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North End Juice Co. closed this week after a staff walkout. (Photo by Richmond magazine)
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Letter posted by staff of North End Juice Co. (Photo by Richmond magazine)
Customers arriving at North End Juice Co. in the Museum District on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 22, found the Cleveland Street juice shop closed and a letter taped across the walk-up window.
In it, the staff announced that they had collectively decided to resign, citing concerns about new ownership and the undisclosed criminal history of an employee.
“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 work environment.”
The letter also raised objections to the installation of cameras:
“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.”
North End Juice Co. opened in Richmond in 2016 and later added locations in Midlothian, Union Hill and Virginia Beach. The company earned a reputation for its casual, health food-adjacent drinks and bites.
Until the walkout, the store was operated by general manager Brogan Rogers, who has worked there for nearly nine years, and a staff of nine. Since 2021, owner Channing Miller has been based in Panama working on a reforestation project; Rogers describes him as “hands off” from the business in Richmond. Before this month’s events, she states that her most recent interaction with Channing was a text exchange about the May boil water advisory.
According to Rogers, Channing’s brother Chase Miller began working at North End in June; he was described as coming to “help fix things up.” Rogers provided photos of pay records beginning in July that appear to support his employment. Rogers says she was not notified that Chase was joining the staff.
“Chase Miller walked into the business at the end of June and introduced himself as the owner Channing Miller’s brother, without further explanation,” adds a tenured employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“He never had a set schedule,” Rogers says. “He would just show up and start doing stuff. And it was very disruptive." Staff members cite examples such as rearranging the work stations and installing new equipment without warning and sometimes during the work day. Rogers says she confronted Chase about the changes to the shop and expressed frustration over the disruption and his lack of communication.
According to Rogers and three staff members, the situation took a turn in early October when a parole officer contacted the store in an attempt to locate Chase Miller and confirm employment.
“I found out about his criminal background when his PO officer called the company,” says the anonymous employee.
The staff did an online search and discovered that in 2017 Miller was convicted of sexual assault in Palm Beach, Florida, and is listed on the Florida and Virginia State Police sex offender registries. He served nearly eight years in prison and was released at the end of May 2025. The registration lists his address for employment as 718 Cleveland St., the location of North End Juice Co.
There is no general legal requirement that employers disclose an employee’s status as a registered sex offender, except in specific industries such as education or child care.
The staff notified Rogers, who on Oct. 4 texted Channing that the staff had learned “some pretty shocking information about Chase” and felt “uncomfortable.” She says she asked to talk, but Channing didn’t respond.
The anonymous manager spoke to Chase. “I disclosed to him that the staff knows about his criminal background.” They say Chase also stated that he is “the sole proprietor of the business,” although state business records list Channing as the registered owner.
They add, “I don’t care if someone I’m working with has a criminal background, but the nature of this crime crosses a major line for me. … I wish that Chase would have taken an honest, direct approach to the situation, instead of staying silent, downplaying a serious assault.”
According to Rogers, the staff met on Oct. 9, to discuss what had unfolded. “The conclusion of that meeting was, ‘We’re all going to quit this job together. We’re going to give it two weeks, and Friday, Oct. 24, is going to be our last day, and on Saturday, Oct. 25, we’re going to put a letter on the door.’”
However, upon entering the shop on Oct. 21, Rogers says they discovered that five surveillance cameras had been installed. Three fellow employees confirmed that the cameras were added without their “knowledge or consent,” and were installed about 12 hours after a manager allegedly approached Chase about his background.
“Because of the cameras, we all collectively decided that we’re not working for three more days,” Rogers says. “We all agreed, today will be the last day. … There’s a way that it could have been handled that was better than the nothing that they did.”
The North End Juice Co. Instagram account has been cleared of all posts. The bio now reads, “Solidarity Forever” and has a link to a GoFundMe campaign. The fundraising goal reads, “Funds raised will be used to provide at least two weeks’ pay for every employee who has abruptly lost employment and a beloved workplace. We appreciate any contribution you are able to make, even if that is just words of encouragement.” At press time the campaign had over 200 contributions.
As of publication, there has been no public statement from Channing Miller or Chase Miller regarding the allegations or the closure. The letter has been removed from the window. Richmond magazine contacted Channing Miller via text and Instagram, and he declined to comment on the record for this article.
