I joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe in 2010 as the Vice President of Franchise Development and, in 2016, became the Chief Development Officer, where I was responsible for all aspects of the development of the brand. Excludes non-traditional locations and Restaurants that were not open for at least 357 days in 2021. So were a brand thats going to be close to pushing a 3:1 investment ratio. It is for information purposes only. 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. I think all natural, whole fruit, and the ability to substitute while also having some really great baseline recipes that we have out there. Each year, franchisees complete the Franchise Business Review to essentially grade us here at the Support Center on how we're serving them. Paul Marsden oversees development and execution of financial strategies to support the companys business plans. Complete the form or call. Costs can vary by location and the average cost is $370,000. Prior to joining Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Richard was the Vice President of Operations, West Division, for Papa Murphys International where he was responsible for field operations and marketing. Areas we wanted to attack immediately with our rapid growth were direct franchisee support as well as technology support and menu innovation. 770-580-2333 Then I was our chief development officer and Ive been our CEO for about three years now. Prior to joining Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Pete served as the Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance/Risk Officer at Popeyes for over 10 years and has extensive experience handling corporate transactions, both in-house and in private practice. The Tropical Franchisee Council (TFC) was established in 2018 and has been invaluable for our growth. My experience with the brand up to that point was beneficial because I was already very immersed in the operations and processes that had contributed to its success at that time. And so were going to really get to focus there. Were any of the franchisees reluctant to follow the system or embrace a new direction? So I think a great franchisee base, and products and innovation that people want. Mark Montini joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe as Chief Marketing Officer in October 2019. I joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe in 2010 as the Vice President of Franchise Development and, in 2016, became the Chief Development Officer, where I was responsible for all aspects of the development of the brand. 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. Show all. The range is based on estimated costs for End-Cap or In-Line Tropical Smoothie Cafe Restaurants, which include those located in or at strip style retail shopping centers but does not include drive-thrus. "As a first time CEO, learning to view the business from a thinking vs. a doing mentality was a challenge I faced. Gosh, I would say the first things that come to mind for me are menu innovation and products. Charles Watson serves as CEO for Tropical Smoothie Cafe. We have quesadillas, we have flatbread sandwiches, we have sandwiches, we have salads. How do you see the company moving forward? 26, 2021. However, I ended up a punter at Cornell. Call now and speak to a franchise development leader. Oh gosh. And if you do that well, then your top-sellers, sometimes you beat them. Why The IFA Convention Is A Cant-Miss Event For Anyone In Franchising, The Automated Dumpling Restaurant Franchise That Could Turn Quick Service Dining On Its Head. We like to call it chopping wood, meaning you dont decide when quitting time is; you simply get the work done. Tropical Smoothie is a Georgia-based company that owns and operates a chain of restaurants serving smoothies, sandwiches, wraps, salads and soups. As CEO, Watsons goal is to achieve $1 billion in sales and more than 1,500 cafes by 2023. Charles also serves on the boards of the International Franchise Association (IFA) and the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program. Your results may differ. An offering can only be made by prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York. I was 11 years old when I got my first job washing dishes at my fathers restaurant. So more knowledge about our great food offerings is something that I would change a little bit. 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. Were in 44 states, and Tropical Smoothie Cafe does not currently have an international presence. Prior to that, she spent 22 years at BBDO Worldwide, where she was executive vice president and senior director for the global advertising powerhouse, leading campaign strategy and execution for many large national brands. For more information about owning a Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise, complete our form! I think the biggest shift will take place for those restaurants that can't be open right now. 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. "I wanted to further instill a franchisee-first mentality. Occhiogrosso: How do you feel about franchise advisory councils? Tropical Smoothie Cafe is rounding out yet another year of impressive growth. "I think when taking over any brand where you worked alongside your predecessor, there's a certain level of pressure to continue carrying the torch, but also to make necessary changes to the brand to evolve with the changing economy and consumer trends. . final four 2022 euroleague tickets. . What was your plan for the first 90 days? This process only helps our individual franchisees and their bottom line, respectively.". Some of our franchisees had the idea to donate smoothies to first responders and hospital workers in Atlanta. Yeah. 770-580-2333 Tell us a little about your background before joining Tropical Smoothie? He is directly responsible for selling more than 800 franchises. 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. Well, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, we've got 850 locations in 44 states. SUCH REGISTRATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE APPROVAL, RECOMMENDATION OR ENDORSEMENT BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS NOR A FINDING BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HEREIN IS TRUE, COMPLETE AND NOT MISLEADING. Occhiogrosso: What is the mission and goal of the company over the next few years? Over the years, weve learned that our innovative and versatile menu, featuring a wide variety of food items in addition to smoothies, has brought tremendous success to our brand and to our incredible franchisees. Occhiogrosso: What were the one or two unique challenges that you faced upon taking over as CEO? Our franchisees and their teams are the faces community members see daily, and the dedication from them is truly whats given us so much success in recent years. 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. Although I did not want to focus on COVID-19 in this interview, it is difficult to ignore its impact on the restaurant community as well as franchisees in general. And theyve been able to do that, which is increased our average unit volume many, many times over the years. Its not just: We have snacks! We have a full-on robust kitchen thats preparing fresh products. So its getting involved with charity partners. 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. This process only helps our individual franchisees and their bottom line, respectively.". The brands dedication to Inspire Better in all aspects of the business resonated with me from day one. We really call Tropical Smoothie Cafe a street corner business. Tropical Smoothie Cafe's primary competitors include Del Taco, Jack in the Box, El Pollo Loco and 19 more. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of franchise development, real estate, design and construction and franchise administration and helped grow the system from 265 open units to 725 open units. The smiles we saw and stories we heard inspired us to think bigger and explore how we could do even more to support the communities we serve. Watson will lead us through our next phase of strategic growth. Here's how CEO Charles Watson did it. Watson has more than 10 years of experience with Tropical Smoothie Cafe and led our franchise development efforts since 2010. Were proud to report that as of today, weve donated more than 200,000 smoothies to these hometown heroes, and were not done yet! Prior to that, he was named Chief Development Officer in 2015 after serving as VP of Franchise Development since 2010. Mr. Watson was appointed the CEO position of. Find restaurant equipment and suppliers. Net Worth Requirement $350,000 . which of the following is not characteristic of groupthink SPEED But we want to also have a higher calling of what were doing to be great individuals and great corporate citizens. It was important to me that we have franchisees themselves share their feedback and align on system initiatives and goals. . F-9894), New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. And it has been a fantastic partnership because we can see the benefit of the dollars that were putting in. Share Tweet Share Pin. The chain plans on opening an astonishing 200 locations this year alone, which will mean it's opening its 1000th restaurant. Cheryl Fletcher joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe in July of 2017. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. Were implementing a new point-of-sale system that acts as a hub and enables all third-party delivery, white label delivery, online ordering, etc. 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. And now is the right time to buy." . In a highly competitive segment, we're one of the fastest-growing quick-casual brands, opening 124 new locations in 2019 alone and singing 213 development agreements to open hundreds of businesses over the next few years.". We had a high level of mutual trust and respect for each other that existed before I assumed the role of CEO. And by the way, thats one way Tropical Smoothie Cafe has grown so big so fast the food. Were working on it. Tropical Smoothie Cafe. 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. See where were looking to grow to meet the incredible demand. Tropical Smoothie Caf currently has over 800 locations nationwide. Drain-Net Technologies. And so the way that they impact the communities where they operate is a really big part. 770-580-2333 Von Kutzleben most recently served as vice president of brand strategy, advertising and menu at Arbys. As reopening guidelines are being determined, we plan to move forward with an abundance of caution. Theres an obvious answer for me here, and thats to put your heart into what you do. 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. 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. Building off this momentum, in 2019, we celebrated the openings of our 750th and 800th locations, but taking over during such a monumental time for our brand certainly brought opportunities to improve. cincinnati fence company llc SERVICE. Ivebeen with Tropical Smoothie since 2010 and was [first] our vice president of franchise development, he told Mashed. And it has also driven franchise development and growth, so more units coming out. Because sure, the smoothies sell well and all, but did you know about the Chipotle Chicken Club flatbread sandwich? What is the mission and goal of the company over the next few years? *$1,009,803 System Wide Average Net Revenues. See where were looking to grow to meet the incredible demand. Our company sells about 200 franchises, opens over 120 cafes a year, and has more than 500 locations in the pipeline. And they want what they want when they want it, and thats usually right now. The best smoothie in terms of sales actually going on right now is our Mango Berry Cosmo. Sometimes youve just got to go with the taste. With the fast-casual spot gaining more recognition every year, there's a good chance that you won't be seeing your favorite Tropical Smoothie Cafe going anywhere anytime soon . Its doing more than just being in business to sell food and smoothies. The success of our brand is about the talent and drive of our talented executives and Support Center team. Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Charles Watson has been with the company for more than 10 years and is passionate about supporting the franchise system's . When I became CEO, I launched a formal franchisee advisory council, known in our organization as the Tropical Franchisee Council (TFC). If you are a resident of or want to locate a franchise in one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your state. Charles Watson serves as CEO for Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Any plans for celebrations and promotions around the quarter-century mark? "Relationships Rule" is one of our core values, and because of that, people are at the heart of our company. What are the brands plans for expansion and are you eyeing an international presence? And was one in place already? Our annual tactics are focused around delivering those results.". 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.