The chain plans on opening an astonishing 200 locations this year alone, which will mean it's opening its 1000th restaurant. NET WORTH * LIQUID CAPITAL/CASH AVAILABLE FOR INVESTMENT * *All fields required. Management can grow a company without having to invest too much money, and . A presentation for a board is focused on very different things than a franchisee roadshow. Right now Im on a Mango Berry Cosmo kick. Today's post focus' on that topic in an interview with Charles Watson, the CEO of Tropical Smoothie Caf. 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. Charles recently joined his team in celebrating the opening of the 1,000th Tropical Smoothie Cafe location. Interested Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise candidates should have business experience, along with a minimum net worth of $350,000, which includes $125,000 in liquid assets. Always number one, what I am focused on, is unit-level economics for our Franchise Owners. Jul. Prior to being named CEO in 2018, Charles served as the chief development officer for Tropical Smoothie Cafe. This information is not intended as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a franchise. In short, franchisees needed to know that there was a formal mechanism of their peers that was constantly feeding back to us at the Support Center. 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. Von Kutzleben most recently served as vice president of brand strategy, advertising and menu at Arbys. Be sure that you have a minimum net worth of $350,000 and $125,000 in liquid assets. Thats a smoothie that has pineapple, strawberries, and white chocolate and coconut. And so I think were right on pace. 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. Previously with Papa Johns International as the Vice President, Global Digital Technology, Michael is a seasoned technology executive with vast engineering and operations expertise, leadership, and a deep understanding of digital technology and guest experiences. Without our franchisees, committees, and council, I simply could not do this job. Building off this momentum, in 2019, we celebrated the openings of our 750th and 800th locations, but taking over during such a monumental time for our brand certainly brought opportunities to improve. Tropical Smoothie is a Georgia-based company that owns and operates a chain of restaurants serving smoothies, sandwiches, wraps, salads and soups. In a franchise system, without broad franchisee buy-in, you cannot move as efficiently and effectively as is required in today's business environment.". Watson:"I wanted to further instill a franchisee-first mentality. Start to Finish: What Inspires Execs | September 14, 2022 | QSR Staff. Previously with Papa Johns International as the Vice President, Global Digital Technology, Michael is a seasoned technology executive with vast engineering and operations expertise, leadership, and a deep understanding of digital technology and guest experiences. 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. And so we are rolling out this fall, what were calling it, our Inspire Better, right? When I became CEO, I launched a formal franchisee advisory council, known in our organization as the Tropical Franchisee Council (TFC). There is no assurance that you will do as well. Prior to that, she spent 22 years at BBDO Worldwide, where she was executive vice president and senior director for the global advertising powerhouse, leading campaign strategy and execution for many large national brands. Occhiogrosso: During the current COVID-19 crisis, what steps have you taken to ensure that Tropical Smoothie Cafe supports the local community? Watson has more than 10 years of experience with Tropical Smoothie Cafe and led our franchise development efforts since 2010. And thats like: Whos the bad kid in the family! Weve got everything right from Island Green Detox, with zero sugar, and ginger, and everything. When our franchisees are successful, the brand is successful. I am overjoyed to have the opportunity to lead such an incredible brand that has truly become a part of my DNA over many years, said Watson. He has been the Chief Development Officer since 2015 and directly responsible for selling more than 800 franchises during his tenure. Watson:"As a first time CEO, learning to view the business from a thinking vs. a doing mentality was a challenge I faced. Gary Occhiogrosso: Tell us a little about your background before joining Tropical Smoothie? Charles has the tenacity, vision and passion this brand needs to continue our upward trajectory and will ensure the success of our franchisees is at the center of every decision we make, said Scott Pressly, Chairman of the Board, Tropical Smoothie Cafe. We can go to camp, we can be counselors. Occhiogrosso: What challenges, if any, did you face in getting "buy-in" from the existing franchise community once you became CEO? And it has been a fantastic partnership because we can see the benefit of the dollars that were putting in. 1117 Perimeter Center West, Suite W200 Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC, 1117 Perimeter Center West, Suite W200, Atlanta, GA 30338. 770-580-2333 I was originally a quarterback in high school and had my heart set on the same position for college. We look forward to realizing Charles vision for the company.. Outside of smoothies, whats the top-selling non-smoothie product? So we dont have any specific development goals associated, i.e. Prior to that, he was named Chief Development Officer in 2015 after serving as VP of Franchise Development since 2010. 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. "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. So whats your own personal favorite smoothie? During the current COVID-19 crisis, what steps have you taken to ensure that Tropical Smoothie Cafe supports the local community? Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Charles Watson has been with the company for more than 10 years and is passionate about supporting the franchise system's sustainable growth, the success of its franchisees, and the . Tropical Smoothie Caf works to keep its momentum. 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. So that was helpful! Ivebeen with Tropical Smoothie since 2010 and was [first] our vice president of franchise development, he told Mashed. By Jonathan Maze on Jan. 24, 2019. Chief Executive Officer @ Tropical Smoothie Cafe; . Cheryl Fletcher joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe in July of 2017. You are here: Home 1 / Clearway in the Community 2 / Uncategorised 3 / charles watson tropical smoothie net worth 12th June 2022 / in chopin sonata 2 analysis / by At the start of his career, Michaels ambitious spirit led him to develop a point of sale system, Hot Sauce. Right next to that is our relationship with our Franchise Owners. Were right, exactly where It was a little bit of a step back in 2020, but in 2021, our year-to-date comparative sales are [up] almost 30%. Yes, it has a brand name on it, but it is Bill and Sally Smith on the corner and theyre entrepreneurs. Because 99% of Tropical Smoothie Cafe's system is franchisee-owned and operated, it was my goal to maintain consistency for them and move the company forward in the right direction, with a lot of reverence and respect for the past. 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. Atlanta, GA. The smoothie-and-food chain has been a strong grower for years and turned on the jets so far in 2021. It posted its ninth consecutive year of positive same-store sales, with 2020 same-stores up 7.5%. Mr. Watson was appointed the CEO position of. As a restaurant executive, hospitality should be in your blood. And so the way that they impact the communities where they operate is a really big part. Charles is directly responsible for selling more than 800 franchises during his tenure. "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. Yeah. 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. So were a brand thats going to be close to pushing a 3:1 investment ratio. Prior to being named CEO in 2018, Charles served as the chief development officer for Tropical Smoothie Cafe. To what factors do you attribute the growth of the chain in recent years, and to its staying power? Previously, Cheryl held a 17-year tenure with Popeyes, during which she served as Vice President of Franchise Development, Vice President of Development Strategic Planning, and Director of Investor Relations and Finance. 770-580-2333, Bold Women in the C-Suite: Cheryl Fletcher, Connect with People Who Have More Experience: Interview with Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Tropical Smoothie Cafe Celebrates Spring With The Return Of Superfruit Smoothies. Luckily in my first two years as CEO, we continued to expand the footprint of the brand, and increase brand awareness, drive profitability for our franchisees and drive our comp sales. TropicalSmoothie.com. Then we determined two focus areas, giving back to the community and prioritizing support for our franchisees. 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. Paul Marsden oversees development and execution of financial strategies to support the companys business plans. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. 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.".