Smoothie King

Smoothie King Franchise FDD, Costs & Fees (2025)

Smoothie and juice bar franchise offering a range of blended fruit smoothies, supplements, and healthy snacks, focusing on fitness and wellness.

Smoothie King is a privately owned American smoothie company renowned for its dedication to providing nutritious smoothies made from organic vegetables and whole fruits, free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.

The company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, was founded in 1973 by Steve and Cindy Kuhnau. It later came under the ownership of Wan Kim, a former Smoothie King franchisee in South Korea.

Smoothie King began franchising in 1988, and its growth has been fueled by a strong commitment to health and wellness. The company's smoothies are designed to cater to various dietary needs, including vegan, gluten-free, and high-protein options.

The brand emphasizes a healthy lifestyle not just through its products but also through community engagement and fitness partnerships. Smoothie King regularly collaborates with local fitness centers and health organizations to promote wellness and healthy living.

Initial investment

Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Smoothie Kingoffers 2 types of franchises:

Location Type Initial Investment
Traditional end-cap or in-line location $346,350 – $679,465
Free-standing drive-thru location $661,150 – $1,277,650

We are summarizing below the main costs associated with opening a Free-standing Drive-thru Smoothie King location franchise.

For more information on the various types of franchises and its costs, refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document (Item 7).

Free-standing Drive-thru Smoothie King location

Type of Expenditure Amount
Initial Franchise Fee $25,000 – $30,000
Three Months’ Rental & Deposit $5,000 – $30,000
Technology Systems $12,000 – $14,500
Grand Opening Marketing $7,500 – $15,000
Travel and Training Expenses $2,700 – $6,000
Insurance (First Year’s Premium) $3,500 – $7,500
Other Prepaid Expenses $14,700 – $29,400
Start-Up Supplies, Inventory $24,750 – $25,500
Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment, Millwork $109,000 – $139,000
Architectural & Engineering Services $30,000 – $50,000
Signage $28,000 – $38,000
Leasehold Improvements $350,000 – $825,000
Legal, Accounting & Organizational Costs $500 – $4,000
Miscellaneous Costs $1,000 – $5,000
Drive-Thru $25,000 – $33,750
Additional Funds — 3 Months $15,000 – $25,000
TOTAL $661,150 – $1,277,650

Franchise Disclosure Document

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Competitors

Below are some of

Smoothie King

key competitors in the

Healthy

sector.

Started franchising
Franchisees

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Franchise fee

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Royalty fee

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Investment

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Revenue (AUV)

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Gross Profit

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EBITDA

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Home-based

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Passive investment

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FDD
Smoothie King
1988
1149
+
10%
10%
$30,000
6.00%

$346,000

-

$1,278,000

n.a.

$627,000

Upgrade

73.0%

n.a.

Upgrade

15.0%

n.a.

Upgrade
No
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No
Yes
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Yes
2023
3
+
n.a.
n.a.
$25,000
5.00%

$252,000

-

$648,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$427,000

63.0%

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

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Upgrade
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2021
28
+
300%
300%
$60,000
7.00%

$238,000

-

$354,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$614,000

49.9%

n.a.

Upgrade

23.4%

n.a.

Upgrade
No
Upgrade
No
Yes
Upgrade
Yes
2018
4
+
100%
100%
$45,000
6.00%

$588,000

-

$1,386,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$1,059,000

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
No
Upgrade
No
Yes
Upgrade
Yes
2015
22
+
10%
10%
$40,000
6.00%

$321,000

-

$572,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$624,000

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
No
Upgrade
No
No
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No
2019
6
+
n.a.
n.a.
$30,000
5.50%

$90,000

-

$300,000

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n.a.

$0

n.a.

n.a.

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n.a.

n.a.

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No
Upgrade
No
Yes
Upgrade
Yes
1998
83
+
6%
6%
$30,000
6.00%

$271,000

-

$632,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$539,000

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
No
Upgrade
No
Yes
Upgrade
Yes

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$49 / month
Total investment

?

Revenue (AUV)

?

Revenue growth (last 3 years)

?

Profit margin

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Franchise Disclosure Documents
Advanced filtering and sorting
Watchlist

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Priority support

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Training 

Smoothie King prioritizes a thorough training program to ensure franchisees are fully equipped to run their franchises successfully.

Franchisees, particularly those launching their first, second, or third unit, must participate in and complete the initial franchise management training program before starting operations.

This training can be conducted at a location specified by Smoothie King or, if preferred by the company, virtually.

For those opening their first unit or within their first three units, all appointed managers and employees directly involved in managing the business are required to attend and complete this initial training.

Territory Protection

Franchisees are granted the conditional right to operate a Smoothie King Restaurant within a designated geographic area known as the "Territory," as specified in the Area Development Agreement. Within this Territory, franchisees are required to establish Franchised Restaurants.

The boundaries of the Protected Territory are determined by identifiable factors such as population density, traffic patterns, and natural geographic features. However, this Territory does not ensure exclusivity.

For franchisees operating from a Non-Traditional location, there will be no Protected Territory, and they will not have any exclusive rights to a specific area. It is also important to understand that franchisees may encounter competition from other franchisees, company-owned outlets, or other distribution channels or competing brands controlled by Smoothie King.

Number of units

2025
Franchised units

1048

1093

1149

Company-owned units

55

59

52

Total units

1103

1152

1201

Competitors

VARA Juice Restaurant

Franchisees

?

3
+
n.a.
n.a.
Investment

?

$252,000 - $648,000

Project LeanNation

Franchisees

?

28
+
300%
300%
Investment

?

$238,000 - $354,000

fresh&co

Franchisees

?

4
+
100%
100%
Investment

?

$588,000 - $1,386,000

Kale Me Crazy

Franchisees

?

22
+
10%
10%
Investment

?

$321,000 - $572,000

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