Tropical Smoothie Café announced that Cheryl Fletcher has been promoted to chief development officer. Since joining the executive team in 2018 to lead the company’s franchise development, Fletcher has been essential to the brand’s record-breaking growth. In her elevated leadership role, she will continue to propel Tropical Smoothie Cafe development forward with her signature mix of experience, passion, and dedication.
“Cheryl is hands down the best pipeline expert in the franchising business,” says Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC. “Our franchise development strategy and growth has thrived under her leadership; especially through the challenges of the past year. She is one of the primary reasons we have 600 new cafes in our opening pipeline and are on track to reach more than 1,000 operating locations in 2021. Cheryl goes the extra mile to get results that drive the business forward, all while leading an accomplished team. I look forward to seeing the new heights our brand will reach with her as our chief development officer.”
Since Fletcher joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe four years ago as the vice president of franchise development strategy, the brand has sold more than 750 franchise agreements, negotiated more than 500 leases and celebrated more than 380 grand openings. Since her promotion to senior vice president of franchise development in 2018, Fletcher has been the driving force behind the Real Estate Management and Real Estate Analytics teams, the Franchise Sales and Recruiting department, as well as the Design and Construction group.
Fletcher came to Tropical Smoothie Cafe after a 17-year tenure with Popeyes where she led the company’s franchise development and strategic planning. Her strong leadership background in the franchising industry, along with her financial acumen and communications skills, have made her a valuable asset to the entire Tropical Smoothie Cafe team.
“Cheryl is that rare mentor who leads with both her head and her heart,” adds Watson. “She’s mastered the art of knowing when to push while still being kind. Passionate about business imperatives, she builds solid relationships based on deep trust and accountability within our Support Center and among our franchisees. She always puts our franchisees first and operates as if their bottom line is her bottom line. Cheryl is the type of leader and teammate who brings out the best in everyone around her and we’re proud to have her as an integral part of our team.”
