Smoothie King On The Move In More Ways Than One

Like many restaurant chains, Smoothie King, known for its namesake smoothies, can’t rest on its laurels and must always adapt to consumer’s changing tastes. Hence it introduced smoothie bowls on April 4 of this year to expand its repertoire with a more substantial menu item.

The six new smoothie bowls consist of three with an acai base and three with a pitaya (or fruit) base, with different ingredients such as granola, coconut flakes, berries, honey and peanut butter, according to Marianne Radley, its chief marketing officer.

“We want to be a part of everyone’s balanced lifestyle, whether you’re fueling up with a protein- packed smoothie or enjoying a smoothie bowl as an afternoon pick-me-up,” she said.

For the first time in its history, Smoothie King is offering smoothie bowls to add to its roster of menu items and, perhaps, attract a new clientele.

Smoothie King, which is headquartered in Dallas, Tx., has been a growing restaurant chain fueled mostly by franchising. It currently has 1,380 locations globally, with 1,113 in the U.S. within 32 states and 287 outside the U.S. Of its American shops, 1,055 are franchised and only 58 are company-owned, with foreign locations all franchised.

In 2021, coming out of the pandemic, Smoothie King reported a 16.5% increase in sales from the previous year. It attributed some of that rise to its “healthy rewards app, online ordering for pickup and delivery, and the use of tablet devices to ease the in-person ordering experience.”

Its CEO Wan Kim said on January 10, 2022, that “The brand has demonstrated nothing but growth and resilience in the face of economic upheavals these past 20 months, with the average franchisee amassing net profits higher than the company has ever seen.”

As a private company, Smoothie King is also rather tight-lipped about revealing some of its more specific consumer data. Asked how much of its revenue is generated by off-premises sales, it declined to answer that question. It also didn’t respond to what percentage of its business derives from breakfast, lunch or dinner.

It’s also been on a steady growth trajectory. In fact, it’s on target to open just over 100 locations in 2023, a close to 10% expansion rate.

Radley described its target audience as “consumers aged 18-to-40-years,” though its smoothies appeal to a wide range of clientele. “Our purpose-driven menu is crafted specifically to meet consumers’ individual nourishment goals, whether that’s health, fitness, wellness or simply to enjoy a nutritious treat,” she exclaimed.

Amanda Daily, a product development scientist at Smoothie King, added that smoothie bowls “provide another alternative to those who are on-the-go; not everyone is in the mood for a smoothie.” Daily also noted that smoothie bowls are “an excellent source of dietary fiber, rich with antioxidants, and we make a promise that they will include organic veggies and whole fruits with no artificial preservatives.”

Moreover, Daily noted that eating a more substantial meal can have its benefits. “There’s something to be said about chewing your meal as opposed to drinking something through a straw. When you’re chewing your food, you eat more slowly and digest your food more slowly so it’s more sustaining,” she pointed out.

Those smoothie bowls, depending on ingredients selected, vary from 450 to 620 calories each.

An analysis in the website Very Well Fit of Smoothie King concluded that “Smoothies can be nutritious meals or snacks made with whole ingredients like fruits, vegetables, nuts and more, so it’s no surprise that there are many nutrient-rich options at Smoothie King. However, some menu items contain added sugar and some are high in calories, fat, carbohydrates, sodium and cholesterol.”

Asked about its Greek yogurt strawberry smoothie that contains 240 calories with 49 grams of carbohydrates and 160 megabytes of sodium, Daily responded that, “We have a lot of different options on our menu for each guest. Depending on their nutritional needs, not every guest is looking for a low-carbohydrate smoothie.”

Daily added, “The purpose of the Greek yogurt smoothie is for digestive health. If a guest is looking for a low sodium option, they can find something else.

She advised consumers to “check out our website or brochure, which have nutritional benefits broken down. You can find something that meets your nutritional needs and tailors to your health and fitness goals.”

She recommended the Be Well style of smoothies. Daily noted “The purpose of the Be Well category is to pack the blends with nutrition that will help you maintain a healthy body and feel best.”

Finally, she steered health-conscious consumers to the papaya mango ginger smoothie, which contains 190 calories and 55 milligrams of sodium for a 20-ounce serving while “delivering the same gut healthy benefits of probiotics, prebiotics and fiber.”

Once the smoothie bowls debut at Smoothie King, Daley said confidently, “Overnight, we’re going to become the largest smoothie bowl chain in the nation.”