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Smoothie King expands presence in 'Show Me' state

New deal adds five more units to the 21 units Smoothie King already has in Missouri.

October 1, 2014

Smoothie King Franchises Inc. announced it has signed a five-store development agreement for Missouri with a new franchisee.

The smoothie chain will mark its entry into Columbia this November, with plans to develop additional locations throughout the state over the next five years.

Jackie Floyd, a first-time franchisee for the brand, will open the first Smoothie King location on 805 East Nifong Blvd. in Columbia. Additional locations are planned to open over the next five years in West Columbia, East Columbia, Downtown Columbia and Jefferson City.

"Smoothie King is growing rapidly across Missouri and we see ample opportunity to continue to develop the brand in markets such as Kansas City, Springfield, St. Joseph and Joplin," said Dan Hannah, vice president of business development for Smoothie King, in a company press release. "Over the next five years, we're aiming to have more than 50 stores open in the state and passionate franchisees like Jackie will help us not only grow our presence, but also bring hundreds of jobs to these communities."

Smoothie King currently has 21 locations in the state, including more than a dozen in the St. Louis area, with three additional stores planned to open in the market this year.

Smoothie King began offering reduced royalties and free equipment to franchisees who sign an area development agreement for a minimum of three stores. Through its reduced royalty incentive, franchisees will receive:

• In the first year of operation, a 50-percent reduction on their royalty fees, paying 3 percent.
• In year two, franchisees will pay royalties of 4.5 percent.
• In year three, royalties are charged at the full rate of 6 percent.
• Additionally, franchisees will receive an entire blender equipment package, which includes five Vita-Mix Quiet One blenders, for each of their first three stores.