Smoothie King names new VP, unifies payment processing
A leading smoothie/juice bar brand is supporting growth with a new VP of franchise development and a new payment processing system.
Smoothie King Franchises Inc. has named franchise industry veteran Shawn Caric as VP of franchise development. As the director of development for Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins, Caric worked to develop and execute strategic market and expansion strategy plans for both brands throughout the 11-state Midwest region.
Most recently, Caric was the VP of franchise development for QDOBA Mexican Eats, where he directed the 740-unit brand's strategic franchise expansion across key markets in the U.S. and Canada. Smoothie King’s long-term growth plans include attracting 70 new franchisees and signing 200 total store commitments in 2022.
Unifying payment processing
In addition, Smoothie King has selected the unified commerce cloud platform from ParTech Inc., a subsidiary of Par Technology Corp., to manage secure, compliant payment processing services across its network of more than 1,000 stores.
As part of a systemwide payments processing upgrade, Smoothie King had been seeking a single payments partner that would provide a streamlined underwriting and approval process, frictionless onboarding, competitive pricing, and centralized support. Ultimately, Smoothie King wanted to substantially improve the payments experience for both its customers and franchisees.
The quick-service retailer decided to implement Par’s end-to-end payment processing software and hardware solutions based on the vendor’s focus on end customers. The focus of the company in 2022 is to continue ramping up unit-level economics and system-wide growth through the introduction of new consumer-facing technology, product lines, and tools for franchisee success.
“With all the volatility seen in the restaurant industry recently, it was crucial that we selected not only a stable and reliable partner, but one that would withstand changes within our business as well as the restaurant industry,” said Chris Andrews, CIO at Smoothie King Franchises. "Par’s customer-centric approach aligns perfectly with ours and this partnership will continue to inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle by providing a more seamless guest experience."
“We’re excited that Smoothie King has selected Par Payment Services (PPS) for its payment processing requirements,” said Savneet Singh, Par Technology CEO. “Par’s solution, and broader platform offerings, makes it easier for Smoothie King to scale operations and manage financial controls over its fast-growing business and enterprise. Par Payment Services securely replaces cobbled together processes and systems that are ineffective and costly for franchise operators. Smoothie King’s selection of Par Payment Services also highlights the potential of our payment product within enterprise restaurants.”
Previously, the company 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.
Founded in 1973, Smoothie King Franchises Inc. is a privately-held, Dallas-based franchise company with over 1,300 locations worldwide.