Smoothie King continues to grow its portfolio and the pandemic

Smoothie King continues to grow its portfolio and the pandemic.

The smoothie/juice bar brand expects to open 27 more U.S. stores by the end of the year, for an annual total of 75 new U.S. locations. In August, Smooth King opened its 1,200th store, in Royal Oak, Mich. (Including global sites, the company has opened 195 stores year to date.)

Smoothie King said it has focused on refining its digital-ordering platforms to better align with customer purchasing behaviors to maintain its development momentum.  Since their creation and introduction at the beginning of the pandemic, the company said its online ordering, curbside pickup and delivery capabilities have continued to grow.

“Moving forward, we will continue to improve our digital ordering capabilities and round out our purpose-driven menu – all while demonstrating an unparalleled amount of support for our franchises,” said CEO Wan Kim, who will be featured on the popular CBS television show, “Undercover Boss,” on Friday, Oct. 23 (9:00 PM, ET). This combination will allow Smoothie King to grow even more in the coming months and years.”

Smoothie King said it welcomed 13 new franchisees this year and signed 223 global store commitments to date. The franchise expects a total of around 300 new commitments by the end of 2020.