The strategy includes new food offerings, updated store designs, and a national campaign centered on its better-for-you platform.
Smoothie King is entering a new chapter, building on more than five decades in the category it helped create.
The evolution touches menu, store experience, and growth strategy at the same time.
The company introduced smoothies in 1973 and has since built an identity around taste and nutrition. Now the goal is to translate that to customers and gain more credit for its better-for-you equity.
“At the heart of this evolution is a deep understanding of what our guests want and need from us today,” CMO Claudia Schaefer said in a statement. “Through extensive research and feedback, we’ve redefined how we show up across every touchpoint – from our menu to our messaging to the in-store experience – to better reflect our care and vision to make the world a better place by nourishing healthy habits.”
As part of this movement, the menu is expanding beyond smoothies, with food becoming a larger part of the system. Flatbreads are set to enter the lineup, supported by a rollout of ovens across locations. The equipment is being added without cost to existing franchisees.
The brand is also adjusting how it presents itself inside stores. New designs introduce warmer tones, updated lighting, and added visual elements, including installations tied to the company’s identity.
The messaging is shifting alongside it.
A new national campaign, “The Best Kind of Delicious,” conveys the idea that nutrition can be difficult to navigate and positions Smoothie King as a consistent option. The company is pairing this message with a limited-time De-Dupe program, in which guests can bring in a receipt from another smoothie purchase and exchange it for one aligned with Smoothie King’s nutritional standards.
“This brand evolution is about building on what we started more than 50 years ago and reinforcing the role only Smoothie King can play in the category we created,” president Gavin Felder said in a statement.
Smoothie King also has significant growth ahead. The chain has more than 200 new store commitments and a development pipeline that includes over 1,500 available trade areas.
The brand finished last year with 1,242 U.S. outlets (1,200 franchises and 42 corporate units), growing by a net of 41 shops year-over-year. That’s after adding a net of 49 locations each in 2023 and 2024.
Smoothie King’s franchise system earned $760.4 million in sales in 2025, up 4.4 percent compared to 2024.
