Richmond juice shop closes after employees discover owner’s brother was convicted of sexual battery in Florida

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- North End Juice Co.'s Museum District location has closed after employees discovered that the brother of the owner, who allegedly worked at the business for a time, was convicted of sexual battery in Florida.

In 2016, North End Juice Co. owners Cliff and Channing Miller opened what was originally called "North End Juice Bar," located at 718 Cleveland St. in Richmond's Museum District, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The juice bar was initially operated out of a space inside the second location of their mother's bakery, according to the Times-Dispatch.

The business later began operating mainly as a juice and smoothie bar, with the addition of a gelato shop next door. Locals have known the spot for years as an ordering window with a menu offering juices, smoothies and brunch options for take-out.

According to both public property records and the Virginia State Corporation Commission's records, Channing Miller remains the only registered owner of the business, as of reporting.

Despite this, a note posted to the location's window last week by employees announced the location's abrupt closure due to a number of issues connected to allegations of "new ownership," with all employees collectively stepping away from their positions.

A person familiar with the situation told 8News that the person employees referred to as the "new owner" on the note, despite no presence on SCC or property records, is Chase Miller, a brother of Channing Miller, as verified by court records.

"Chase Miller is not the owner nor an employee of the business," an unnamed spokesperson for the business told 8News. "100% false claims by a staff that was caught stealing multiple thousands of dollars of product and money."

8News has reached out to the Richmond Police Department about any possible reports made regarding allegations of theft at the business. This article will be updated when new information becomes available.

It is not yet clear what role Chase Miller began fulfilling at the location following his release from prison, but public records confirm his employment -- for an unknown period of time -- at the juice and smoothie bar.

Employees said in the note that the discovery of Chase Miller's "criminal status" led to a collective decision to step away from their positions, causing the location to close.

Court documents show that in 2017, Chase Miller was convicted of sexual battery after a woman alleged that he raped her in her sleep in Palm Beach in 2014. At the time, he was 25, and the survivor was 23.

He was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison, which he served until his release in May 2025. He is registered as a sex offender in Florida, with records showing that he moved out of state.

Chase Miller also registered as a sex offender in Virginia on May 30, days after his release, and renewed his registration on Oct. 20.

Another factor in employees quitting was the alleged installation of "recording devices" without the consent of employees, according to the note.

Virginia is considered a "single-party consent" state in regards to recording conversations, meaning only one party must consent to recording to do so legally.

A GoFundMe was created by a former employee to financially support fellow former employees during their loss of income.

Below is the full text of the note posted by employees to the business:

We the management and employees of North End Juice Co. are truly heartbroken to inform you that we have collectively decided we will not be reopening this shop under the current extenuating circumstances. We are not aligned with the incoming new ownership of this business in any way, shape, or form. We refuse to perform labor for convicted criminals who refused to disclose their criminal status upon arrival, will not acknowledge the staff's discovery of this information, and have not attempted to take any type of accountability for the harm done in this otherwise harmonious workplace. 

Additionally, we will not perform labor for anyone willing to install recording devices and surveil this workplace without our explicit consent. This was a devastating but necessary conclusion that we have come to together. It has been an absolute joy to serve Richmond for the last (almost) nine years.

Thank you for everything. We love you. <3