Customers at Waterman’s Surfside Grille in Virginia Beach, Virginia, know the best way to quench a thirst is to order the beachside bar’s famous Orange Crush. This signature frozen drink is made with fresh-squeezed orange juice, orange vodka, triple sec, and a splash of Sprite.
According to Waterman’s owner Mike Standing, the drink was created 20 years ago, but took off in 2002 when a friend suggested Standing make the Orange Crush with fresh-squeezed juice. Today Waterman’s is one of most popular places on the boardwalk, and Standing said that the bar and restaurant have had an increase in revenue every year.
Nearly 500,000 servedWaterman’s now offers an entire line of fresh-squeezed citrus cocktails, including the Skinny Crush, a low calorie version of the original; the Ruby Red Crush, which is made with fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice; and the Absolut Ruby Red Vodka, made with triple sec, a splash of cranberry, and Sprite.
Last year, Waterman’s served nearly a half-million of the bar’s popular fresh-squeezed drinks, using 40 to 50 juicers, in rotation, to keep up with demand. The juicers take a lot of punishment, and they are the secret behind the drink’s fresh taste.
Branding works
When the team at Waterman’s saw the popularity of the Orange Crush, they decided to brand and promote it as a way to stand out from the crowd and help customers remember the restaurant. “We are consistent in the quality [of the drink], and consistent with the message about the drink,” Standing said.
Branding includes Orange Crush merchandise at the restaurant and the annual Crush Fest, which began as a summer kickoff party in 2009. Now the festival helps raise money for local charities, and slogans like “Crush Breast Cancer” remind customers that a great drink stands behind a great cause.
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