Despite a down economy and a dismal year for foodservice franchising, Smoothie King expanded during 2009 - and racked up four key awards this week from opinion leaders monitoring the franchise business community:
- No. 1 in the juice bar category again — Entrepreneur magazine ranked Smoothie King on the 31st annual Franchise 500 list - marking the 17th straight year that Smoothie King has occupied the no. 1 spot
- No. 80 overall on Entrepreneur magazine's 2010 Franchise 500 list
- No. 7 overall on AllBusiness' second annual list of AllStar Franchises — up from no. 9 on its 2009 list
- No. 40 in the growth category on the AllBusiness list -- an improvement from no. 51 last year
Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 list is designed to highlight the best new opportunities for potential franchisees, with all companies judged by the same criteria: objective, quantifiable measures of a franchise operation, including financial strength and stability, growth rate and size of the system.
AllBusiness is a leading resource providing information for small businesses with fewer than 500 employees, and conducts research to measure the health and direction of the small business sector.
Smoothie King growth
Smoothie King opened 103 new stores last year and continues to expand with 53 stores opened since January 2009. A worldwide demand for healthy, fast, functional food is helping drive Smoothie King's success, as is a growing trend toward snacking during the day. In July 2009, the company launched a new premium line of Smoothie King Private Label vitamins and supplements and began opening two hours earlier for breakfast. The company continued international expansion in 2009, and new stores are planned for Turkey, Egypt and Japan.
"Receiving top recognition in these categories is an honor and testament of our commitment to providing a healthy fast-food alternative," said Smoothie King's co-founder and CEO Steve Kuhnau. "Thanks go out to our loyal guests, who since 1973 have chosen Smoothie King as a part of their healthy lifestyle."
