Atlanta — Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a leading fast-casual cafe concept, signed franchise agreements to develop more than 160 new cafes across the U.S. in 2016 and closed out the year with 86 new restaurant openings, expanding the brand’s presence in cities nationwide including Charleston, S.C.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Dallas and Houston.
“From the opening of our 500th restaurant to a surge in franchise development, 2016 was an outstanding year that positioned the Tropical Smoothie Cafe brand for tremendous success this year and beyond,” says Mike Rotondo, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe. “Over the past several years, more and more entrepreneurs nationwide have recognized our business model’s immense potential for success and fueled the growth of our franchise network, and we know that we’re just getting started. As we head into our company’s 20th anniversary year, we look forward to building on this success.”
In 2017, the franchise plans to open 100 restaurants nationwide. By 2020, Tropical Smoothie Cafe plans to have 1,000 stores open across the U.S.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s aggressive franchise growth is backed by the entrepreneurs at the BIP Franchise Accelerator, a division of venture capital firm BIP Capital, which invested in the brand in 2010.
“Tropical Smoothie Cafe continues to greatly exceed our expectations, but I believe we’ve just scratched the surface of its potential,” says Scott Pressly, co-founder and managing partner of BIP Capital. “The brand has tremendous opportunity for growth as it works in all types of consumer markets, from major metropolitan areas to secondary markets and small towns.”
For more information, visit www.tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com.
Founded in 1997, Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a fast-casual restaurant concept inspiring healthy lifestyles across the country, with more than 540 locations nationwide. Tropical Smoothie Cafe is seeking qualified franchisees to expand throughout the United States in markets such as Pittsburgh; Indianapolis; Philadelphia; Boston; Nashville, Tenn.; Houston; Kansas City, Mo.; Minneapolis; and Dallas, among others.
SOURCE: Tropical Smoothie Cafe