Atlanta and New York City — Private equity giant Blackstone has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a franchiser of fast-casual restaurants, from Levine Leichtman Capital Partners. The deal values the Atlanta-based smoothie chain at around $2 billion, including debt, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe began as a single location in Destin, Fla., in 1997. The chain has grown to more than 1,400 locations in 44 states today. The company opened more than 175 locations in 2023, 70% of which were opened by existing franchisees. In addition to smoothies, the company sells menu items like sandwiches, salads and bowls.
In the first quarter of this year, Tropical Smoothie Cafe completed 64 franchise agreements and opened 39 new stores. Its newest airport location opened at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The launch of new menu items such as Tropic Bowls helped drive overall sales, which were above the industry average in the first quarter, according to the company.
“Tropical Smoothie Cafe has had an impressive growth trajectory, consistently building on its loyal customer base as it has scaled nationwide,” says Peter Wallace, a senior managing director in Blackstone’s private equity business. “Blackstone has deep experience helping accelerate the expansion of leading franchise businesses as one of our highest-conviction investment areas.”
New York City-based Blackstone maintains more than $1 trillion in assets under management.
— Kristin Harlow