Touting speed of service, quality control and risk mitigation, Jevo is ready to revamp the alcohol industry within gentlemen’s clubs.
In their own words, Jevo’s arrival in the market took a bit longer than anticipated. But despite the delayed takeoff, Jevo—an automated gelatin shot maker that promises to revolutionize the process of creating and selling “jello” shots (think a Keurig for jello shots)—is finally spreading its wings to every corner of the adult nightclub industry.
The Tigard-based (Oregon) company did its due diligence with market testing, from smaller independent accounts to the large national behemoths that can make or break success. And while the testers run the spectrum, the adulation has been constant.
ED Magazine spoke to Reymond Hernandez, Marketing Director with Jevo—a three-time EXPO Title Sponsor—to find out more about its growth and development as well as what’s planned for 2018.
ED: Our first question is an obvious one — Why should a club owner consider a Jevo gelatin shot maker for their bar?
HERNANDEZ: Well, if an operator is already making jello shots, there is no doubt they need a Jevo. And because Jevo is a true profit center, it tends to attract those interested in improving their bottom line. For example, an operator selling 1,500 shots per month at $5 each will exceed $80k in profit per year. That said, it might appear that the Jevo demographic is an operator who is looking to increase profits with a high-margin jello shot, but as we have brought on more customers we have found that is not the deciding factor for acquiring Jevo.
We have determined that the common denominator as to why operators acquired Jevo is the “cool factor.” At the surface, it might not appear to be strategic. However, when you look a little deeper you realize that this translates to creating an innovative menu and an exceptional customer experience–which is very strategic. Savvy operators understand that when they accomplish these things, the revenue and profits are sure to follow. The other top reasons customers get Jevo are: speed-of-service, quality control and risk mitigation due to Jevo’s precise pour technology.
ED: You mentioned you’ve been doing installations across the country. Is there a club market where the Jevo shot maker has done particularly well?
RH: Las Vegas is really taking a significant liking of Jevo. But overall, I don’t think our customer heat-map would surprise anyone. The primary installation clusters so far have been in Southern California, Texas and Florida, to name a few. With school and football season, we’ve seen a lot of activity from bars near universities.
ED: How does selling Jevo to an adult nightclub compare with other clientele you have?
RH: Our presentation to an adult nightclub is very consistent with most other independent operators, which means we must help them understand how Jevo addresses all of their concerns, meets ROI quickly and helps them produce tremendously high profit.
ED: How rewarding is it to install Jevo gelatin shot makers in Portland, right around the corner from where you’re based?
RH: Although our initial launch prioritizes other markets, it’s important for us to own our hometown. We currently have a few production Jevos installed in Portland, including Yur’s and one of Portland’s oldest bars, Montage. We still have to maintain our launch priorities and respect our reservation list, but we’re making it a point to install in Portland when we have the opportunity to do so.
It’s great being able to visit these places in person, it helps us get a feel for the location, the owner, and their customers. Plus, we get customer feedback first-hand, and feedback is what helps us improve our product and processes. We really want our clients to succeed and we only win when they do.
ED: What does Jevo have planned for 2018?
RH: Ramping up production; 2017 helped us understand our on-boarding and fulfillment process timelines. Now, we are able to better estimate and set an even more aggressive installation goal for 2018. Our production facility is outstanding and we are thankfully at a place where we can rapidly build quality machines.