.
“The Chowly Platform is a great asset. I can easily check both stores, see where sales are coming from, and pause delivery apps if things get busy. The analytics are helpful, and the interface is clean and easy to use—unlike other systems that feel overwhelming.”
The Results
While national chains like Chipotle saw YoY declines in early 2025, Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar bucked the trend.
With a lean team, limited time, and zero in-house marketing staff, they used the Chowly Platform to punch above their weight—and grow smarter without burning out.
Since switching to the Chowly Platform, Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar has seen:
- +17.0% increase in first-party digital sales (March YoY)
- 8% shift in off-premise orders from third-party apps to their own website
- $6,934 in new revenue from Dynamic Pricing across marketplace platforms
- $798 in recovered revenue from 88 third-party chargebacks
- First-party orders now account for the majority of digital sales
- Third-party chaos replaced by streamlined, POS-integrated ordering
- 3x increase in website traffic in just 60 days
- 31% drop in bounce rate, indicating better content, SEO, and user experience
- 4.5% lift in organic Google traffic, driven by Chowly-managed SEO
- 3x more exposure on Google Business Profile
- $2,630 in revenue from just $300 in Google Ads spend
- 7.76x Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) with Chowly’s ad tools
- Fully branded, SEO-optimized website built by Chowly (replacing Square Online)
- Menus, pricing, and promos now updated from one platform
- Digital operations no longer require daily micromanagement
- Team now spends more time focused on guests—not troubleshooting tech
“Being front-of-house, the integration has been huge. It adds a lot of value—especially compared to juggling different tablets or dealing with non-integrated setups. Now that orders print directly from our Square POS, I can’t imagine going back. It’s been a great tool.”
Conclusion
For Neil and Chris, Liv’s Juice & Acai Bar was never just about smoothies—it was about creating something meaningful with limited time, strong community roots, and a whole lot of heart.
But growing a restaurant while working full-time jobs meant they needed more than hustle—they needed scalable support.
That’s exactly what they found in the Chowly Platform.
Chowly replaced a mess of disconnected tools with one powerful system—bringing together SEO, menu management, Google Ads, Dynamic Pricing, and dispute recovery. Now, Liv’s runs lean, stays visible, and drives real profitability.
As they look ahead to new menu items, an expanding guest base, and future locations, Chowly is the engine helping them grow—without slowing down.
Key Takeaways:
- Chowly Platform replaced Square Online with a high-performing, branded website
- Dynamic Pricing and first-party tools helped shift orders away from costly third-party platforms
- Google Ads and SEO management drove 3x traffic and 7.76x ROAS
- Menu updates, pricing, and listings are now handled in one place—no extra hires needed
- Recovered revenue and smarter ops freed up time to focus on growth and guests
