It was in 1993 when two families, the Hernandezes and the Escalonas, set up the first Fruit Magic cart in SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. After enjoying steady success, by 1997 revenues began to dip and the owner decided to sell out. Two years later, Alan Escalona, now Fruit Magic CEO, acquired the company and set out to turn it around.

16 years and more than 35 branches later, Fruit Magic has become the leader in the juicing industry in the Philippines and is currently enjoying its popularity as the leading source of the freshest fruit juices in the country. And now, riding the trend of establishments offering lounge areas, they’ve launched their newest concept, the Fruit Magic Lounge.

Conceptualization started in January of 2009. In May of the same year they opened the first Fruit Magic Lounge at the ground floor of Victoria Towers in Quezon City. According to company Brand Manager Martin Escalona, Fruit Magic wanted to graduate from their popular cart and kiosk set up and venture into a more challenging concept. “We wanted a place that [would] really enhance our food since our shakes are bestsellers. The lounge can showcase how our food can be great. We also wanted to promote a relaxing place where they can enjoy meetings, Wi-Fi, and simply hang out instead of the usual café.”

With their luxurious purple sofas, leather ottomans, padded booths, a chill-out music playlist, and free wireless internet, it’s easy to mistake the lounge for your run-of-the-mill coffee shop. According to Escalona, “We wanted to make sure that we get all the components of a lounge: nice music, comfy seats, nice ambiance…we wanted a more lively, colorful place, very pleasing to the eyes and still [has] that café feel.” The result is a space where one can spend hours relaxing in a cozy chair, however instead of sipping a cup of espresso with a sugar-glazed donut, you can get a shot of wheatgrass or a strawberry kiwi shake with a tuna melt sandwich. They’ve managed to make lounging healthy.

Their number one customer remains to be the growing community of health-buffs. “They partner their work-outs with our drinks,” says Escalona, and have been there since they began. But despite the launch of this new concept, Fruit Magic still goes back to its original set up: their carts and kiosks. “It’s still the bread and butter of the company,” says Escalona. And that’s exactly how it all began 16 years ago.