Today we’d like to introduce you to Lydia Hobbs.
Hi Lydia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Full Press Juicery launched thirty-five days before the world was shut down due to COVID-19, but we are still PRESSING forward. Birthed in Orlando, FL we service several surrounding counties within the Central Florida corridor including Tampa, our hometown. We currently offer juice pick-up and participate in quarterly events throughout the Tampa Bay and Orlando areas. We started conducting weekly meetings to draft our plan of developing our business structure, where to launch, sought legal counsel and obtained our licensing/trademark. We asked family and friends to sample and complete surveys which helped define our recipes. Pricing was based upon knowing our cost and checking out our competitors in the Central Florida area. We did our soft launch Feb 2020 at an annual Orange County School (Jones High School). The school was celebrating 125 years of rich culture and legacy. We were well received by the attendees, as we sold out before the end of the event.
Local businesses and other city organizers reached out to us to participate in their events and interestingly we landed in Tampa, FL (our hometown). And guess what? We did it again! Another sold-out event. So excited about the response that we received from the consumers, we started strategizing to launch our product in numerous counties within Central Florida.
Then, BAM! The world shut down due to COVID-19…… However, all hope was not lost. We went back to the drawing board and revisited our plan to withstand this major virus and what better way by keeping our community healthy than with nutrient-filled juice (no added sugars, no preservatives and infused with your daily recommended vitamins).
During the COVID-19 transition, we’ve had the opportunity to juice bi-weekly and still keep our business afloat. We have definitely turned our lemons into lemonade.
Full Press Juicery has truly been a grassroots efforts of family wanting to do more for the wellness of our community. Our company is a faith-based, minority and family-owned & operated business that was inspired by the need to provide accessible, healthy alternatives and to ensure those choices are fresh and locally sourced. Candace & Lydia are dedicated, passionate and driven to making Full Press Juicery a household name for wellness one sip at a time. We take pride in utilizing locally sourced produce, no added water, no added preservatives or sugar and a great vegan probiotic. Our motto is “Pressed Fresh, Live Healthy” and we believe the scripture text of Job 21:24 “The picture of good health, vigorous and fit”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road hasn’t been straight but it’s been forgiving when we least expect it. Our struggles have been the average growing pains with the addition of a world pandemic. Such as finding our own brick & mortar, marketing to the right demographics and funding.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Full Press Juicery is known for its quality, consistent growth in products, partnering with locally businesses and having a personal relationship with our customers. We are most proud of the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others during a time of uncertainty. Health was and is at the forefront of everyone’s mind and we were very fortunate to keep ourselves, staff and our community healthy & safe. For those who contracted the virus consumed our products to boost their immune systems for recovery. Now that speaks volumes as drinking cold press juices are the fastest way to absorb your vitamins, nutrients and minerals. What sets us apart from our competitors is simple; we offer great quality products and we truly treat our customers like family.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I would say our favorite childhood memory was growing up with our parents and grandparents, seeing the love they shared with others instilled in us the value and influence you can have with others who care. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel” – Maya Angelou
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@fullpressjuicery.com
- Website: https://www.fullpressjuicery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullpressjuicery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FullPressJuiceryFPJ/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/full-press-juicery-orlando
