Our story

Founding of Jusu Bar (2014)

Jusu’s story begins in Victoria, British Columbia in late 2014. It was founded by Bruce Mullen, an Alberta transportation executive turned wellness entrepreneur, inspired by a personal tragedy. Mullen’s wife Charlene was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and passed away the next year, which spurred him to reevaluate everything his family ate and used at home. On the one-year anniversary of her funeral, Mullen himself was diagnosed with cancer. This was a wake-up call that led him, with his son’s encouragement, to launch a health-focused venture. 

In November 2014, he opened the first Jusu Bar in Victoria’s Cadboro Bay neighborhood. Mullen’s vision was to help people “take health and wellness into their own hands” by providing 100% organic, nutrient-rich foods and drinks as an alternative to typical fast food. The original Jusu Bar offered cold-pressed juices, smoothies, nut “mylks,” and plant-based snacks and meals. Everything was free of refined sugars or artificial additives. 

From day one, Jusu was about honest, natural choices. Bruce Mullen dedicated the brand to his late wife, determined to give others what they need to “live better lives” through clean nutrition. This founding mission of pure, plant-powered wellness would shape Jusu’s growth in the years to come.

Expansion of the Juice Bar Chain (2015–2017)

Jusu Bar quickly gained a loyal following in Victoria for its organic juices and healthy fare. Over the next two years, the company expanded its retail footprint. By 2016, Jusu operated three juice bar locations in Victoria and even a satellite kiosk at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal outside Vancouver. 

That year marked a major leap… In September 2016, Jusu Bars Inc. acquired Cru Juice, a Calgary-based raw juice company, instantly adding five stores in Alberta to its portfolio. With a total of nine retail locations after the merger, Jusu became one of Western Canada’s preeminent cold-pressed juice chains. 

This growth was fueled by an ambitious vision. “Our vision is to help every man, woman and child reap the benefits of high quality, nutrient-rich, plant-based food and beverage products,” Bruce Mullen said, emphasizing Jusu’s mission to bring convenient yet truly healthy options to busy consumers. Jusu’s menu at the time went beyond juices to include salads, panini, superfood snacks and cleanses. “Grab and go” nutrition designed to make healthy eating easy. Flush with success in B.C. and Alberta, Jusu eyed broader horizons. 

The company planned to open six more stores in 2017 and signed a partnership to launch its first international location in San Francisco. This rapid expansion established Jusu as a rising star in the health-food scene, positioning it to deliver plant-based goodness to more communities.

Pivot to Plant-Based Products and Jusu Body (2016–2019)

Even as Jusu’s juice bars grew, the team was already looking beyond beverages. Bruce Mullen had come to believe that wellness wasn’t just about diet… It also meant avoiding the harsh chemicals lurking in everyday household and beauty products. From the outset, Jusu aimed to be a “full spectrum” wellness brand, addressing what we eat and what we put on our bodies. 

In 2016, Bruce Mullen began developing a line of all-natural personal care and home products with Alistair Vigier, creatively upcycling the nutrient-rich pulp left over from juicing. By 2017, this effort had blossomed into Jusu Body, which is a range of organic skin care, body care, and even pet care items, all made from plant-based ingredients. 

The goal was to offer people totally natural alternatives to chemical-laden lotions, soaps, and cleaners. Bruce Mullen often described Jusu’s mission as helping families “protect themselves” by providing completely natural products for consumption, home and body. To lead this expansion, Mullen brought on passionate individuals who shared his vision. 

Alistair Vigier, then a young Victoria-based entrepreneur, was part of Jusu Body’s founding team in 2017, focused on growing the early-stage skincare business alongside Mullen with a focus on China.) Under Mullen’s leadership, Jusu’s product catalog grew to around 100 plant-powered formulations. This included face cleansers and creams to non-toxic household cleaners, all crafted with the same ethos as its juices. 

This evolution from a juice bar into Jusu Body and Jusu Home lines signaled the brand’s commitment to holistic wellness. Jusu was no longer just a juice shop. It was becoming a comprehensive plant-based wellness company grounded in clean ingredients and transparency.

Transition Away from Retail Juice Bars (2018–2020)

As Jusu’s product offerings diversified, the company gradually shifted its strategy away from brick-and-mortar juice bars toward broader distribution of its consumer products. Bruce Mullen bought out all investors and his Jusu Body partner, Alistair Vigier. 

After this, running multiple fresh-juice cafés proved challenging… High operating costs and the complexities of perishable inventory made scaling difficult. By 2018–2019, Jusu began streamlining its retail operations. Several underperforming locations were closed or converted, allowing the team to focus on product development and e-commerce. 

By early 2020, only the original Cadboro Bay juice bar in Victoria remained in operation. Instead of a chain of cafés, Jusu emphasized getting its bottled cold-pressed juices and new body/home goods into customers’ hands through stores and online channels. 

This pivot turned out to be timely. In 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the importance of health, Jusu started offering home delivery for its juices and selling through partners like Whole Foods and local markets. Still, the core juice bar business was winding down. The Cadboro Bay shop continued serving the loyal local community and acted as a test kitchen, but growth was now coming from product sales rather than new café openings. 

By the end of 2021, Jusu’s owners decided to exit the retail juice business entirely. The Cadboro Bay location was closed in February 2022, and production of fresh juices ceased as Jusu doubled down on its packaged wellness products. 

This marked the end of Jusu’s chapter as a juice bar chain. The tough decision to pull back from retail was driven by the desire to focus on Jusu’s most successful and scalable venture, its plant-based consumer products. It was also done to preserve the company’s financial health amid changing market conditions. Jusu’s identity was now firmly rooted in being a clean lifestyle brand, rather than a storefront café business.

Part of Better (Life) Plant Sciences – Public Company Era (2020–2022)

A significant turning point for Jusu came in 2020, when the brand became part of a publicly traded wellness company. In mid-2020, Better Plant Sciences Inc. (sometimes referred to as “Better Life Sciences”) announced an agreement to acquire Jusu’s key assets. The deal closed on October 9, 2020, with Better Plant purchasing the assets of Jusu Bars Inc., Jusu Body Inc., and Jusu CBD Inc. in an all-stock transaction valued at about $2.225 million, down from a previous valuation of $15 million.

Jusu was folded into Better Plant’s portfolio via a new subsidiary called Jusu Wellness Inc.. This acquisition kicked off a new phase… Jusu now had the backing of a larger company with resources to expand manufacturing and distribution. At the time of acquisition, Jusu’s business was generating roughly $60,000 in monthly revenues, with a range of 300+ plant-based products spanning home, body, and baby categories. 

Better Plant’s CEO Penny White praised Jusu as “an excellent addition” and outlined plans to strengthen the brand, grow e-commerce sales, and even franchise the juice bar concept (though the franchise idea was later shelved). As part of the deal, founder Bruce Mullen joined Better Plant’s board of directors, bringing his experience and remaining closely involved. 

Under Better Plant’s ownership, Jusu’s product development continued. In 2021, new Jusu items were rolled out, for example, natural hair care lines and eco-friendly household cleaners, leveraging Better Plant’s R&D capabilities. 

For a time, the partnership seemed promising. Better Plant Sciences itself was riding a wave of investor enthusiasm in the plant-based and wellness sector; the company (which also had a psychedelics arm) saw its stock reach a peak market capitalization of around $500 million in the period after acquiring Jusu. This public-company chapter represented a milestone for Jusu: the brand gained national exposure and scaled its manufacturing, benefiting from Better Plant’s capital and infrastructure. 

However, by late 2021, Better Plant began to change strategic direction – pivoting toward technology endeavors, and Jusu was no longer a core focus. In early 2022, Better Plant decided to divest its consumer product brands. In April 2022, after roughly 18 months under the Better Plant umbrella, Jusu was sold off to a private buyer as Better Plant prepared for a reverse merger in the metaverse tech industry. 

A New Chapter Under Alistair Vigier (2022–Present)

Following its departure from Better Plant Sciences, Jusu entered a new era of independent ownership, led by Alistair Vigier, a young Canadian entrepreneur with a personal passion for the brand’s mission. Alistair Vigier had been involved with Jusu since the early days (he was part of Jusu’s founding team in 2017, helping build the skincare line) and had remained a believer in Jusu’s plant-based ethos. 

In 2022, seeing the opportunity to revitalize the company, Vigier acquired Jusu from the interim owner, intent on rebuilding the brand “with intention” and focus. Under Vigier’s leadership, Jusu’s headquarters moved to Vancouver, and he assumed the title of Founder as he spearheaded a reboot of the business while he searched for a CEO. 

His reasons for acquiring Jusu were rooted in both personal interest and strategic potential. Having witnessed the difference clean ingredients can make (Vigier has spoken about the importance of gentle, natural skincare, especially for those with sensitive skin), he was determined to carry Jusu’s torch and do things the right way. He also recognized that, despite past setbacks, Jusu had strong brand equity and a library of high-quality formulations developed over years, a solid foundation for a comeback.

“This next chapter of Jusu is about focus,” Vigier said. There will be fewer products held to higher standards, with an emphasis on clarity and consistency. The entire brand underwent a refresh… Everything from ingredient sourcing to packaging was reexamined against stricter criteria. 

Vigier has described Jusu as being “rebuilt thoughtfully and deliberately,” with sharper values and a renewed dedication to creating truly beneficial products that fit into real life. This meant improving formulas, updating branding, and engaging directly with Jusu’s community for feedback as the company reinvented itself.

Now under Alistair Vigier’s guidance, Jusu is returning to its roots, and refining them for the future, as a clean, plant-based lifestyle brand devoted to honest wellness. With its founding spirit intact and a clear-eyed strategy for growth, Jusu’s story of origin and evolution is poised to continue, serving as a narrative of resilience and an unwavering commitment to “great products for great people.