Grand Opening in Charlotte Showcases Demand for America's #1 Ranked Smoothie/Juice Brand*

ATLANTA , June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The ascension of Tropical Smoothie Cafe continues midway through 2022 with the award-winning** fast-casual brand opening its 1,100^th location. 

Fueling the wave of expansion is a successful restaurant opening strategy, which has resulted in 100 new locations in the last nine months. Already through the first quarter of the year, Tropical Smoothie Cafe has opened 42 locations. The next, a historic opening in Charlotte, will be its 1,100^th cafe, which will be locally owned and operated by Stacey and Maurice Pugh.

"Our industry reputation and commitment to strategic franchise growth has never been stronger," said Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC. "We've had a great development year already, and the opening of our 1,100^th location is another phenomenal milestone for our brand and a testament to our incredible franchisees and system. We are excited to have Stacey and Maurice opening this 1,100^th location, given their intense dedication to community involvement and embodying our Inspire Better® purpose."

As one of the nation's leading fast-casual concepts, Tropical Smoothie Cafe continues to grow its presence with 13 open locations in the Charlotte market, and 58 in the state. The new cafe will be celebrating its grand opening on June 3 in Riverbend Village, Charlotte's newest mixed-use living, office and shopping destination situated just off Highway16 and I-485 near Mountain Island Lake in Northwest Charlotte.

Stacey, Maurice and their two children, Ayanni and Makiri, bring a wide variety of professional experience and decades of community and philanthropic involvement to their new Tropical Smoothie location. After extensive careers in program management and contract support, the couple was looking for their next venture and landed on franchising. They soon noticed the brand's impressive business model, history of steady growth and repeat guests, making the concept the perfect investment for them. 

"When looking for the right brand to kickstart our entrepreneurial journey Tropical Smoothie Cafe stuck out to us given their continued growth and scalable business model," said Stacey. "The brand aligns perfectly with our family's values, especially with its new national partnership with No Kid Hungry and the support center's hands-on approach, helping set us up for success with our first location. We're honored to open the brand's 1,100^th cafe and are looking forward to the opportunity of further expansion with Tropical Smoothie in the future."

The family's grand opening will begin on Friday, June 3 and continue throughout the weekend. This event will include a celebratory ribbon cutting, commemorative t-shirts, photos, and even an on-site DJ. As part of their grand opening, the Pugh family will donate a check to a local chapter of No Kid Hungry, a national charity committed to reducing childhood hunger. Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Charles Watson plans to personally add to this donation as well. This will commence the Pugh's charitable efforts, a mission they hold both in their personal and professional lives.

The opening weekend will feature exclusive deals at the Pugh's Riverbend Village Tropical Smoothie Cafe, including $1.99 smoothies all day on June 3, a 50 FSFY giveaway, prizes and $2.99 flatbread deals on June 4, and finally a $5.99 smoothie and flatbread combo deal on June 5. 

Featuring a diverse menu equipped with fresh fruit smoothies, sandwiches, wraps, flatbreads and more, Tropical Smoothie Cafe allows for complete ease when ordering. The brand also enhances the ordering process with customizable online and mobile ordering options, adding yet another layer of convenience for Tropical Smoothie Cafe fans. 

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. The rapidly growing franchise has received numerous accolades, including a top 10 ranking in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. It has also been named to Forbes' Best Franchises list, Franchise Times' Fast & Serious list and the Franchise Times Top 400 ranking. Notably, the franchise was also recognized on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers and Shakers, Nation's Restaurant News' Top 200 and Top 10 Fastest-Growing Chains, and Restaurant Business' America's Favorite Chains.

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 boasts an average unit volume (AUV) of more than $1,009,803 — the highest in the company's 25-year history.

*2022 Entrepreneur magazine "Franchise 500" rankings

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SOURCE Tropical Smoothie Cafe