More than 15 months since first reporting JoJo’s Shake Bar’s plans for an Orlando debut, the brand seems to be finally approaching opening date for its 9101 International Dr location, a recent report in the Orlando Business Journal signals.
“We are working on a national expansion, being in Orlando sets the tone for that,” founder and partner Robbie Schloss tells the Orlando Business Journal. “We heard a lot about the hospitality industry out here and we know there are really amazing people to add to our team.”
The report adds that the Intl Dr location will be around 4,239 square feet and feature an outdoor patio. It will seat 250 guests and is currently hiring 60 employees. Despite the brand’s significant expansion plans, Schloss and company have no serious interest in franchising.
“We feel like if we franchise, we would lose the brand,” Schloss said. “We are homegrown … my business partner and I are still very involved — I’m literally out here right now building the restaurant in Orlando with my gloves on and getting appliances ready. We think that the customers and the guests really want to see that.”
Defining their ambience on the official website, JoJo’s states that they are “a next-generation restaurant and bar, and Pointe Orlando’s next go-to spot for hangouts, first dates, and family affairs. Grounded in nostalgia, JoJo’s ShakeBAR will leave kids in awe and transport adults back to simpler times with its 80s/90s-inspired details, like arcade game tables and a walk-up window for shoppers & convention goers on the run.”
The brand specializes in a dessert-heavy menu, featuring shakes, milk bars, floats, hot chocolate and more.
What Now Orlando briefly spoke to Robbie Schloss, founder and partner of JoJo’s, as he found himself traversing security at Orlando International Airport and was not immediately available to provide a firm opening date.
