Dive Brief:
- Tropical Smoothie Cafe has appointed Max Wetzel as its CEO, succeeding Charles Watson, the company said Monday in a press release. Watson has been with Tropical Smoothie Cafe for 16 years, including six as CEO.
- Wetzel previously served as CEO of CKE Restaurants, parent of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, where he oversaw 3,700 restaurants across 40 countries. He held that position beginning in March 2023.
- Wetzel takes over the top role just over six months after Blackstone bought the smoothie chain for an estimated $2 billion. The private equity firm plans to rapidly expand Tropical Smoothie Cafe along with investing in menu innovation, improved operations and marketing.
Dive Insight:
Wetzel, who starts on Nov. 7, has decades of restaurant and consumer packaged goods experience with companies including Papa John’s, PPG Industries and Kraft Heinz, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Prior to working at CKE, he served as COO at Papa Johns for about two years. Before that role, he was chief commercial and marketing officer at the pizza chain. His career has been focused on “creative initiatives, collaborative culture, and improved customer experience,” Tropical Smoothie Cafe said in its announcement.
“Max's commitment to fostering a people-first culture centered around operational excellence combined with his proven track record of expanding brand awareness through product innovation and best-in-class marketing capabilities will help Tropical Smoothie Cafe and our franchisees extend their strong momentum,” Nigel Travis, chairman of the board at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, said in a statement.
The smoothie company is in a period of significant growth. Since the start of last year, the chain opened over 300 new locations, of which 70% were opened by existing franchisees.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe has also been expanding its menu. The addition of bowls to its core menu in January exceeded the chain’s expectations. During the first quarter, the chain added new breakfast items, such as the Spinach, Feta & Pesto Wrap. New products helped drive sales during that quarter, per a press release. In August, it added two permanent flavors, the Bahama Mama Bowl and PB Protein Crunch Bowls, to its bowl lineup.
The chain also announced Monday it has appointed Roland Smith to the board of directors. Smith has over 25 years of leadership experience, according to the press release. He has served as CEO of various private and public companies, including Delhaize America, Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, Wendy’s International, Triarc Companies, Inc. and Office Depot.
