Atlanta — Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a leading fast casual cafe concept, has signed multi-unit franchise agreements with two industry veterans to develop eight new locations to markets throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s accelerated growth in Dallas County emphasizes the brand’s aggressive development efforts in the market and nationwide, having signed more than 140 franchise agreements this year alone for continued expansion across the country.
Industry veteran Steve Milam signed an agreement to develop three Tropical Smoothie Cafe restaurants over the next few years. His first cafe is slated to open in early 2018 in Frisco. Milam has plans for additional development in the market and is looking to open two more restaurants by 2019. An experienced multi-unit operator, Milam is also a Wingstop franchisee and owns four locations throughout Texas.
Furthering the brand’s statewide momentum is new franchisee Smit Shah of SP Tropical Investments, LLC, who, along with the company’s chief financial officer, Prachee Patel, will develop five new units throughout Dallas County. Shah is a foodservice industry veteran and has operated both Subway and Bahama Bucks restaurants throughout Texas. The group plans to open 10 to 15 locations throughout Dallas and Houston over the next 5 years.
“We believe the potential for success in Dallas is unlimited and we are thrilled to be expanding our presence with partners like Steve Milam and Smit Shah who bring decades of franchising and food service experience to the table,” says Mike Rotondo, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe. “We have no doubt that their diverse and impressive backgrounds will be a valuable resource in driving our momentum and growing our footprint throughout Texas. With nearly 30 additional new locations in the pipeline for the market, we’re excited to tap into the wealth of opportunity that still lies ahead for our brand in the Lone Star State.”
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2017, Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a fast-casual restaurant concept inspiring healthier lifestyles across the country, with more than 600 locations 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 BIP Franchise Accelerator, a division of venture capital firm BIP Capital, which invested in the brand in 2010.
SOURCE: Tropical Smoothie Cafe