Smoothie King Targets Jacksonville, Fla., For Franchise Expansion

NEW ORLEANS, July 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., the premier smoothie and nutritional lifestyle center, announced today it is targeting the Jacksonville, Fla., metro area for franchise growth. Smoothie King currently has seven stores in the market and aims to open an additional 10 locations over the next three years. To fuel development, Smoothie King is offering candidates 40 percent off its initial franchise fee for the first 40 agreements of 2013 — a savings of $10,000.

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"Smoothie King's Jacksonville expansion is driven by consumer demand. Our guests have reached out through social media channels asking for more locations across the metro area, so they can have easier access to the products they use as part of their daily lifestyle. We want to let them know we're listening," said Smoothie King Global CEO Wan Kim. "The excitement and demand in Jacksonville for what Smoothie King offers creates an excellent business opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to invest in a brand that has a strong, 18-year track record of success in the market."

Since the start of the year, many new franchisees have taken advantage of the latest incentive program, in addition to more than 50 existing franchisees that have committed to opening additional units this year. To further drive growth, the company's executive team will host a Discovery Day on Aug. 2 in Jacksonville, sharing the benefits of opening a Smoothie King with potential future franchisees.

"Smoothie King has been around for 40 years and stands for something great: helping people live a healthier lifestyle," said franchisee Jason Luther, who owns five Smoothie King locations in Jacksonville and plans to open an additional 2-3 stores over the next 18 months. "Smoothie King provides a healthy solution that appeals to a wide audience and it's quick, portable and fun. We believe in the brand and, as the company grows, we want to grow with it."

"I was a Smoothie King customer for about 10 years before I decided to open my own location," said franchisee Chris Scarpinati, who has one Smoothie King in Jacksonville and will open the brand's eighth location in the market in River City Marketplace this fall. "I love fitness and nutrition, so Smoothie King was a perfect business opportunity for me to reinforce in others what I've lived my whole life. It's a solid business investment that I plan to pass down to my kids, who all work in my stores."

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 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. 

To learn more about the benefits of owning a Smoothie King, or for more information and to register for a Discovery Day, please visit www.smoothiekingfranchise.com or contact Natalie Johnson at (985) 635-6973, ext. 115.

About Smoothie King Franchises, Inc. // SK USA, INC.
Smoothie King Franchises, Inc. is a privately held; New Orleans-area-based franchise company and the premier Smoothie Bar and Nutritional Lifestyle Center in the industry. Smoothie King® offers guests the original nutritional fresh-blended smoothie and healthy retail products, including sports beverages, energy bars, healthy snacks, vitamin supplements, herbs, minerals and other sports nutrition products. Smoothie King® opened its first store in 1973 and started as the first franchised smoothie bar/health food store in the United States in 1989. Smoothie King® currently has more than 600 units operating in 32 states, the Caymans, Singapore and the Republic of Korea. In 2013, Smoothie King® was ranked no. 1 by Entrepreneur magazine in the juice bar category for the 19th year and no. 104 overall on the 2013 Franchise 500 list. Visit www.smoothieking.com; engage on Facebook www.facebook.com/SmoothieKing; follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/smoothieking.

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SOURCE Smoothie King Franchises, Inc.