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Updated RecentlySmoothie King vs Tropical Smoothie Cafe Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Smoothie King vs Tropical Smoothie Cafe including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $269,550 - $845,985 | $198,500 - $543,500 |
| Franchise Fee | $30,000 | $30,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 6% | 6% |
| Advertising Fee | 3% | 3% |
| Year Founded | 1987 | 1997 |
| Year Franchised | 1988 | 1998 |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 15 years |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 15 years |
| Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | Hands on management preferred, restaurant experience preferred (but not required), ability to follow a business system, financial capabilities, general business acumen, ability to work well in a team environment, and passion!!! | |
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | No/No | No/Yes |
| Start-up Costs | No/Yes | No/Yes |
| Equipment | No/Yes | No/Yes |
| Inventory | No/Yes | No/Yes |
| Receivables | No/No | No/Yes |
| Payroll | No/No | No/Yes |
Training & Support |
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| Training | - | We believe in setting up our franchisees for success. We provide the following training: four-week training program, consisting of two weeks in a nearby Cafe, one week in a classroom setting at our Support Center in Atlanta, Georgia and one week onsite for your Grand Opening. |
| Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform |
| Marketing | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media | Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app |
| Operations |
60% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 6 - 9
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (75% of current franchisees are owner/operators) | Tropical Smoothie Cafe has a very simple business operation since we do not utilize any fryers, grills, hooding systems or serve alcohol in the cafe.
Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 10 - 20 |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | Yes | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | No | No |
| International Expansion | Yes | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Smoothie King
When visits to various doctors did little to relieve the allergies Steve Kuhnau was suffering from, the nurse began reading up on nutrition, hoping a change in diet would help his symptoms. Once he began eating fresh foods and cutting fat out of his diet, Kuhnau started feeling better. His next task was to find a way to tackle the midday fatigue caused by hypoglycemia. Using his nursing expertise and the drink mixing experience he gained as a soda jerk in high school, Kuhnau began experimenting with high protein drinks. The resulting product combined fresh fruits, vitamins and other supplements and inspired the creation of Kuhnau's company, Smoothie King.
Each Smoothie King store sells smoothies and a variety of vitamins, minerals, low fat snacks and nutritional supplements.
Offering 40 percent off its initial franchise fee agreements for the first 40 agreements in 2013 IN St. Louis.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a traditional Smoothie King Business ranges from for an end-cap or in-line location,
$269,550 to $545,035, and for a free-standing drive-thru location,
$577,100 to $845,985. This includes $28,250 to $36,990 that must be paid
to the franchisor.
If you sign an Area Development Agreement, you also
must pay the franchisor a development fee of $12,500 for each Smoothie King franchise you commit to develop after the first franchise. You
must develop a minimum of 5 Smoothie King Businesses under the Area
Development Agreement.
Veteran Incentives 20% off franchise fee
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#14 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#19 in Franchise 500 for 2021.
About Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Tropical Smoothie Cafe offers genuine natural product smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads, and servings of mixed greens. Our more beneficial decisions are what today's customers request and search out. Maybe that is the reason in 2015, the main half of our franchisees had normal gross offers of $806,920*.
Our main goal is to motivate a more beneficial way of life by serving astounding smoothies and nourishment with a touch of tropical fun. On the off chance that you play to win, contribute well and turn into a Tropical Smoothie Cafe Franchise Owner at this point!
*Based on date-book year 2015, 77 of 359, or 21.4%, of the Cafes picked up or outperformed this business level. This data shows up in Item 19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document. Your outcomes may vary. There is no confirmation that you will do also.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a single-unit
Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise ranges from $198,500 to $543,500. This
range includes $37,500 that must be paid to the franchisor, consisting
of a franchise fee of $30,000 and a grand opening marketing contribution
of $7,500.
If a franchisee chooses to develop multiple units, a $20,000
franchise fee must be paid to the franchisor for the second and each
additional unit.
Veteran Incentives 50% off franchise fee
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#3 in Gator's Top franchises.
#18 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#14 in Franchise 500 for 2021.