This story is part of “Post-Close: An Inside Look at Franchise M&A Outcomes,” a digital series in which Franchise Times revisits past Dealmakers winners to explore how they’re putting investment dollars to work, if integration of that acquisition is going as planned and what…
ey’ve learned in the process. Tropical Smoothie Cafe operator Jim Breidenstein has noticed improvements in the last two years at the brand level, from marketing to growth to field-level support. “They’ve really prioritized growth,” said Breidenstein, who owns eight locations. “I thought the brand did a nice job at—this is important—preparing for their growth spurt.” Tropical Smoothie opened its 1,700th location in April, which is roughly 330 more than when Blackstone bought the brand in 2024 at a $2 billion valuation
It’s set to open store No. 1,800 by the end of the year and has more than 900 stores in the pipeline. Tropical Smoothie has locations in 44 states. CEO Max Wetzel, who was appointed in 2024 after Charles Watson stepped down, said the brand consolidated its media efforts last year.
National marketing campaigns have increased brand awareness by 19 percent year over year, according to the company, and the number of loyalty members is at 12 million, a 25 percent increase since this time last year. Franchisees pay a 5 percent national marketing fee, on top of the 6 percent royalty fee. It deployed a new “Eat Some Good” media campaign across digital, traditional and social platforms. “As we start to ramp up in the summer, you’ll see more and more of our advertising,” Wetzel said. “It’s pretty exciting to see the impact that’s starting to happen.