Smoothie King to expand in Midwest; appoints real estate VP

Smoothie King is expanding its footprint in Michigan’s second-largest market.

The smoothie chain has signed development agreements for six units set to open in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area starting early next year, furthering the brand's 2024 development growth goal of 100 new store openings for the year.

The franchise agreements are with OM Group, a franchise organization currently developing several Smoothie King stores in other areas of the country. The franchise owners, Amit Patel, Kalpesh Patel and Amanda Ristic will develop the new stores in Western Michigan in the cities of Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Wyoming, Holland, Grand Haven and Muskegon.

"We love showing up in a new market in a big way and bringing our brand of nutritious, delicious smoothies to new guests, and Grand Rapids is definitely no exception," said Chris Bremer, chief development officer at Smoothie King. "The OM Group's passion for our brand and dedication to helping people live healthier lifestyles make them the ideal partner to help expand our presence across the Midwest. As existing franchisees, it's exciting to see OM Group further its investment in Smoothie King with these important new development agreements."

Coinciding with the expansion news, Smoothie King has announced that it has appointed Brian Olson as VP of real estate to further the chain’s growth. Olson joined Smoothie King last month after three years in franchise sales with Carl's Jr. and Hardee's parent company CKE Restaurants, Inc. Olson will lead the Smoothie King real estate team’s strategy in determining where to expand with new stores.

Previously announced new store commitments for the chain included agreements in 47 designated market areas and 29 states, four of which are new markets for Smoothie King: Utah, Minnesota, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Founded in 1973, Dallas-based Smoothie King operates more than 1,200 units worldwide.