Dive Brief:
- Smoothie King expects to open over 100 units this year, surpassing the 84 new stores it opened in 2024 and the 81 it opened in 2023, the company said Wednesday in a press release.
- During the fourth quarter, the chain opened 25 units, including its 1,200th location. In December, it opened 11 units — its highest December monthly total ever.
- In addition to rapid growth, Smoothie King began testing food on Tuesday for the first time with its Power Eats menu, the chain wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive. The food is currently available in participating stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Dive Insight:
Menu innovation has been a strong traffic and sales driver at Smoothie King. In 2023, it added smoothie bowls to its lineup. From April to November of that year, the brand sold over 4.5 million bowls, contributing to the chain’s highest sales period ever.
The food test includes three types of toast, two protein boxes and chicken skewers, the last of which will be available at test locations starting Jan. 27. The toast is made with 8-grain bread topped with either avocado, chocolate hazelnut or peanut butter. The protein boxes come either with fruit and cheese or eggs and cheese. The chicken skewers are cooked sous vide and come with a choice of sauce.
The addition of food to the chain’s smoothie lineup could help attract more interest from new and existing franchisees, especially as Smoothie King looks to enter new markets. The company plans to expand into Phoenix this year, as a part of a plan to grow its footprint across the Southwest, per the press release. Last year, it opened units in New Hampshire and Delaware for the first time.
In 2024, Smoothie King also signed franchise agreements across 24 states and 39 designated market areas. Indianapolis secured 15 commitments, Dallas-Fort Worth operators signed 10 and Atlanta operators signed seven. During the fourth quarter, Smoothie King signed 26 store commitments, including multi-unit agreements in markets like Atlanta, Little Rock, Arkansas, and South Bend, Indiana. A majority (68%) of the new agreements signed last year were with existing franchisees.
Smoothie King isn’t the only major smoothie brand to grow over the past few years. Tropical Smoothie Cafe surpassed 1,500 units last year and opened 161 new cafes, according to a press release. It also signed 247 new franchise agreements.
