Home / $50K – $500K / Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Blackstone-owned smoothie chain with 1,650+ franchised units — the 2026 FDD's low end starts under $300K.
Food franchisees who want a large, growing smoothie system and can handle an 11% fee load.
Scale: 1,650+ franchised units
11% ongoing fee load (6% royalty + 5% marketing)
Key facts
- 2026 FDD Item 7: $275,500–$770,500
- $35,000 fee ($17,500 for qualifying veterans)
- 1,651 units — one of the largest systems on this list
- 13 straight years of positive same-store sales through 2024
- FDD includes an Item 19 — ask for it
Pros and cons
Pros
- Scale: 1,650+ franchised units
- 13 consecutive years of positive same-store sales (through 2024)
- Current 2026 FDD figures from three agreeing sources
Cons
- 11% ongoing fee load (6% royalty + 5% marketing)
- Item 19 AUV figures conflict across sources — read the FDD
- First FDD-documented AUV decline (-2.7%) appeared in FY2025
- One 10-unit Phoenix franchisee filed Chapter 11 in June 2025
FDD figures and sources
Per the 2026 FDD (issued 4/17/2026; figures cross-confirmed by the raw FDD PDF, sharpsheets, and franchisepayback): Item 7 $275,500–$770,500. Franchise fee $35,000 ($17,500 for qualifying veterans) plus a $10,000 grand-opening marketing contribution. Royalty 6% + 5% marketing/ad fund. 1,651 total units (1,650 franchised). The FDD includes an Item 19, but AUV figures conflict across secondary sources (median $978K vs $1,005,063 2024 average) — none quoted here. Verified Oct 2026.
Figures on this page come from the sources named above, checked on Oct 20, 2026. Franchise terms change every year — get the current Franchise Disclosure Document from the franchisor before you invest. Our methodology
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