Head-to-Head Franchise Intelligence
Tropical Smoothie Cafe vs Smoothie King
Commercial comparison of unit economics, FTC Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Item 19 average unit volume (AUV), startup capital requirements, and store tech stacks.
Contender 1Rank #47
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Smoothies, Bowls & Wraps
Eat Better, Feel Better
Parent Holding:Blackstone
Contender 2Rank #72
Smoothie King
Fitness Smoothies & Bowls
Rule the Day
Parent Holding:Independent Private
Unit Economics & Financial Benchmarks
Verified against FTC FDD Item 19 and SEC Form 10-K regulatory disclosures.
| Metric | Tropical Smoothie Cafe | Smoothie King | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median AUV (Annual Sales) | $4.73M | $4.59M | Tropical Smoothie Cafe (+3%) |
| Active Store Locations | 1,659 | 1,242 | Tropical Smoothie Cafe (Larger Fleet) |
| Initial Investment Range | $2.20M – $4.80M | $2.20M – $4.80M | Varies by site format |
| Min Liquid Capital Required | $750k | $750k | FDD Item 7 Requirement |
| Royalty Fee % | 4.5% | 4.5% | Equal |
| National Ad Fund % | 3.0% | 3.0% | Marketing Contribution |
| Annual Systemwide Sales | $7.80B | $5.70B | System Scale |
In-Store Tech Stack
Point-of-Sale Hardware/Software
Tropical Smoothie Cafe:Toast Restaurant POS
Smoothie King:Toast Restaurant POS
Kitchen Display System (KDS)
Tropical Smoothie Cafe:Toast KDS
Smoothie King:Toast KDS
Delivery Multi-Homing
DoorDash Marketplace Penetration
Tropical Smoothie Cafe:0% (0 stores)
Smoothie King:0% (0 stores)
Uber Eats Marketplace Penetration
Tropical Smoothie Cafe:0% (0 stores)
Smoothie King:0% (0 stores)
Need deeper store-level datasets?
Explore individual geocoded address lists, multi-unit franchisee portfolios, and full FDD Item 19 exhibits.