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Jamba inks 16-unit deal with former baseball player

Jamba's Vanilla Blue Sky. Photo provided by Jamba.

September 5, 2019

Jamba, which dropped the "Juice" from its name in June, has signed an agreement with Dustin King, a third-generation millennial franchise, to open 16 locations. The Focus Brands-owned chain will open several cobranded units with its sister chain — Auntie Anne's — also owned by Focus. A former Coastal Carolina baseball player, King owns more than 35 Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon and Carvel locations in various states across the country, according to a company press release.

"It's been an exciting couple of months at Jamba, since we announced changes to our branding, menu and store design in early June," Geoff Henry, president of Jamba, said in the release. "We were confident that our evolution would resonate with current and prospective franchisees and we're excited to welcome Dustin to the Jamba family. Dustin has a long history with Foucs Brands and we know that his expertise will help our brand grow in key markets." 

As chief operating officer of SE Co-Brand Ventures, King has already opened the first four Jamba and Auntie Anne's cobranded locations in Nashville, Myrtle Beach, Concord and Pineville, North Carolina. His next locations will open this fall in Columbia, South Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee. 

"My family has been franchising for several decades and I've been operating Auntie Anne's locations since 2009, so I have a long history with Focus Brands," said King. "When I first began learning of Jamba's plans to evolve, I immediately envisioned myself partnering with that brand in some capacity. The fast casual smoothie and juice category is set to explode and I'm looking forward to working with the industry leader."

Jamba, through its subsidiaries, is the franchisor of more than 850 locations operating in 36 U.S. states, as well as the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia. Focus acquired it in 2018, for $200 million.