About Smoothie King
When visits to various doctors did little to relieve the allergies Steve Kuhnau was suffering from, the nurse began reading up on nutrition, hoping a change in diet would help his symptoms. Once he began eating fresh foods and cutting fat out of his diet, Kuhnau started feeling better. His next task was to find a way to tackle the midday fatigue caused by hypoglycemia. Using his nursing expertise and the drink mixing experience he gained as a soda jerk in high school, Kuhnau began experimenting with high protein drinks. The resulting product combined fresh fruits, vitamins and other supplements and inspired the creation of Kuhnau’s company, Smoothie King. Each Smoothie King store sells smoothies and a variety of vitamins, minerals, low fat snacks and nutritional supplements.
Smoothie King® is a privately held; Dallas-based company and the premier Smoothie Bar and Nutritional Lifestyle Center in the industry. Smoothie King® opened its first store in 1973 and started as the first franchised smoothie bar/health food store in the United States in 1989.
Smoothie King® currently has more than 1,000 stores operating in 34 states, the Caymans, Trinidad and the Republic of Korea.
In 2019, Smoothie King was ranked the #1 smoothie franchise on Entrepreneur’s 43rd annual Franchise 500 list, marking the 28th year the brand has occupied the No. 1 spot, and it was ranked #22 overall.
Our Mission
Inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
Our Vision
Be an integral part of everyone’s health and fitness journey.
Company Founded
1973
Current Leadership
Kevin King, Chief Business Development Officer
Started Franchising
1988 (33 years)
Total Number of Units
1,194 (as of 2020)
Part-Time / Full-Time
Full Time
How Much Does It Cost To Open A Smoothie King Franchise?
There are several costs associated with opening a Smoothie King franchise. There is typically a franchise fee set by the franchisor, which covers the costs of opening a franchise location. Some other commons fees include equipment fees, marketing fees, licensing fees, insurance, and taxes, to name a few.
Some franchises may have a weekly fee that the franchisee pays for operating a Smoothie King franchise. The weekly fee for opening a Smoothie King franchise is Operating Fee Due Monthly On The 16Th.
The full breakdown of these fees can be found in the Financial Disclosure Document (FDD) provided to franchisees by the franchisor. The FDD report will contain additional information such as whether the franchise is renewable (Smoothie King Is Renewable) and does the franchise offer financing support (Smoothie King Smoothie King has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll).
Smoothie King Company Details
Here are some additional details about Smoothie King.
Parent Company | Smoothie King Franchises Inc. |
Initial Investment | $30,000 |
Net Worth Requirement | $300,000 |
Veteran Incentives | 20% off franchise fee |
Royalty Fee | 6% |
Ad Royalty | 3% |
Cash Requirement | $100,000 |
Term of Agreement | 10 years |
Absentee Ownership | No |
Run from Home | No |
Part Time | No |
Training and Support Offered By Smoothie King
Smoothie King offers several support options to its franchisees. With 1,194 (as of 2020) units, Smoothie King aims to provide support to each franchise owner to help them operate a successful franchise location. Smoothie King offers 40-200 hours on the job training, 54-112 hours classroom training, and Managment training at corporate office for new store managers (optional) additional training.
Training and Support Offered
Here are the support options offered by Smoothie King.
On-The-Job Training | 40-200 hours |
Classroom Training | 54-112 hours |
Additional Training | Managment training at corporate office for new store managers (optional) |
Ongoing Support |
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Marketing Support |
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Estimated Revenue | $100M to $500M |

Is Smoothie King Right For You?
Smoothie King has gone digital! Here are all of the ways you can find Smoothie King online. Oftentimes, you can reach out to current franchisees of Smoothie King online. Current franchisees may be able to offer personalized insights into what it is like owning a Smoothie King franchise and offer tips to running a successful Smoothie King franchise location.
Why Should You Start a Smoothie King Franchise?
Investing in a Food franchise such as Smoothie King can kickstart your franchise portfolio. Our goal at Why Franchise is to provide you with the resources needed to be a successful franchise owner. Fill out the form below to get more information about Smoothie King franchise and we'll be in touch soon!