Smoothie King

Smoothie King is a juice bar franchise that sells nutrition-driven smoothies. As a fast-food alternative, the drinks at Smoothie King are intended to help people meet their dietary needs and goals. 

First opened in 1973, Smoothie King was one of the United State's very first smoothie locations. By 1988, they began to franchise. It now has over 1,000 locations in the U.S. and internationally. These centers don't just make and sell smoothies, but also energy bars, healthy snacks, sports drinks, vitamins, herbs, and supplements.

Your mission as a franchisee is to encourage guests to choose and maintain a healthy lifestyle. As a franchisee, you are expected to show customers that Smoothie King is one way to do that. Its locations use organic fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients free of artificial preservatives, flavors, and dyes. They even have a "No No List" that tells you what ingredients the company will never use in their smoothies.

Why You May Want to Open a Smoothie King Franchise

Smoothie King usually offers comprehensive support for franchisees and is ready for them to rule their future, as they say. The company might provide the tools for your business and is typically working to develop new products to keep the business fresh. You may own more than one unit and work closely with their real estate team to find the perfect location.

As a fitness-focused smoothie chain, you might work within a well-defined niche and can target your customer base. More importantly, its franchisees may be able to rest easy knowing that they're selling nutritious products to improve people's health. Your franchise could become the healthy sweet treat in your neighborhood. 

What Might Make Smoothie King Franchise a Good Choice?

Rated in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 for franchise organizations, Smoothie King may continue to keep up its momentum. Its ranking on the Franchise 500 is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points that consist of areas in costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. 

In October 2020, CEO Wan Kim went on Undercover Boss to see what it was like at Smoothie King. Now that the brand has network television level recognition, it's gained even more popularity. The company is planning to expand in many more locations. 

If you want to open a franchise, Smoothie King may offer a contract agreement that typically lasts for ten years. You should ensure that you're financially ready to cover the initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare for ongoing fees that will include royalty, advertising, and renewal fees. Excellent credit and strong business acumen are typically a must. The company may expect its franchisees to develop multiple units.

How to Open a Smoothie King Franchise

Like with other franchises out there, the first step to owning a Smoothie King franchise is making sure it's a good fit for you. As part of the onboarding process, the company will usually connect you with a franchise development manager. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, especially about your planned location. 

Your development manager will then generally schedule a discovery day at company headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Here, the executive team typically meets with potential franchisees and interviews them.

After the interview, they typically review finances, credit, and background information. Occasionally, they hold second-round interviews. After approval, it's generally time to send in your franchise fee so you can officially become a Smoothie King franchisee!