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Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchises operate fast-casual restaurants that offer premium, handcrafted smoothies made with select fresh fruits and vegetables using proprietary recipes, along with specialty sandwiches, flatbreads, wraps, salads, and bowls. The business model centers on franchising these restaurants to qualified operators who adhere to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe System Standards, including mandatory design and operational specifications, with support for sales building, marketing, delivery, and catering. The target market includes consumers of all ages, both male and female, seeking better-for-you, healthier food and beverage options in a fun, friendly environment.
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Franchise Costs
6% royalty + 5% ad fund + $179/mo BOH + $54/mo digital ordering + $75/mo loyalty platform + $18/mo gift card
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: Data based on 1,431 franchised restaurants open for at least one full year as of December 28, 2025, all of which reported sufficient financial performance information.
* All revenue figures extracted directly from the 'Average Net Revenues in 2025' tables. The document explicitly states that only revenue data is presented and no information on costs, expenses, or profit is provided, thus all profit-related metrics are set to null.
Extracted Item 19 Section
Avg. Revenue: $978,298
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How Tropical Smoothie Cafe Compares
Key Insights
- Lower investment than 75% of Fast Casual franchises
- #1 largest franchise system in Fast Casual
- Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Fast Casual
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Current | $276K – $771K | $35K | 6.0% | 1,650 |
| TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ | $300K – $721K | $35K | 6.0% | 1,371 |
| FIREHOUSE SUBS RESTAURANTS (UNIT) | $405K – $1.6M | $20K | 6.0% | 1,249 |
| Zaxby's | $1.4M – $3.8M | $35K | 6.0% | 826 |
| Qdoba | $548K – $1.3M | $40K | 5.0% | 652 |
| CHICK-FIL-A License Program | $586K – $3.3M | N/A | 10.0% | 412 |
Fast Casual Average 107 franchises | $529K – $1.2M | $39K | 5.6% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 107 Fast Casual franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2025)
Outlets by state across the United States
+36 more states
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SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchisees (2016 – 2025)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
347 SBA loans on record
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Franchisee Contacts
17 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
17 Contacts Available
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Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
One case involved a former franchisee alleging breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentations related to a breakfast initiative. The second case involved a former franchisee filing for bankruptcy after receiving a notice of termination for non-payment of royalties, leading to an adversary proceeding by the franchisor to collect amounts owed and enforce post-termination obligations.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
JND Tropics LLC, a former franchisee, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2025 following a notice of termination for failure to pay royalties.
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise ranges from $275,500 to $770,500. This includes a franchise fee of $35,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 6.0% of gross sales.
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