Orange Julius
Encyclopedia
Orange Julius is a chain of fruit drink beverage stores. It has been in business since the late 1920s. The eponymous beverage is a mixture of orange juice, milk, sugar, ice and vanilla flavoring.
The drink grew out of an orange juice stand opened in Los Angeles
in 1926 by Julius Freed. Sales were initially modest, about $20 a day (about $245 in 2010, adjusting for inflation). In 1929, Bill Hamlin, Freed's real estate broker, developed a mixture that made the acidic orange juice less bothersome to his stomach. Freed's stand began serving the drink, which had a frothier, creamier texture. The sales at the stand increased substantially after the introduction of the new drink, going up to $100 a day. People began lining up at the store and shouting, "Give me an Orange, Julius!" Eventually, the new drink would simply be called "the Orange Julius".
During the 1950s and 1960s, Orange Julius was sold at a variety of outlets, including state and county fairs and freestanding Orange Julius stands.
The Orange Julius was named the official drink of the 1964 New York World's Fair
.
Originally, and through the 1980s, a raw egg blended into the drink was offered as an option. This was seen as a good source of protein for body builders. However, the option was later dropped for food safety reasons, and bananas are now offered as a substitute.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Orange Julius beverage stands used the image of a devil with a pitchfork
, similar to that of the Arizona State University
mascot, Sparky
, around an orange, with the slogan, "A Devilish Good Drink". The company later dropped the logo and slogan after threats of a lawsuit from the ASU alumni association.
For a short period in the early 1970s, Orange Julius expanded into the UK market, with a fairly large restaurant in Golders Green
, selling Julius Burgers as well as the classic orange drink. However, this had gone by the mid-70s.
In 1987, the Orange Julius chain was bought by International Dairy Queen
. IDQ, and by inclusion since 1999, Berkshire Hathaway
, owns the rights to all Orange Julius stores, and have expanded the chain so its drinks are included in many of their Dairy Queen mall stores, called Treat Centers.
In 2004, Orange Julius launched a line of Premium Fruit Smoothies to compete with smoothie competitors such as Jamba Juice
and Smoothie King
.
History
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1926 by Julius Freed. Sales were initially modest, about $20 a day (about $245 in 2010, adjusting for inflation). In 1929, Bill Hamlin, Freed's real estate broker, developed a mixture that made the acidic orange juice less bothersome to his stomach. Freed's stand began serving the drink, which had a frothier, creamier texture. The sales at the stand increased substantially after the introduction of the new drink, going up to $100 a day. People began lining up at the store and shouting, "Give me an Orange, Julius!" Eventually, the new drink would simply be called "the Orange Julius".
During the 1950s and 1960s, Orange Julius was sold at a variety of outlets, including state and county fairs and freestanding Orange Julius stands.
The Orange Julius was named the official drink of the 1964 New York World's Fair
1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
.
Originally, and through the 1980s, a raw egg blended into the drink was offered as an option. This was seen as a good source of protein for body builders. However, the option was later dropped for food safety reasons, and bananas are now offered as a substitute.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Orange Julius beverage stands used the image of a devil with a pitchfork
Pitchfork
A pitchfork is an agricultural tool with a long handle and long, thin, widely separated pointed tines used to lift and pitch loose material, such as hay, leaves, grapes, dung or other agricultural materials. Pitchforks typically have two or three tines...
, similar to that of the Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
mascot, Sparky
Sparky (Arizona State Mascot)
Sparky the Sun Devil is the official mascot of Arizona State University. Originally the ASU athletic teams' mascot was an owl, then became a "Normal" , then was later changed to a bulldog. The State Press, the student newspaper, ran frequent appeals during the fall of 1946, urging the Bulldog to be...
, around an orange, with the slogan, "A Devilish Good Drink". The company later dropped the logo and slogan after threats of a lawsuit from the ASU alumni association.
For a short period in the early 1970s, Orange Julius expanded into the UK market, with a fairly large restaurant in Golders Green
Golders Green
Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. Although having some earlier history, it is essentially a 19th century suburban development situated about 5.3 miles north west of Charing Cross and centred on the crossroads of Golders Green Road and Finchley Road.In the...
, selling Julius Burgers as well as the classic orange drink. However, this had gone by the mid-70s.
In 1987, the Orange Julius chain was bought by International Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen, often abbreviated DQ, is a chain of soft serve and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc, who also owns Orange Julius and Karmelkorn. The name "Dairy Queen" is taken from the name of their soft serve product, which the company refers to as "Dairy Queen" or...
. IDQ, and by inclusion since 1999, Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. The company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 44 years,...
, owns the rights to all Orange Julius stores, and have expanded the chain so its drinks are included in many of their Dairy Queen mall stores, called Treat Centers.
In 2004, Orange Julius launched a line of Premium Fruit Smoothies to compete with smoothie competitors such as Jamba Juice
Jamba Juice
Jamba Juice is a chain of smoothie restaurants, headquartered in Emeryville, California, with over 700 locations operating in 30 states, the Bahamas, Canada, Korea, and the Philippines. Over 500 locations are company-owned, with the remainder being franchised...
and Smoothie King
Smoothie King
Smoothie King Franchises Inc. is a smoothie and health food retailer that caters to a healthy lifestyle through nutritious blended fruit-based drinks. First opening in 1973 as a stand-alone vitamin shop in Kenner, Louisiana; Smoothie King now encompasses over 600 locations and appeals to families...
.
Sources
- Mariani, John F. (1999) The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. New York: Lebhar-Friedman. ISBN 0-86730-784-6