Franchise News

World's Largest Smoothie Brand Signs Development Agreements to Expand Across Greater Cleveland

Smoothie King, the world's largest smoothie chain and the first health and fitness QSR brand of its kind, today announced the signing of multi-unit development agreements to bring 15 locations to Greater Cleveland. With more than 1,400 locations globally, Smoothie King is now prioritizing development in Ohio with seasoned multi-unit operators and has plans to open in surrounding cities including Ashland, North Olmsted, Medina, Akron, Beachwood, Avon, Euclid among others.

"We're excited to expand our brand in the Cleveland metropolitan area. We've seen the demand for convenient, on-the-go meal options grow in Cleveland and surrounding suburban areas, which makes us confident in our expansion plans," said Chris Bremer, Chief Development Officer at Smoothie King. "Greater Cleveland's suburbs are also growing faster than the country's average, which presents a unique opportunity for our brand. We're looking forward to growing our presence throughout Northeast Ohio with experienced operators who share our commitment to become an integral part of every health and fitness journey."

Smoothie King's Cleveland expansion comes on the heels of recent development nationwide. Since the beginning of the year, Smoothie King has added more than 160 commitments to its robust development pipeline in key markets within Ohio, Colorado, and Texas, as well as the Upper Midwest and the Southeast regions.

To help ensure the right model is selected for each respective site and that are operators are positioned for success, Smoothie King offers a variety of prototypes for franchisees to consider when building out their portfolio, including a drive-thru-only prototype. The new format features a convenient front-facing pickup window that allows guests to have their customized smoothie hand delivered as well as a lane dedicated to online ordering and third-party delivery. These key differentiators further drive the brand's goal to make Smoothie King more accessible to meet the needs of its guests and optimize off-premise channels to best support franchisees and drive profitability.

To accelerate development in key growth markets, Smoothie King continues to seek experienced operators interested in growing their portfolio with a brand committed to providing products that inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Single- and multi-unit development opportunities are available, as well as incentives for active-duty U.S. military or veterans and for first responders, including law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians. Additionally, the brand has rolled out new incentive programs for existing franchisees and qualified store team members looking for the opportunity to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams with Smoothie King. The programs are open to any franchisee looking to grow their portfolio.

Smoothie King has repeatedly been recognized as a top franchise opportunity, most recently ranking on QSR Magazine's "Best Franchise Deals" for their unique ability to innovate and maintain low overhead, and was listed number 51 in Nation's Restaurant News' "Top 500 Restaurants", moving up from number 82 in 2021. This list recognizes the largest restaurant chains in the country ranked by sales performance and total number of units. The brand was also named "Top Brand to Buy" in the beverage category of Franchise Times' 2022 Zor Awards and Franchise Times' "Top 400 Franchises" list. Furthermore, Smoothie King received the "Top Franchises Satisfaction Award" for 2022 from Franchise Business Review based on the brand's high franchisee satisfaction.

For more information about franchise opportunities with Smoothie King, please visit www.smoothiekingfranchise.com.

Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., the original U.S. smoothie franchise, is a privately held, Dallas-based franchise company with over 1,400 locations worldwide, including in the United States, Korea, Grand Cayman, and Trinidad. Founded in 1973, Smoothie King has made it its mission to inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle. By blending each smoothie with a purpose, Smoothie King makes it simple and enjoyable for guests to achieve their individual health and fitness goals. Smoothie King has been recognized No. 13 overall on Entrepreneur's prestigious Franchise 500 list in 2022 and ranked one of the "Fastest Growing Franchises." For more information about franchising with Smoothie King, visit SmoothieKingFranchise.com or follow the brand on Twitter and LinkedIn.