Business: Juice Time

Address: 1624 Route 59, Naperville

Phone/website: 331-401-5145;  www.juicetimenaperville.com

Manager: Amal Ali, 53, of Aurora

Years in business: 2 in March

What does your business do? “We do sweets. Fresh juice and fruit, 100% pure. Real good for you. We have milkshakes, ice cream,” Ali said.

When are you open? “From 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. every day.”

Is this a franchise? “Yes. They have 500 locations around the world. It’s based in the Middle East. … My brother, Waleed Alshammari, owns this store.”

Why did you open this store? “It’s something different. We give experience for other people to have different tastes. A lot of our materials come from the Middle East. The recipes. Even the syrup is from over there too.”

Is the quality better? “When we opened a shipment was late. We tried two companies here. The taste and colors were different. You can tell. They have nice colors and strong taste (from the Middle East).”

Hathaifah Marie, 20, of Montgomery, prepares an Oreo milkshake at Juice Time, a Naperville sweets shop with Middle Eastern roots on Route 59. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun)

What are some of the more popular items? “The Dubai-style menu. Dubai chocolate. Dubai milkshake. The Dubai chocolate strawberry is our top seller. People love it. … The material we use. Belgian chocolate. Very expensive. The pistachio is from over there. … We use vanilla ice cream, but the topping sauces are from over there. Mango. Cotton candy, the kids like it.”

What were you doing before this? “I managed shipping for a hearing aid company. Then my brother had this idea. I was not surprised. I like it. Before this one opened, they have a Juice Time (on Harlem Avenue) in Bridgeview. A different owner. Before we opened this one, I’d go over there.”

How is your business doing? “The first year was slow because nobody knew about this. But now, the second year, has been good. Very good. … Before, people didn’t know about us. Now, they do.”

What do first-time visitors say? “They say the menu is too big. They cannot choose. I tell them, ‘Tell me what you want’ and I give them my ideas.”

Why does the Middle East have so many good sweets? “They like sweets. The tradition over there is after a lunch or dinner, you have a sweet. And no one is fat over there. I don’t know why. No processing. The food over there, no one asks if it’s organic or not organic. It’s all organic.

“I heard about a man on Instagram. He said he went to Europe for three months, ate fast food and didn’t gain one pound. He said after he came back to the United States, he ate fast food. After six weeks he gained six pounds.”

Where are you from? “I’m from Iraq. I came here 15 years ago. … We have war in my country. I’m happy here. I like it.”

How many people work here? “Now I have three people.”

Are you here every day? “Yes.”

Is this a tough business? “No. It’s fun. … A lot of customers are in a good mood. I have a lot of return people. We have a rewards system. Come in 10 times, you get anything you want for free, except for the Crepe Kunafa.”

Do a lot of people come in for juice? “Yes, we have a lot of fresh juices.”

Do many families come in? “Yes. The children like the ice cream.”

What challenges do you have? “They’ve opened a lot of stores, coffee shops, since we opened. People come here for the quality.”

Any future plans? “If employees are available (we may open another location). Maybe Plainfield. It’s growing. Geneva. … But people don’t want to work. When we started, we hired 30 people who worked one day, two days, a week. … Honestly, this is an easy job.”

When are you busy here? “At night. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Most people come here from 8 to 12 (at night).”

Is Route 59 a good location for business? “It’s very good.”

Juice Time in Naperville prides itself on having a wide range of fresh juices available. The franchised store based in the Middle East is one of about 500 around the world. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun)

What do you enjoy the most about your job? “I like to talk with the people. This is the fun thing for me.”

Is there anything you don’t like? “No. I’m good. I like working.”

Do you miss your old job? “The other job? I was working 10, 11 hours every day. Here, I open the place at noon. (The employees) close it. I have good employees.”

Is summer busier because the weather is hotter? “Yes. It’s slower in the winter because it’s colder.”

What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Check the area. Don’t open the business if they have the same product, don’t open next to them.”

Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact him at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/naperville-juice-time-sweets-shop/