Restaurants

Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise

Smoothies, bowls, wraps and other cafe food.

Opening investment: $275,500–$770,500
Average annual revenue: $978,298
U.S. locations: 1,651

Opening costs and fees

$275,500–$770,500

Opening costs vary by format, location and lease terms.

Operating formats

End-Cap or In-Line Location without drive-thru (1,200–1,900 sq ft)

$275,500–$770,500

2026 FDD Item 7

Includes $17,500–$35,000 initial franchise fee, $104,000–$374,000 leasehold improvements, and $1,500–$52,500 additional funds for three months. Drive-thru locations may add $68,500–$177,000; non-traditional and kiosk formats are excluded.

investment: Fiscal 2025 text: 'The initial investment range is $275,500 - $770,500. The amounts provided in this table are based on estimated costs reported to us by franchisees in 2025 for End-Cap or In-Line ... Restaurants'; 'If your Franchised Business includes a drive-thru, the additional expense ... would be approximately $40,000 to $60,000.'

Key ongoing fees

Royalty Fee: 6% of Gross Sales (paid weekly via EFT).Weekly
National Marketing Fee: Currently 5% of Gross Sales (contractually 5%–6% of Gross Sales, paid weekly).Weekly
BOH, Digital Ordering & Loyalty Tech: $179/month BOH subscription (+$145 setup) + $54/month Digital Ordering Website/App + $75/month Loyalty Platform & Digital Marketing.Monthly

Selected ongoing charges, not a complete fee schedule. Confirm the current FDD and the terms for your format.

Revenue and performance

$978,298

2025 · qualifying restaurants

Revenue is sales before expenses, not owner income. Compare matching periods, formats and location samples.

Locations

1,651 U.S. locations (2025).

1,651 U.S. locations at December 28, 2025, including one affiliate-operated location. Nontraditional sites excluded from the revenue sample remain included in this location count.

Existing locations do not establish that a new territory is available. Confirm your market with the franchisor.

Sources and figure notes

Reporting periods and scope

Average annual revenue

Fiscal year ending 12/28/2025 Item 19 as restated: '$1,251,191 Top 50% Average Net Revenues, with 274 of 716 (38% of the top 50%) Restaurants attaining or surpassing this figure. $978,298 System Wide Average Net Revenues, with 643 of 1,431 (45%) Restaurants attaining or surpassing this figure.' Population: 1,431 restaurants (incl. one company-owned) open >= 12 months as of 12/28/2025, excluding non-traditional and units open < 357 days in 2025. 'Your results may differ. There is no assurance that you will do as well.' Independently reopened primary source supports the returned text within its stated population, period and source type. Acceptance is source-scoped, not complete/current FDD certification.

Opening investment

$275,500–$770,500. 2025 reported costs · end-cap/in-line, excludes drive-through. Published costs reported by franchisees in 2025 for end-cap/in-line strip-center restaurants, typically 1,200–1,900 sq ft. The base range excludes drive-throughs. Approximate $40,000–$60,000 drive-through expense is a separate add-on, not a complete drive-through investment range. No synthetic addition of the low and high endpoints; full current FDD and property-specific costs remain unverified. Published costs reported by franchisees in 2025 for end-cap/in-line strip-center restaurants, typically 1,200–1,900 sq ft. The base range excludes drive-throughs. Approximate $40,000–$60,000 drive-through expense is a separate add-on, not a complete drive-through investment range. No synthetic addition of the low and high endpoints; full current FDD and property-specific costs remain unverified.

U.S. locations

Tropical Smoothie Cafe reported 1,651 U.S. locations for 2025.

Research snapshot: . Sources and methodology

Compare independent startup vs. franchise economics

Compare Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s franchise model against starting or buying an independent business in coffee and beverages (line-item CapEx, 0%-royalty owner SDE margins & SBA resale multiples):