CKE Restaurants CEO takes top spot at Tropical Smoothie Cafe
The nation’s largest smoothie chain has named a new chief executive.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe has named Max Wetzel as CEO, succeeding Charles Watson, who is stepping down after more than 16 years with Tropical Smoothie Cafe, including the past six years as CEO.
Wetzel joins the company from CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, where he served as CEO for nearly two years, overseeing more than 3,700 restaurants. Prior to CKE, Wetzel spent four years at Papa John’s International, Inc., where he served as COO and chief commercial and marketing officer.
In addition to the appointment of Wetzel, Tropical Smoothie Cafe also announced that Roland C. Smith, a restaurant executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience, has joined its board of directors. He has served as CEO of both public and private companies, including Delhaize America, LLC, Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc., Wendy’s International and more, and has served on the boards of many companies.
"We are delighted to welcome Max and Roland, two industry executives of the highest caliber, to Tropical Smoothie Cafe as we continue to deliver exceptional service and high-quality products for our valued guests," said Nigel Travis, chairman of the board for Tropical Smoothie Cafe. "Tropical Smoothie Cafe continues to redefine the smoothie and juice better-for-you food category with the support of our dedicated franchisees. Max's commitment to fostering a people-first culture centered around operational excellence combined with his proven track record of expanding brand awareness through product innovation and best-in-class marketing capabilities will help Tropical Smoothie Cafe and our franchisees extend their strong momentum."
The moves come five months after Tropical Smoothie Cafe was acquired by private equity firm Blackstone in a deal that valued the fast-casual chain at about $2 billion.
"Max's extensive experience at leading global brands and national franchise businesses makes him an ideal leader to take Tropical Smoothie Cafe to the next level of growth and innovation,” said Peter Wallace, senior managing director at Blackstone. “With Blackstone's scale and resources behind the company, we are excited to invest in Tropical Smoothie Cafe's continued expansion for its valued guests and franchisees.”
Founded in 1997, Atlanta-headquartered Tropical Smoothie Cafe operates nearly 1,500 locations across 44 states.
