Tropical Smoothie finished 2021 with an AUV of $1,009,803.
In 2021, when many restaurants were focused on recovering sales after a horrendous 2020, Tropical Smoothie Cafe was already on its way to a milestone: $1 million in average unit sales.
“That certainly has been a win for us in the brand,” Chief Development Officer Cheryl Fletcher said. Tropical Smoothie finished 2021 with an AUV of $1,009,803.
Tropical Smoothie ranked No. 102 on the Franchise Times Top 500 list, up from No. 112. In 2021, the brand brought in $948 million across 1,039 stores nationwide. The Top 500 is an annual ranking of the 500 largest U.S.-based franchise systems by global systemwide sales.
“One of the things that our team is really focused on is continuing the growth,” Fletcher said. The brand has been consistently opening about 100 or more stores a year. Last year, about 70 percent of new franchisees signed on for multiple locations, Fletcher said.
Tropical Smoothie serves flatbreads, sandwiches and salads, among other entrees, as well as smoothies—which guests can boost with various supplements or add-ins. The initial investment needed to open a Tropical Smoothie location ranges from $277,000 to $584,000.
Tropical Smoothie fell into the middle of the snacks category, behind brands such as Wetzel’s Pretzels and Auntie Anne’s. Snack franchises on the Top 500 combined for $21.3 billion in sales last year, up 22.4 percent. Wetzel’s hit No. 249, up from No. 279, and Auntie Anne’s ranked No. 124, up from No. 146. Brand giants such as Dunkin’, Jamba and Tim Hortons fell to the bottom of the snacks category by percentage sales growth, but still saw about a 20 percent increase.
More than half the 13 snack brands to make the Top 500 list are juice or smoothie restaurants. With $43 million in sales, Juice It Up brought in the least amount of revenue in 2021, falling behind Robek’s Fresh Juices & Smoothies’ $50 million and Clean Juice’s $59 million.
The rise of ‘mini meals’
Wetzel’s Pretzels, the top performer in its category, saw a 25 percent average increase in same-store sales from 2019 to 2021. “It was just astonishingly strong,” CEO Jennifer Schuler said.
Wetzel’s Pretzels, the top performer in its category, saw a 25 percent average increase in same-store sales from 2019 to 2021. “It was just astonishingly strong,” said CEO Jennifer Schuler, pictured here.
A lot of that growth has to do with the way consumers’ eating habits have changed, Schuler said. The brand emphasized “mini meals” for those who need a quick, filling option on the go or between meals. Wetzel’s also pushed protein in a lot of its menu items, such as pepperoni on the pizza bites.
Last year brought the launch of a boba tea line and a focus on combo menu offerings “that make it easy for a customer to order a meal,” Schuler said. “Before they were sort of doing that on their own.”
The change in dining occasions and consumer preferences will “create opportunities in the snacking space to figure out how you service that need, and what people are looking for in terms of a snack,” Schuler continued. A snack used to be considered something to munch on, like a bag of chips or an apple, but people are gravitating toward more filling options, she said.
Auntie Anne’s, part of the Focus Brands portfolio, also spent its 2021 working to promote mini meals.
“We really focused a lot on our nuggets platform and our mini dogs, which has a lot of applications for people’s lives,” Brand Officer Alisa Gmelich said. “They are portable. They are shareable. I think it really puts the guest in the driver’s seat to determine, is it a snack? Is it a meal?”
In early 2021, Focus opened its first co-branded Jamba and Auntie Anne’s with a drive-thru in Wylie, Texas.
“It has been incredibly, incredibly successful,” Gmelich said. “And when we launched it, we were super excited about it. And we knew that guests loved it. I feel like every time we talk about it, the guests and fans just get more excited.”
In early 2021, Focus opened its first co-branded Jamba and Auntie Anne’s with a drive-thru in Wylie, Texas.
The total investment needed to open a traditional Auntie Anne’s store is $146,050 to $523,500. Cinnabon or Jamba co-branded store investments range from $280,050 to $804,500.