Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a leading fast casual restaurant brand, continued its growth in the second quarter of 2022. From the opening of its 1,100th location to launching a new mobile app and refreshed loyalty program, the fast-causal concept is touting impressive franchise development momentum and technology advancements in Q2.
Franchise Growth
Celebrating milestone mid-year numbers, Tropical Smoothie Cafe fueled development by signing 139 franchise agreements in prime markets across the U.S., including Chicago, Philadelphia, and Salt Lake City. Notably, the brand has continued to grow its footprint with operators already in the franchise system, with existing franchisees making up a majority of the executed franchise agreements through Q2 year-to-date.
"Our aggressive and strategic growth has continued nationwide and it is exciting to see the milestones we've achieved already in the first half of 2022," said Cheryl Fletcher, Chief Development Officer of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC. "Seeing triple digit signed agreements and 85 new locations open is a testament to our strong model and incredible franchisees who are eager to share our brand with communities across the country."
Among the brand's most recent signed agreements is a 15-unit franchise agreement in Utah with seasoned multi-brand operators, Jacob Webb and April Miller.
"These 15 locations will fill a major need in the Northern Utah market," said Webb. "Since the Greater Salt Lake City community is no stranger to the brand, we look forward to making Tropical Smoothie Cafe a household name in Weber and DavisCounties. We have many years of ownership experience, and our knowledge of the restaurant industry and passion for getting involved in our community led us to conclude that aligning with Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a natural fit. My business partner, April Miller, and I knew that the strong reputation, established support center team and diverse product range of Tropical Smoothie Cafe made for the perfect investment."
Surpassing 1,100 Cafes Open Nationwide
Following the brand achieving the milestone of exceeding an average unit volume of $1M for the system at the end of 2021, as reported in its 2022 FDD, Tropical Smoothie Cafe continued to achieve new milestones with the opening of the brand's 1,100th location midway through 2022 in Charlotte with local franchisees Stacey and Maurice Pugh.
"We've had an excellent start expanding our footprint in 2022, including the opening of our 1,100th location in Charlotte," said Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC. "This location marked a significant milestone for the brand as we continue to grow with new and existing franchisees across the country. Stacey and Maurice exemplify the kind of franchise candidates that we are looking for, by embodying our Inspire Better® purpose, with an eagerness to impact their community for the better."
Digital Sales and Loyalty
Tropical Smoothie Cafe continued its digital strategy focused on leveraging various activations that reward the brand's most in-the-know, loyal guests through promotions and offers on the mobile app.
The new Tropic Rewards™ loyalty program launched in June, and includes an updated point system that makes redeeming points easier and faster. Members now earn 10 points for every $1 they spend through the app, online or in-cafe, and can redeem their points on their favorite items. They are also the first to know about new promotions and limited-time menu items and will receive special rewards for birthdays and referring friends.
Notable Rankings and Awards
In the first half of 2022, the brand has continued to receive accolades from top industry publications in the restaurant and franchising space, further solidifying the concept's position as a leader in the fast-casual space. Tropical Smoothie Cafe was named on Technomic's Top 500 for 2022 by Restaurant Business Magazine, ranking as one of the highest-grossing brands in the U.S. Plus, the brand was honored once again with inclusion on the Franchise Times Top 400 for 2021, rising nearly 30 spots from the previous year. Lastly, Tropical Smoothie Cafe was listed within Fast Casual in its 2022 Top 100 Movers & Shakers list and was awarded the TOPSCORE Fund Award with a Fund Score of 910 by FRANdata.
Return of Fan-Favorite LTOs and Summertime Campaigns
On June 17, Tropical Smoothie Cafe kicked off the summer season by celebrating National Flip Flop Day. Participating Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations gave away free smoothies to flip flop-wearing guests across the country. Also, in celebration of National Smoothie Day on June 21, loyalty members received a special free 24 oz. smoothie reward with any food purchase. Combined, cafes across the system gave away more than 310,000 smoothies during the two summertime campaigns and rewarded Tropic Rewards™ members for their loyalty.
About Tropical Smoothie Cafe®
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a national fast-casual cafe concept inspiring a healthier lifestyle with more than 1,100 locations nationwide. For 25 years, the brand has been serving better-for-you smoothies, wraps, sandwiches and flatbreads. Tropical Smoothie Cafe also offers upgraded app technology and enhanced mobile ordering capabilities to further elevate the digital and dine-in cafe experience and emphasize the brand's focus on convenience. Interested Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise candidates should have business experience, along with a minimum net worth of $350,000, which includes $125,000 in liquid assets. Candidates who meet these preliminary qualifications will need to make an initial investment ranging between $277,000 - $584,000. The franchise currently has an average unit volume (AUV) of more than $1,009,803, as reported in its 2022 FDD— the highest in the company's 25-year history.
SOURCE Tropical Smoothie Cafe
