Jan’s Health Bar Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Jan’s Health and fitness Bar, the quickly-everyday eatery embracing a vibrant, healthful life style, celebrates its 50th anniversary this yr. What began as a little pop-up restaurant inside George’s Surf Shop on Main St. in Huntington Beach has grown into a multi-unit mainstay that proceeds to make waves as it expands throughout coastal Southern California.

In 1972, Jan Gaffney opened Jan’s Health Bar, her eponymous eatery dedicated to serving full and healthier food stuff. Identified for its fresh just take on sandwiches, salads, and smoothies, the then-one-device cafe carved out a specialized niche for itself as Huntington Beach’s nutritious scorching location. 

After 38 years, Gaffney preferred to sell the business enterprise to somebody who revered the manufacturer and thought in its mission of creating balanced meals accessible and approachable. Together came Poppy Holguin, a Huntington Beach native whose journey with Jan’s commenced very long prior to an chance for possession was even on the desk. As a child, she frequented Jan’s and got her initial career driving the counter at 15, along with Gaffney.   

A go-getter herself, Holguin’s appreciation for the brand was fueled by her organization belief in Jan’s mission and admiration for Gaffney’s gumption and unapologetic approach to small business. She labored at Jan’s in the course of high college from 1988 to 1991 and continued to frequent the retail outlet lengthy following she labored there. Through one of Holguin’s visits in 2009, Gaffney expressed her curiosity in providing. Her ongoing patronage, 1st-hand encounter, and paralleled push manufactured her the best applicant. 

In 2010, Holguin procured the unique Huntington Seashore area. Applying her expertise of enterprise and advertising and marketing, she has due to the fact expanded the brand name to four additional suppliers: Costa Mesa in 2013, Laguna Seashore in 2015, Corona del Mar in 2017, and Irvine in 2021. In 2018, she renovated the brand’s flagship site, growing it from 800 sq. feet to 2000 sq. feet.

“We wished to honor the unique Huntington Seashore area as our residence base and give customers the chance to join and sit with each other,” feedback Holguin. “It was essential to me to carry the daily life, love, and record of Huntington Seashore into other communities as we expanded.”

With each and every area, Holguin pays homage to the brand’s humble Huntington Seaside beginnings as a result of a combine of new and nostalgic shots curated by locals. Some depict just how interwoven Holguin’s background is with Jan’s, including old pics of her outside the house the first locale at 8 many years old and candid pictures of her operating at the rear of the counter in large faculty.

Nowadays, the menu at Jan’s Wellbeing Bar continues to be real to its roots, offering nutritious items built with whole, uncomplicated elements. While new merchandise have created their way to the menu, authentic offerings like the Peanut Butter Banana Day smoothie and the Tuna Salad Sandwich stay accessible today, continuing to be purchaser favorites for 50 a long time.

“As a modern society, we have never been so unhealthy, but the ‘health’ business has never been bigger, wealthier, and trendier. Accurate wellness lies in simple, complete components,” adds Holguin. “We’ve expanded the menu below and there but continue to be correct to the brand’s primary ethos. Honest, approachable foodstuff never goes out of design and style.”

On the heels of its 50th anniversary, Jan’s Health and fitness Bar displays no indications of slowing down. Numerous in-retail store promotions are planned to mark this milestone. As Holguin reflects on a long time of good results, the trustworthy-worker-turned-very pleased-owner has ideas to grow the eatery into new marketplaces, eyeing a place in Extended Seaside set to open up in 2023.

Jan’s Wellness Bar has five merchants in Orange County, including destinations in Huntington Beach front, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Corona del Mar, and Irvine.