Franchise News

Tropical Smoothie Café, the leading fast casual café concept known for its better-for-you food and smoothies with a tropical twist, announced today it signed franchise agreements to open three new restaurants in Dallas. This announcement is part of the award-winning smoothie franchise's aggressive growth plans for the state of Texas, which kicked off in April 2015 with the opening of the company's first Dallas location, quickly followed by additional cafés in Frisco and Fort Worth in June and August 2015, respectively. A fourth café is slated to open in the next several months at 4940 State Hwy 121 in Lewisville.

The three new Dallas cafés will be family-owned businesses, led by Calei and Kodei Kesterson, along with their parents Thomas and Darci.

"Tropical Smoothie Café has a reputation for creating delicious, better-for-you food and smoothies that make it easy for consumers to make health-conscious decisions even while on the go, and it was important to us to join a company that is committed to making healthier food accessible and affordable," said Thomas Kesterson, Tropical Smoothie Café franchisee. "Dallas is a thriving community chock-full of potential for successful business endeavors, and we're thrilled to be a part of the company's growing presence throughout the area. We have no doubt that as more and more Dallas residents are introduced to the Tropical Smoothie Café concept, the community will count itself among the restaurant's passionate following with consumers nationwide."

Through April 30, guests can enjoy Tropical Smoothie Café's newest menu items like the Cali Chicken Club Flatbread and Cilantro Lime Fish Tacos, as well as the Chia Banana Boost Smoothie and Avocolada Smoothie, which features avocado, lime, coconut, spinach, kale and pineapple. Additionally, now through February 2017 guests who visit before 9 a.m. daily will receive 50 percent off any of Tropical Smoothie Café's fresh smoothies.

Tropical Smoothie Café reported its strongest year of growth in 2015, with same-stores sales of 11.25 percent — its sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit positive comp sales — and signed franchise agreements to develop 199 new cafes across the U.S., including about two dozen locations in Southern California. This year, the food and smoothie franchise plans to exceed 550 restaurants nationwide. The brand currently has franchise opportunities across the U.S. in markets such as Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Columbus and Charlotte, among others. By 2018, Tropical Smoothie Café plans to have 800 stores open across the U.S.

Tropical Smoothie Café is looking to add qualified franchisees to its growing brand. Candidates should have business experience; $125,000 in liquid assets and a minimum net worth of $350,000; and an initial investment of between $195,550 and $427,130. The healthy fast food franchise currently boasts an average unit volume (AUV) of more than $578,000 — the highest in the company's 19-year history — with the top 50 percent reporting an AUV of $734,000.

Tropical Smoothie Café's aggressive franchise growth is backed by the entrepreneurs at the BIP Franchise Accelerator, a division of venture capital firm BIP Capital, which invested in the brand in 2010. BIP Capital has invested more than $250 million in emerging, high-growth brands across the franchising, software, and technology and consumer products industries. BIP Capital created the BIP Franchise Accelerator to leverage its leadership team's deep franchise experience to help emerging brands accelerate their growth. In addition to Tropical Smoothie Café, the BIP Franchise Accelerator's portfolio includes Tin Drum Asian Kitchen, which has grown to 13 locations in Georgia and Florida.

For more information about opening your own Tropical Smoothie Café franchise, please visit www.tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com.

About Tropical Smoothie Café
Founded in 1997, Tropical Smoothie Café is a fast-casual restaurant concept inspiring healthy lifestyles across the country, with over 470 locations nationwide. With snack and meal options for any time of day, Tropical Smoothie Café serves smoothies, salads, tacos, wraps, sandwiches, and flatbreads. The rapidly growing franchise has received numerous accolades including being ranked on Entrepreneur's 2016 Franchise 500, 2015 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers and Shakers, Franchise Times' Top 200+ and Nation's Restaurant News' 2015 Top 200. Tropical Smoothie Café is seeking qualified franchisees to expand throughout the United States in markets such as Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Columbus and Charlotte, among others.