Cold-Pressed Convenience: 7-Eleven Tests HPP Juice

Tony Horton Kitchen cold-pressed juices 2Amid 7-Eleven’s foray into fresh and healthy products, could a Big Gulp of green juice be far behind?

7-Eleven, the world’s largest convenience store chain, is now testing a line of fresh and nutritious foods, including cold-pressed, high pressure processed (HPP) juice and quinoa salads, in a partnership with Tony Horton, creator of popular P90x fitness program. The new products will debut at 100 Los Angeles-area 7-Eleven stores under the “Tony Horton Kitchen” banner, whose foods had previously been available only through direct home delivery.

Priced at $4.99 for a 16 oz. bottle, the cold-pressed juice will come in four varieties:

  • Apple, celery, beet, ginger, parsley, spinach, lemon
  • Apple, coconut water, lime, mint
  • Celery, apple, cucumber, spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, lime, lemon, wheat grass, clover sprouts
  • Carrot, apple, celery, lemon, beet, spinach, lime, parsley, ginger

The new line is part of a growing focus by 7-Eleven to offer a larger selection of healthy foods, amid growing consumer demand for better-for-you products. The company also views potential for a significant uptick in snacking occasions, with an opportunity to fill in the gaps between — and in some cases replace — meals.

“We want to provide healthy, convenient food and beverage options, whether that means a high-protein wrap, a cold-pressed juice or a high-fiber fresh salad,” Kelly Buckley, 7‑Eleven’s vice president of fresh food and beverage innovation and manufacturing, said in a release. “The addition of these nutritionally balanced products gives our guests better and more varied choices.”

During a presentation at BevNET Live Winter ’13, Raja Doddala, 7‑Eleven’s senior director of innovation, expressed some hesitation about the cold-pressed juice category. Nevertheless, in a statement about the company’s decision to partner with Tony Horton, he pointed to the exercise guru’s “passion for reaching people and improving their quality of life inspired us at 7‑Eleven to offer our guests fresh, upscale selections.”

“Tony has been super to work with as we developed healthy, great-tasting, on-the-go choices,” Doddala said. “Besides, the Tony Horton Kitchen brand instantly signals that these will fit into a healthy lifestyle.”

Although, the juices and foods are debuting on a limited scale, a wide release may not be far behind. On the Tony Horton Kitchen Facebook page, a post promoting the launch noted the line is being introduced in the “LA area stores before the national roll-out!”