Tropical Smoothie Cafe to open five more locations, including three in Acadiana – The Advocate

So how do you build a brand in the quick serve restaurant industry? Sure, you need a good product, and it has to be delivered efficiently.

But its that word of mouth, organic growth that may what cements your place in the industry, one that took a punch to the gut in 2020 from the coronavirus pandemic.

Thats been a key for BJ Crist and Gus Rezende with Social Entertainment, owners of the local Tropical Smoothie Caf franchises. Last month marked 11 years since Crist and Claire Foret opened the first location in Lafayette in the Oil Center, and he and Rezende have since opened four more across Acadiana.

Now they are starting another round of expansion with five more planned for south Louisiana. They will open a location on Johnston Street near E Broussard Road possibly in the fall and are looking to open in the Broussard/Youngsville area, the Scott area, the Lake Charles area and the Houma/Thibodaux area, Crist said.

Weve spent the time and effort to build the brand over 11 years, Crist said. Word of mouth is key to anything. Its what really drives longevity. Its not entirely the thing that will be the quick success story, but word of mouth is what builds a brand. Thats what weve been trying to do in trying to saturate the Acadiana area.

The expansion comes as Tropical Smoothie has emerged as one of the hotter brands in the country. Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Tropical Smoothie Caf 18th in its top 500 franchises for 2021, and last month the company reported its ninth straight year of same-store sales growth despite the turmoil many restaurants experienced when the pandemic severely limited what restaurants could do.

Tropical Smoothie Caf opened 99 new locations last year, including its 900th that opened in Georgia. It also has 254 new franchise agreements, 70% of which came from existing franchisees, and expects to open 1,000 new locations this year.

CEO Charles Watson credited the franchisees and crews for the growth despite the odds.

I'm incredibly proud of how this brand thrived during difficult circumstances and times, Watson said. Our focus on serving our guests drove us to develop new and exciting menu items and create multiple delivery methods for guests to experience all we have to offer all while heightening our dedication to safety and our commitment to the communities we serve.

The company has developed a model thats become popular by offering fruit smoothies and lighter, healthier menu items with an emphasis on customer experience, but it was the response to the pandemic that may have been the difference.

It shifted quickly at the start of the pandemic, adjusting quickly to offer curbside and delivery options and relaunching its mobile app, according to a report in QSR Magazine. It also offered franchisees 50% royalty relief for eight weeks and helped them secure PPP funding and negotiate rent relief.

The growth continued last year despite the obstacles, said Crist, who was named Multi-Unit Franchisee of the Year in August.

Its grown quite substantially in the last decade, he said. I feel like were really kind of catching our wind and the recognition. A little over a year ago they opened up on in Baton Rouge. It took a little while, but within six months it was doing some great numbers. When youre going into a new market that has no brand awareness, it usually takes a little time.

A big key, he noted, has been the customer experience. Much like Chick-Fil-A and emphasis on customer service, employees have high expectations for how they treat the customer.

Each location employs up to 25 people, many of which have gone through a screening process, Crist said. They look for employees with personality, who can hold a conversation with the customer and possibly change their day a little bit with just a little human interaction.

In turn, the company offers frequent pay raises to build continuity.

We really have high expectations on how we treat people from a hospitality standpoint, Crist said. We try to instill hospitality in the kids who work for us. I think what truly drives the success is the experience, the human factor and making people feel like, Thats my spot. Thats where I go.

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Tropical Smoothie Cafe to open five more locations, including three in Acadiana - The Advocate