And so we are rolling out this fall, what were calling it, our Inspire Better, right? Total investment for a new cafe opening ranges between $246,500 and $580,500. While we had always involved franchisees, I felt it needed to be formalized and more visible to our franchise system. Watson:"We were in a good place! When Charles Watson became the new Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO in 2019, the company claimed that it could be looking at $1 billion in sales in the next five years. Here's how CEO Charles Watson did it. The Tropical Franchisee Council (TFC) was established in 2018 and has been invaluable for our growth. The TFC works hand-in-hand with Tropical Smoothie on all facets of the business from operations, IT, marketing, construction, and beyond, and their genuine feedback continues to establish the open communication we strive for, helping us to enhance our business model on an ongoing basis. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Opens 35 New Locations in Third Quarter "When COVID-19 struck the restaurant landscape in mid-March, we closed all dining rooms and shifted our focus to drive-thru, curbside pickup, and delivery where available. As you know, the restaurant industry has taken a huge hit. Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC, 1117 Perimeter Center West, Suite W200, Atlanta, GA 30338. The impact of technology on the restaurant business and how Tropical Smoothie Cafe is adapting to a changing landscape in hospitality. I and/or my business partner(s) have the following financials, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC Since that time, he has led the company on its quest towards $1billion in sales by 2023. CALIFORNIA DISCLAIMER: THESE FRANCHISES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE FRANCHISE INVESTMENT LAW OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. By year-end 2018 we opened 110 cafes and signed 191 new franchise agreements. Occhiogrosso: What are some of the additional support initiatives you put in place for your franchise community during the pandemic? charles watson tropical smoothie net worth Charles Watson serves as CEO for Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Im a football lover. New York State Disclaimer: This advertisement is not an offering. TropicalSmoothie.com. In conclusion, I believe the growth of Tropical Smoothie Cafe over the last two years demonstrates Mr. Watson's steady leadership and a clear understanding of building on the momentum that has made the brand a leader in its category. From wraps to flatbreads to salads, Mr. Watson continues to solidly position Tropical Smoothie Cafe as a leader in the fast-casual, healthier lifestyle food category. He is directly responsible for selling more than 800 franchises. For many, many years, its been the Bahama Mama. You know, this is terrible, but Ive never gone through a pandemic before obviously, and I would have to say Im pretty pleased I think we did a very nice job during 2020, we opened 99 new restaurants. "At Tropical Smoothie Cafe, it's our mission to inspire a healthier lifestyle by serving amazing food and smoothies, with a bit of tropical fun. So I think a great franchisee base, and products and innovation that people want. Early in his career, Mark served the franchise industry as a supplier, delivering innovative technology-enabled marketing strategies to help emerging franchise concepts rapidly scale and grow revenue through local-level marketing and sales. He's no stranger to franchise development, nor is Charles Watson an outsider, having served four years as the company's Chief Development Officer in addition to his prior role as VP of Franchise Development. That created a kind of blueprint that served as the foundation for me to take the reins and lead the company the way I felt was best. Call now and speak to a franchise development leader. So our franchisees, if theyre staying on top of their Tropical Smoothie Cafe, theyve got to own that three to five mile radius around there. What are some of your interests outside of work? Charles Watson, CFE - Chief Executive Officer - Tropical Smoothie Cafe So well get to 50, but Im not focused on about five or six of them right now. Occhiogrosso: What were the one or two unique challenges that you faced upon taking over as CEO? And its the high quality food. The brands dedication to Inspire Better in all aspects of the business resonated with me from day one. Watson:"At Tropical Smoothie Cafe, it's our mission to inspire a healthier lifestyle by serving amazing food and smoothies, with a bit of tropical fun. A Tropical Smoothie Caf is a better-for-you, fast-casual restaurant business offering freshly prepared food and smoothies served in a fun, friendly environment. In this role, Mark leads brand, marketing, product, and digital innovations core functions of delivering the remarkable guest experience that drives Tropical Smoothie Cafes success. Mark Montini joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe as Chief Marketing Officer in October 2019. This information appears in Item 19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document. Based on our fiscal year ending 12/26/2021 and includes 768 Restaurants that were open for at least 12 months as of 12/26/2021. I worked for my father throughout my teenage years, and those years were my first taste of what the industry was all about. I was lucky enough to work with the founders of the business (and still do as they are board members) as well as work under our first CEO, who did an amazing job. John Joseph Dallier - Worldnews.com Well, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, we've got 850 locations in 44 states. Its not just: We have snacks! We have a full-on robust kitchen thats preparing fresh products. Again, the franchising, especially in Tropical Smoothie, it is a local business. Over the next five years, our goals are to reach 1,500 cafes open across the U.S., with over 18% profitability for our franchisees on average volumes in excess of $1M, all with very high operational satisfaction for our guests. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Celebrates Milestone Opening of 1,100th Location Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota (File No. Were proud to report that as of today, weve donated more than 200,000 smoothies to these hometown heroes, and were not done yet! Each year, franchisees complete the Franchise Business Review to essentially grade us here at the Support Center on how we're serving them. Previously with Papa Johns International as the Vice President, Global Digital Technology, Michael is a seasoned technology executive with vast engineering and operations expertise, leadership, and a deep understanding of digital technology and guest experiences. Right now Im on a Mango Berry Cosmo kick. And it has also driven franchise development and growth, so more units coming out. I was lucky enough to work with the founders of the business (and still do as they are board members) as well as work under our first CEO, who did an amazing job. It was not possible for me to get involved in every project so I had to learn to let go and delegate. Charles is directly responsible for selling more than 800 franchises during his tenure. Your results may differ. "Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a national fast-casual cafe concept inspiring healthier lifestyles with more than 850 locations in 44 states. The success of our brand is about the talent and drive of our talented executives and Support Center team. Were right, exactly where It was a little bit of a step back in 2020, but in 2021, our year-to-date comparative sales are [up] almost 30%. Mr. Watson was appointed the CEO position of. Previously, Cheryl held a 17-year tenure with Popeyes, during which she served as Vice President of Franchise Development, Vice President of Development Strategic Planning, and Director of Investor Relations and Finance. So again, I mentioned earlier menu innovation. final four 2022 euroleague tickets. Our relationships are founded on trust and respect for the unique talents of our teams, franchisees, and vendors alike. Tell us a bit about Camp Sunshine, about the partnership there, what you want people to know about it, and ways people can help support it. It is for information purposes only. We like to call it chopping wood, meaning you dont decide when quitting time is; you simply get the work done. "I've been with Tropical Smoothie since 2010 and was [first] our vice president of franchise development," he told Mashed. Occhiogrosso: What challenges, if any, did you face in getting "buy-in" from the existing franchise community once you became CEO? But we want to also have a higher calling of what were doing to be great individuals and great corporate citizens. Then I was our chief development officer and Ive been our CEO for about three years now. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Similar Companies - SmoothieProClub.com He was previously. Thatll come down over time, but were going to open 130 cafes on top of that. Tropical Smoothie Franchise Cost & Profit for 2023 Explained - Vetted Biz Call now and speak to a franchise development leader. CALIFORNIA DISCLAIMER: THESE FRANCHISES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE FRANCHISE INVESTMENT LAW OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. Prior to that, he was named Chief Development Officer in 2015 after serving as VP of Franchise Development since 2010. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Posts Record-Breaking Q2 Results A minimum net worth of $350,000, which includes $125,000 in liquid assets; Investment and Fee Structure: Start-up fees: A new Cafe investment is between $198,500 and $543,500. For the fiscal year 2021, these End-Cap and In-Line Tropical Smoothie Cafe Restaurants typically ranged in size from 1,200 to 1,900 square feet. This is a BETA experience. And that really got us down this road of: What is our purpose? Share Tweet Share Pin. Please give our readers the "Elevator Pitch" for Tropical Smoothie Cafe? How do you feel about franchise advisory councils? I and/or my business partner(s) have the following financials, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC Prior to Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Mark served as Chief Marketing Officer with Floor Coverings International where he was responsible for driving the brands digital transformation and leadership position in service-based franchising. Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Charles Watson has been with the company for more than 10 years and is passionate about supporting the franchise systems sustainable growth, the success of its franchisees, and the execution of the brands Inspire Better mission. Early in his career, Mark served the franchise industry as a supplier, delivering innovative technology-enabled marketing strategies to help emerging franchise concepts rapidly scale and grow revenue through local-level marketing and sales. When asked about developing people skills with a generation used to communicating online, Its an opportunity for us as managers and Franchise Owners to teach the staff how to greet people, look them in the eye, and ask how may I serve you today? Its our job to teach the next generation. The number one seller from a limited time offer perspective has always been our summertime Watermelon Mojito, its incredibly popular, 20 to 25 sales per cafe per day, with that Watermelon Mojito, everyone looks forward to it. Tropical Smoothie Cafe is rounding out yet another year of impressive growth. jdoe@tropicalsmoothie.com), which is being used by 23.3% of Tropical Smoothie Cafe work email addresses. Our company sells about 200 franchises, opens over 120 cafes a year, and has more than 500 locations in the pipeline. Weve implemented various franchisee support initiatives, including decreased royalties by 50%, ongoing support with PPP loans and real estate deferrals and abatements, rolling out curbside delivery systemwide, deployed hyper-local marketing strategies to drive business within a 12-mile radius of cafes, among many others. For me, its about really making sure that those DMAs [distinct market areas] or those different cities are all well represented and well connected so that our brand can compete in those different cities. Luckily in my first two years as CEO, we continued to expand the footprint of the brand, and increase brand awareness, drive profitability for our franchisees and drive our comp sales. We have three tenets in how we serve our Franchise Owners. And if you do that well, then your top-sellers, sometimes you beat them. There are currently 913 franchised locations and 1 company-owned restaurant. And is there a smoothie that you wish to see added to the menu in the future? We set company-wide strategic imperatives around these issues immediately.". Whats your favorite cuisine outside of Tropical Smoothie? We figured a good person to ask might be the CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Charles Watson. The guests who support local businesses in and around their communities are the ones we give the credit to because their loyalty to our cafes is what has ultimately maintained our ability to serve. A veteran hospitality professional, Charles has worked for several hospitality-related companies, including Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Intercontinental Hotels Group, US Franchise Systems, Inc., and Hospitality Real Estate Counselors. I wont lie, it was a blow to the ego at first, but it taught me what being a role player means and how important every role is to the bigger picture. While our projected 2020 growth might take a step back due to the coronavirus, I believe our approach to navigating through this will help us emerge quickly once it passes.". Related Posts. Because sure, the smoothies sell well and all, but did you know about the Chipotle Chicken Club flatbread sandwich? Those interested in becoming a franchisee should have $125,000 in liquid assets and a minimum net worth of $350,000. Watson:"When COVID-19 struck the restaurant landscape in mid-March, we closed all dining rooms and shifted our focus to drive-thru, curbside pickup, and delivery where available. The chain plans on opening an astonishing 200 locations this year alone, which will mean it's opening its 1000th restaurant. While the pandemic destroyed thousands of restaurants last year, Atlanta-based Tropical Smoothie Cafe had one of its best years to date. For the fiscal year 2021, these End-Cap and In-Line Tropical Smoothie Cafe Restaurants typically ranged in size from 1,200 to 1,900 square feet.