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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 + $8/mo P&L software + $75/mo loyalty platform + $18/mo gift card
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: 1431 franchised restaurants open for at least one full year as of December 28, 2025. These restaurants reported sufficient financial performance information.
* The financial performance data is extracted from the 'Average Net Revenues in 2025' tables. The overall average gross revenue and median gross revenue are taken directly from the 'Total' row. The revenue for the top quartile is the 'Avg. Net Revenues' from the 'Top 25%' category. The revenue for the bottom quartile is the 'Avg. Net Revenues' from the 'Bottom 25%' category. No information on gross profit, net income, net profit, EBITDA, or expenses was provided in the document. Data for 2024 and 2023 is also available but 2025 data is used as the most recent.
Extracted Item 19 Section
Avg. Revenue: $978,298
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Unlock financial performance dataHow Tropical Smoothie Cafe Compares
Key Insights
- Lower investment than 76% 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 |
| Ace Sushi (Non-Traditional) | $18K – $120K | $6K | 8.0% | 541 |
Fast Casual Average 108 franchises | $519K – $1.2M | $39K | 5.6% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 108 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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Unlock location growth dataSBA 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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Unlock SBA loan historyFranchisee Contacts
17 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
17 Contacts Available
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Unlock contactsDue Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Primarily disputes related to franchise agreement terminations, fee collection, and alleged misrepresentations.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
JND Tropics LLC, a former franchisee, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2025 following a notice of termination for non-payment of royalties.
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Unlock due diligence reportsFrequently 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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