Tropical Smoothie Cafe ends Q2 with a year-over-year same-store-sales increase, impressive year-to-date opening numbers, and the execution of successful national promotions such as National Flip Flop Day, National Smoothie Day, and No Kid Hungry. The brand also won the “Best Loyalty App” award at the Franchise Innovation Awards for its continued focus on digital and loyalty.

Openings
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is quickly approaching 1,300 locations nationwide, with 90 new cafes opened through Q2 year-to-date. The brand continues to expand in existing markets nationwide, with more than 70% of these new cafes opened by existing franchisees.

“We are immensely proud of the growth we’ve seen through the first half of 2023,” says Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Café, LLC. “Our incredible franchisees are the heart and soul of the brand, so it’s no surprise that they continue to drive demand and Inspire Better in their communities. The energy of our brand is contagious.” 

The brand’s largest franchisee group, DYNE Hospitality Group, opened its 100th Tropical Smoothie Cafe location in Little Rock, Arkansas. The grand opening celebration was held on June 23, garnering media attention for the group’s achievement. DYNE Hospitality Group is operated by co-founders Nick Crouch and Glen Johnson.

“It’s truly been an amazing journey to transform DYNE Hospitality Group into the powerhouse that we’ve become today,” says Johnson. “Our 100th opening was highly anticipated by not only us, but the entire Tropical Smoothie Cafe system – and we couldn’t be more grateful for the support they’ve given us over the years. The emotion and significance behind this milestone were certainly palpable, and I know the rest of the DYNE team cannot wait to hit the ground running for our next milestone and continued growth with Tropical Smoothie Cafe.”

Same-Store Sales and National Promotions
Tropical Smoothie Cafe same-store sales were positive for the quarter, aided by several successful national promotions. To kick off the summer, the brand celebrated two major holidays, National Flip Flop Day and National Smoothie Day.

National Flip Fop Day was established by Tropical Smoothie Cafe in 2007 to show guests appreciation and celebrate the start of summer. On May 31, guests were rewarded with a free smoothie by wearing flip flops to their nearest Tropical Smoothie Cafe location, resulting in more than 400,000 Strawberry Margarita Smoothies being given away.

“Since its inception, National Flip Flop Day has become a hallmark of our brand. We’re thrilled to spread some sunshine with this celebration and help our guests start the summer off right with a delicious smoothie. This year’s holiday was a major success and I’m confident that it will continue to garner more attention as we continue to reach more communities across the country.” says Deborah von Kutzleben, Chief Marketing Officer of Tropical Smoothie Café, LLC.

Also, the brand celebrated National Smoothie Day on June 21 by giving loyalty members a free smoothie with the purchase of any food item. The promotion drove sales and loyalty behavior, while incentivizing guests to try food items.

Finally, as a demonstration of its mission to Inspire Better in the communities where the brand operates, Tropical Smoothie Cafe also continued efforts to support its national charitable partner, No Kid Hungry. In 2023, the brand launched round-up fundraising in its mobile app and in-cafe to allow guests to round their transaction amount to the nearest dollar with additional funds contributing to the fundraising campaign. The brand and its franchisees are also donating a portion of every Sunshine Smoothie sold through the app to No Kid Hungry. These efforts have contributed to over $550,000 funds raised for No Kid Hungry in 2023.

Industry Awards
The brand was awarded “Best Loyalty App” at the Franchise Innovation Awards for its 2023 Tropic Fan Fest promotion. Tropic Fan Fest was created to increase loyalty membership and ultimately drive trial of food items and was a success on both fronts.