Tropical Smoothie Cafe, also referred to as Tropical Smoothie, is a restaurant franchise in the United States. It operates more than 1400 locations nationwide.[2]
On June 10, 2024, Blackstone announced that equity funds it manages completed the acquisition of the franchisor.[3]
History
Tropical Smoothie began as a smoothie shop in 1993 along the panhandle of Florida. Tropical Smoothie Franchise Development Corporation was founded in 1997 in Destin, Florida, and the first franchised store opened in 1998 in Tallahassee, Florida. Tropical Smoothie Cafe is currently headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.[4]
In 1999, they introduced a line of food items including sandwiches and wraps. As more locations opened, the individual Cafes redesigned their store decor to offer a beach house theme with bright white walls, an open kitchen concept, vibrant colors, and tropical artwork.