Building on Smoothie King's 13 Years of Accelerated Growth, The Brand's Big Bet on Delicious & Nutritious Food Drives Industry-Leading Sales Performance and Franchise Expansion in 2026

• 13 Years of Growth: Smoothie King has consistently grown system wide sales since 2013 and ranks among the top five fastest-growing franchised restaurant concepts in the U.S.*
  
  
• Industry-Leading Sales Performance: In 2026, Smoothie King's same-store sales growth has averaged nearly 4x the industry rate, with positive same-store sales growth every month, including 9% growth in July; from 2020 through 2025, system sales are up nearly 64%, with average unit volumes up 27% during the same period.
  
  
• Food Expansion Driving Results: Following the June launch of the new delicious and nutritious Chicken Flatbreads that pair perfectly with the brand's smoothies, Smoothie King delivered its strongest same-store sales period of 2026 in July.
  
  
• Continued Franchise Expansion: In Q2, Smoothie King opened 19 new locations and added 32 new store opening commitments to its development pipeline; the brand's store count has grown 76% over the past 10 years, a 6% CAGR.

DALLAS, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2025, Smoothie King, whose vision is to make the world a better place by nourishing healthy habits, invested in better understanding its guests' evolving needs and introduced its first ever food menu, laying the foundation for the future. That investment is paying off in a big way; one year later, Smoothie King is seeing same-store sales growth averaging nearly 4x the industry rate, even as many QSR brands continue to navigate industry headwinds and rely heavily on discounting.

During the second quarter of 2026, Smoothie King delivered industry-leading sales performance, expanded its food platform, opened 19 new stores and added 32 new store commitments to its development pipeline. That success has carried into the early part of the third quarter with same-store sales growth up 9% in July.

A key driver of Smoothie King's momentum has been the introduction and continued expansion of its food platform. Most recently, the brand added new protein-packed Chicken Flatbreads – its biggest oven-based food innovation to date – which has contributed to the brand's strongest same-store sales period of 2026. This builds on a strong track record of growth from 2020 through 2025, where average unit volumes grew by 27% and system sales increased by 64%.

"Smoothie King has always been a brand that both guests and franchisees can trust, and the numbers tell the story – our consistent growth over the past several years demonstrates the strength, resilience and continued evolution of our business," said Gavin Felder, President and Chief Financial Officer of Smoothie King. "Consumers are placing a greater emphasis on health and wellness than ever before, and with more than five decades of nutritional expertise, Smoothie King is uniquely positioned to lead that movement. With lower investment costs than many traditional QSR concepts, continued focus on product innovation, store growth and the guest experience, we're engaging with our franchisees to build a business that's designed to lead the category for years to come."

Beyond menu innovation, Smoothie King continues to invest in resources to support franchisee success and strengthen the operating model. To enable the expansion of its food platform, the brand rolled out ovens across the system at no equipment cost to franchisees, allowing operators to add new food offerings without sacrificing the operational simplicity that has long differentiated the Smoothie King model. The brand is also investing in AI-driven back-of-house technology and operational enhancements designed to improve efficiency, streamline execution, and support franchisee growth.

That momentum is translating into continued franchisee interest and expansion. In Q2 2026, Smoothie King achieved its highest number of qualified franchise inquiries in a single quarter since the brand began tracking the metric in 2017. Smoothie King also opened 19 new locations across 11 states, including Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado and New York, and added 32 new store opening commitments to its development pipeline, including several multi-unit agreements across Arkansas, Ohio and Florida. Since 2016, Smoothie King has seen consistent growth and development, with store count growing 76% over the past 10 years.

As Smoothie King continues executing its long-term growth strategy, the brand remains focused on investing in menu innovation, strengthening franchisee success and bringing its purpose-driven approach to nutrition to more communities nationwide.

For more information about Smoothie King, visit www.smoothieking.com.

* Technomic Top 500 Sales Data

ABOUT SMOOTHIE KING FRANCHISES, INC.
Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., the original U.S. smoothie franchise, is a privately held, Dallas-based company with more than 1,250 units nationwide. It was founded in 1973 with the mission to inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle.

Today, with over 50 years focused on making nutrition delicious and guided by a vision to make the world a better place by nourishing healthy habits, Smoothie King continues to design each smoothie from the ground up, working with their nutritional experts to balance nutrients and flavor. In April 2023, Smoothie King expanded beyond smoothies with the launch of Smoothie Bowls. In 2025, the brand introduced its Power Eats Menu, its first nationwide rollout of food items, which earned Nation's Restaurant News' MenuMasters Healthful Innovation award in 2026. Smoothie King also offers retail products that include sports beverages, energy bars, vitamins, supplements, and more.

Repeatedly recognized as a top franchise opportunity, Smoothie King was recently ranked #17 in Entrepreneur Magazine's highly competitive "Franchise 500" ranking for 2026, as well as #11 in Entrepreneur's 2025 Top Brands for Multi-Unit Owners and #11 in its 2025 Top Franchises for Veterans feature. Smoothie King was also included in the 2025 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, Technomic's Top 500 Chains and Franchise Times 2025 Top 400.

Press Contact:
ALISON BROD MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS
[email protected]

SOURCE Smoothie King