Each year, franchisees complete the Franchise Business Review to essentially grade us here at the Support Center on how we're serving them. In July 2018, I was named interim CEO, and then permanent in December 2018.". I may have been, in fact, the person responsible for awarding them a franchise! Based on our fiscal year ending 12/26/2021 and includes 768 Restaurants that were open for at least 12 months as of 12/26/2021. Nobody knew what was going to happen. Then we determined two focus areas, giving back to the community and prioritizing support for our franchisees. Share Tweet Share Pin. I love those states, [but] those are not really key states for us at this point, our big bastions out west are Las Vegas and Phoenix. And so we are rolling out this fall, what were calling it, our Inspire Better, right? My experience with the brand up to that point was beneficial because I was already very immersed in the operations and processes that had contributed to its success at that time. "Like I said, I was very fortunate to have had already developed relationships with our franchise community prior to becoming CEO. And so thats one of my favorites. Jul. What is the all-time best-selling smoothie the chain offers? Excludes non-traditional locations and Restaurants that were not open for at least 357 days in 2021. Areas we wanted to attack immediately with our rapid growth were direct franchisee support as well as technology support and menu innovation. Those franchisees are serving our guests on the front lines I can't run this business without their candid feedback.". As CEO, Watsons goal is to achieve $1 billion in sales and more than 1,500 cafes by 2023. Because of our amazing guests, our franchisees, and the communities they serve, including those on the front lines of this pandemic, we will get through this. On April 16 we met our goal of 100,000 smoothies, but our franchisees havent stopped there, and the new challenge is to donate a total of one million smoothies by the end of May. The range is based on estimated costs for End-Cap or In-Line Tropical Smoothie Cafe Restaurants, which include those located in or at strip style retail shopping centers but does not include drive-thrus. Prior to being named CEO in 2018, Charles served as the chief development officer for Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Early in his career, Mark served the franchise industry as a supplier, delivering innovative technology-enabled marketing strategies to help emerging franchise concepts rapidly scale and grow revenue through local-level marketing and sales. The success of our brand is about the talent and drive of our talented executives and Support Center team. For the fiscal year 2021, these End-Cap and In-Line Tropical Smoothie Cafe Restaurants typically ranged in size from 1,200 to 1,900 square feet. I may have a trick or two up my sleeve I do get to make some decisions occasionally around here. Provide product innovation and innovation in general. Watson: "Like I said, I was very fortunate to have had already developed relationships with our franchise community prior to becoming CEO. By Jonathan Maze on Apr. We add some spice to it. Call now and speak to a franchise development leader. Be sure that you have a minimum net worth of $350,000 and $125,000 in liquid assets. He is a general assignment reporter and has covered a range . Yes, it has a brand name on it, but it is Bill and Sally Smith on the corner and theyre entrepreneurs. As a 35 year veteran of the restaurant and franchise industry, I have always been fascinated by the challenges, risks, rewards, and day to day "work" a CEO faces when first taking the helm of an ongoing franchise organization. But I would tell you that what has ultimately driven this brand is our franchisees and it is our culture, right? We find that real fruits, veggies, and juices just taste better.". We had a high level of mutual trust and respect for each other that existed before I assumed the role of CEO. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Here are some highlights of their conversation about his franchise business. "We were in a good place! And they want what they want when they want it, and thats usually right now. menu boasts bold, flavorful smoothies with a healthy appeal, all made-to-order with quality ingredients. And we actually drove our comparative sales versus 2019 by 7.5%. Some of our franchisees had the idea to donate smoothies to first responders and hospital workers in Atlanta. Paul Marsden oversees development and execution of financial strategies to support the companys business plans. Tell us a bit about Camp Sunshine, about the partnership there, what you want people to know about it, and ways people can help support it. Youre asking me to pick which kid I like the best. As their franchise website states: "Tropical Smoothie Cafes menu boasts bold, flavorful smoothies with a healthy appeal, all made-to-order with quality ingredients. Yes, we have some great products on our menu that weve crafted, but you can go off script. Tropical Smoothie Cafe has deals in place for hundreds more locations in the pipeline and is on track to meet Charles aggressive goal to hit 1,500 locations by the end of 2024. SUCH REGISTRATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE APPROVAL, RECOMMENDATION OR ENDORSEMENT BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS NOR A FINDING BY THE COMMISSIONER THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HEREIN IS TRUE, COMPLETE AND NOT MISLEADING. Paul Marsden oversees development and execution of financial strategies to support the companys business plans. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. I and/or my business partner(s) have the following financials, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC This information appears in Item 19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document. Charles Watson is Chief Executive Officer at Tropical Smoothie Cafe Corp. See Charles Watson's compensation, career history, education, & memberships. Other common Tropical Smoothie Cafe email . We decreased royalties and deployed hyper-local marketing strategies to drive business within a 1to 2-mile radius of cafes. But we want to also have a higher calling of what were doing to be great individuals and great corporate citizens. And is there a smoothie that you wish to see added to the menu in the future? If your Franchised Business includes a drive-thru, the additional expense (including the cost of leasehold improvements, restaurant fixtures and equipment, and other costs) would be approximately $35,000 to $45,000. . "Our franchisees are the heart of our brand, so we wanted to make sure we were doing everything we could to help them stay afloat through the crisis. Von Kutzleben most recently served as vice president of brand strategy, advertising and menu at Arbys. Prior to that, he was named Chief Development Officer in 2015 after serving as VP of Franchise Development since 2010. shin numbness after acl surgery; first friday phoenix vendor application; benton high school baseball roster; surprise message link for boyfriend Absolutely. A veteran franchise professional, Charles has worked for several hospitality-related companies including Intercontinental Hotels Group and US Franchise Systems. Today's post focus' on that topic in an interview with Charles Watson, the CEO of Tropical Smoothie Caf. *$1,009,803 System Wide Average Net Revenues. What are some of your interests outside of work? Tropical Smoothie is a Georgia-based company that owns and operates a chain of restaurants serving smoothies, sandwiches, wraps, salads and soups. And that really got us down this road of: What is our purpose? So again, I mentioned earlier menu innovation. Its the high quality ingredients. Without our franchisees, committees, and council, I simply could not do this job. Right next to that is our relationship with our Franchise Owners. Amid all the pandemic news and stories of how the foodservice business is coping with the crisis, I thought I'd attempt to redirect our attention today, even if only for a short while. Mark Montini joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe as Chief Marketing Officer in October 2019. Drain-Net Technologies. I wont lie, it was a blow to the ego at first, but it taught me what being a role player means and how important every role is to the bigger picture. By Jonathan Maze on Jan. 24, 2019. The average tropical smoothie franchise owner s salary/pay is estimated to be $126,000 per year, based on an average net revenue of $1,009,803 and a profit margin of 15%. With extensive experience in the food service industry, Paul comes to Tropical Smoothie Cafe from Popeyes, where he served as the Chief Accounting Officer and spent nearly two decades working in the brands financial and accounting departments. Camp Sunshine is a camp for kids and their families that have life-threatening illnesses. Von Kutzleben most recently served as vice president of brand strategy, advertising and menu at Arbys. What is something you wish more people knew about the chain and its products? Prior to Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Mark served as Chief Marketing Officer with Floor Coverings International where he was responsible for driving the brands digital transformation and leadership position in service-based franchising. So whats your own personal favorite smoothie? F-9894), New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. 908-236-0277. Were now seeing a big acceleration in the business in 2021, much of that is attributable to our franchisees, really working hard to stand up digital channels. Total revenues were $58 million while expenses were only $41 million, indicating a healthy profit margin of around 30%. Although COVID-19 has directly impacted our business, some days being down more than 50 percent, we consider ourselves lucky to have a business model that allowed us to easily transition to grab-and-go, curbside, and delivery only. charles watson tropical smoothie net worth. The way [Tropical Smoothie Cafe works in markets], we work the suburbs and the outskirts, and move our way into cities. Richard Key serves as the Chief Operations Officer, responsible for overseeing the operations team and its support and training of the Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise community. charles watson tropical smoothie cafe. Gary Occhiogrosso: Tell us a little about your background before joining Tropical Smoothie? Charles recently joined his team in celebrating the opening of the 1,000th Tropical Smoothie Cafe location. The success of our brand is about the talent and drive of our talented executives and Support Center team. How Much Do You Make Owning A Tropical Smoothie. Charles also serves on the boards of the International Franchise Association (IFA) and the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program. We must be able to service the guests who want to be on demand.. And what we were able to do is to take a smaller organization that was scrappy, just like Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and really build their endowment and really serve a lot of families. Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC, said, "It's inspiring to be part of the growth that Tropical Smoothie Cafe has . Management can grow a company without having to invest too much money, and . In my case, because I already had nearly a decade with Tropical Smoothie Cafe on the franchise development side, I had the unique advantage of personal relationships with our franchise community. Those franchisees are serving our guests on the front lines I can't run this business without their candid feedback.". F-9894), New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of franchise development, real estate, design and construction and franchise administration and helped grow the system from 265 open units to 725 open units. Charles Watson:"Prior to joining Tropical Smoothie Cafe, I worked for several hotel and hospitality-centric companies, including Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Intercontinental Hotels Group, US Franchise Systems, Inc. and Hospitality Real Estate Counselors. Chief Development Officer since 2016, after serving as VP of Franchise Development since 2010. See where were looking to grow to meet the incredible demand. 1117 Perimeter Center West, Suite W200 Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Charles Watson has been with the company for more than 10 years and is passionate about supporting the franchise systems sustainable growth, the success of its franchisees, and the execution of the brands Inspire Better mission. With extensive experience in the food service industry, Paul comes to Tropical Smoothie Cafe from Popeyes, where he served as the Chief Accounting Officer and spent nearly two decades working in the brands financial and accounting departments. Prior to joining Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Pete served as the Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance/Risk Officer at Popeyes for over 10 years and has extensive experience handling corporate transactions, both in-house and in private practice. I was lucky enough to work with the founders of the business (and still do as they are board members) as well as work under our first CEO, who did an amazing job. Charles Watson is currently an Atlanta-based correspondent for Fox News Mediacovering the southeastern portion of the United States. Gosh, I would say the first things that come to mind for me are menu innovation and products. And so I think were right on pace. So that was helpful! In this role, he is responsible for the brand's strategic vision and overall franchise performance. Weve done different promotions and summertime promotions to raise dollars for Camp Sunshine and have one more coming up this fall for them. Watson: "I think when taking over any brand where you worked alongside your predecessor, there's a certain level of pressure to continue carrying the torch, but also to make necessary changes to the brand to evolve with the changing economy and consumer trends. Cheryl Fletcher joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe in July of 2017. Vice President Franchise Development. Occhiogrosso: Please give our readers the "Elevator Pitch" for Tropical Smoothie Cafe? Watson discusses how and why the brand has seen a Q3 same-store sales jump of 19.5% during the pandemic Tropical Smoothie Cafe on franchisee success during COVID-19 | Nation's Restaurant News Were working on it. Our consumers really like our food. TropicalSmoothie.com. Prior to being named CEO in 2018, Charles served as the chief development officer for Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Ivebeen with Tropical Smoothie since 2010 and was [first] our vice president of franchise development, he told Mashed. At the start of his career, Michaels ambitious spirit led him to develop a point of sale system, Hot Sauce. Tropical Smoothie Cafe has deals in place for hundreds more locations in the pipeline and is on track to meet Charles' aggressive goal to hit 1,500 locations by the end of 2024. I would say that understanding the viewpoints and drivers of the different stakeholders I was serving was important. Tropical Smoothie Caf currently has over 800 locations nationwide. It is for information purposes only. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of franchise development, real estate, design and construction and franchise administration and helped grow the system from 265 open units to 725 open units. Did you foresee the level of growth the chain has experienced of late? Mr. Watson was appointed the CEO position of. Weve raised almost $7.5 million for them. We figured a good person to ask might be the CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Charles Watson. A veteran hospitality professional . Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. He sat down to do an interview with Tim Tang and talked about how his brand is innovating to meet the needs of todays consumers. He has been the Chief Development Officer since 2015 and directly responsible for selling more than 800 franchises during his tenure. The offerings have evolved over the years to include a menu of breakfast and lunch items beyond smoothies. Charles is directly responsible for selling more than 800 franchises during his tenure. My predecessor did a great job, so most of the hesitancy candidly was, "will this guy be as good, will we have the same amount of success?" So our franchisees, if theyre staying on top of their Tropical Smoothie Cafe, theyve got to own that three to five mile radius around there. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. Tropical Smoothie Cafe. If you are a resident of or want to locate a franchise in one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your state. Prior to that, he was named Chief Development Officer in 2015 after serving as VP of Franchise Development since 2010. Our company sells about 200 franchises, opens over 120 cafes a year, and has more than 500 locations in the pipeline. And the other misconception, whether you think its uber healthy or not so healthy, is that you, the consumer, the guest have all the choice in the world. 13, 2021, 08:36 AM. I think the greatest thing you can do in life is serve others and reap the reward of knowing youve done something good for someone else. Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC . Right now Im on a Mango Berry Cosmo kick. The smiles we saw and stories we heard inspired us to think bigger and explore how we could do even more to support the communities we serve. Charles is a graduate of The Hotel School at Cornell University and holds a Master of Business Administration from The Terry College of Business at The University of Georgia. Costs can vary by location and the average cost is $370,000. Well, we just talked about Camp Sunshine and we have a smoothie called the Sunshine Smoothie that is orange and mango based. In a highly competitive segment, we're one of the fastest-growing quick-casual brands, opening 124 new locations in 2019 alone and singing 213 development agreements to open hundreds of businesses over the next few years.". Complete the form or call 770-821-1928, and a Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise development leader will reach out to you with more information. We can make you any smoothie that you like with our whole ingredients and you can mix and match as you see fit. New York State Disclaimer: This advertisement is not an offering. CEO Charles Watson says that the company is "99.9 percent franchise," which means that most of the locations are owned independently. So I would say our Island Green Detox is not my go-to, but I understand that should be my go-to from a health perspective. Watson:"At Tropical Smoothie Cafe, it's our mission to inspire a healthier lifestyle by serving amazing food and smoothies, with a bit of tropical fun. Sure. In these roles, Charles was responsible for all development of the Tropical Smoothie Cafe brand. Complete the form or call. So I was compelled to ask Mr. Watson his thoughts on the pandemic and the company's response. It was not possible for me to get involved in every project so I had to learn to let go and delegate. We figured a good person to ask might be the CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Charles Watson. The companys goal is to open 1,500 cafes or more by the year 2024. It is the food. Pete Ward advises Tropical Smoothie Cafe on all legal and business matters, including franchising, real estate, labor and employment, litigation, intellectual property, licensing, and other commercial matters. Thats a smoothie that has pineapple, strawberries, and white chocolate and coconut. And by the way, thats one way Tropical Smoothie Cafe has grown so big so fast the food. January 21, 2010 // Franchising.com // Destin, Fla. - Tropical Smoothie Caf, a tropical-themed smoothie and sandwich chain with more than 285 locations, announced today that Charles Watson has . If you are a resident of or want to locate a franchise in one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your state. The most common Tropical Smoothie Cafe email format is [first_initial] [last] (ex. How is taking the reins of an existing company different than being part of a startup or a founder? Tropical Smoothie Caf's recent momentum isn't just a snowball rolling downhillit's more like a full-on avalanche. It was important to me that we have franchisees themselves share their feedback and align on system initiatives and goals. This information appears in Item 19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document. During the current COVID-19 crisis, what steps have you taken to ensure that Tropical Smoothie Cafe supports the local community? CALIFORNIA DISCLAIMER: THESE FRANCHISES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE FRANCHISE INVESTMENT LAW OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. "I've been with Tropical Smoothie since 2010 and was [first] our vice president of franchise development," he told Mashed. It is, however, a "darn good chaser," he said and . So were a brand thats going to be close to pushing a 3:1 investment ratio. Because of our amazing guests, our franchisees, and the communities they serve, including those on the front lines of this pandemic, we will get through this. What were the one or two unique challenges that you faced upon taking over as CEO? A veteran franchise professional, Charles has worked for several hospitality-related companies including Intercontinental Hotels Group and US Franchise Systems. ", Charles Watson was named CEO in December 2018. Charles recently joined his team in celebrating the opening of the 1,000th Tropical Smoothie Cafe location.