Smoothie King Franchises, the premier smoothie and nutritional lifestyle center, announced it has signed 49 new franchise agreements since the start of January 2013, more than double the total amount of new agreements signed the year prior.
This success can be attributed to the company’s energized growth driven by new brand ownership, high average unit sales volume, and development incentives to reward strong franchisees with growth opportunities.
Smoothie King projects that the majority of the 49 new agreements will open by the end of the year as part of the 100 total planned openings this year.
“Smoothie King’s accelerated growth in 2013, along with 20 months of consecutive positive same-store sales is further driving development in both new and existing markets,” says Smoothie King global CEO Wan Kim. “Our franchisees recognize the unique and competitive investment opportunity that our brand offers, and we look forward to helping them expand their portfolios.”
New franchisees can still take advantage of Smoothie King’s incentive program and receive 40 percent off the franchise fee, a savings of $10,000, until the first 40 agreements of 2013 have been signed.
“As we continue to expand across the country, we’re confident that local residents will appreciate Smoothie King’s commitment to providing a variety of high-quality smoothies, vitamins, supplements, and healthy snacks,” continued Kim.
Smoothie King plans to add 1,000 new franchised and corporate locations domestically over the next five years. Even with more than 500 locations in the U.S., the brand still has extensive smoothie franchise opportunities available in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast regions, as well as in Texas.
International development includes master franchise and corporate expansion in Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia, with 50 new stores planned in South Korea and 10 in Singapore in 2013.
Franchisees should possess a passion for the brand and be dedicated to serving the community. While restaurant experience is not required, the ideal candidate for the smoothie franchise should have an entrepreneurial spirit, as well as sales, marketing, restaurant, and/or retail experience.