Tropical Smoothie Cafe Item 19: $954K median revenue across 1,268 franchised cafes in calendar 2024. What the median tells you, year-one ramp, and how it compares to Smoothie King and Jamba.
Quick answer: Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s most recent Item 19 reports a $954K median across 1,268 franchised cafes — a large, recent, methodologically clean sample. No tenure filter, which means the disclosure includes ramp-stage cafes alongside mature ones (a more representative but slightly lower median than tenure-filtered alternatives would produce). The brand sits at the top of the publicly franchised smoothie/healthy-QSR category.
Tropical Smoothie’s most recent Item 19 covers calendar year 2024:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,268 franchised cafes |
| Sample criteria | All franchised cafes (no tenure filter) |
| Reporting period | Calendar year 2024 |
| Median annual gross sales | $954,743 |
| Total system units | 1,651 |
| Total investment (Item 7) | $340,750 - $814,500 |
| Royalty rate | 6% of gross sales |
The “no tenure filter” detail is methodologically important. Many franchise disclosures restrict their Item 19 to units that have been open for at least 12 or 24 months — a filter that excludes ramp-stage performance and produces a higher disclosed median. Tropical Smoothie’s disclosure includes the full franchised system, which means a small number of brand-new cafes are dragging the median down slightly. The trade-off is that the disclosed number is more representative of the actual franchised operating reality.
For buyers, the implication is that the $954K median is closer to the “average operating outcome across all open franchised cafes” than to “what a mature cafe earns once it’s fully ramped.” A buyer underwriting a new build should still model year-one below the median, but the gap between disclosed median and steady-state is smaller than it would be for a brands disclosing only “units open 24+ months.”
Tropical Smoothie’s $954K median places the brand at the top of the publicly franchised smoothie/healthy-QSR category. A snapshot of category peers:
| Brand | Sample (typical) | Median AUV | Total investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe | 1,268 | $954K | $341K-$815K |
| Smoothie King | 700+ | ~$500K-$700K | $250K-$700K |
| Jamba (where franchised) | smaller | ~$500K-$650K | $300K-$700K |
| Robeks | smaller regional | ~$400K-$600K | $200K-$500K |
| Planet Smoothie | smaller | ~$300K-$500K | $200K-$400K |
Two reasons drive the gap between Tropical Smoothie and the pure-smoothie competition. First, the menu is broader: Tropical Smoothie sells flatbreads, wraps, sandwiches, and bowls alongside smoothies, which produces a higher average ticket and broader dayparts (the brand captures lunch traffic that pure-smoothie concepts don’t). Second, the brand has been aggressive about real estate, locking in higher-quality trade areas than smaller competitors typically secure.
The implication for buyers: comparing Tropical Smoothie head-to-head with other smoothie brands by AUV alone is misleading because the business models aren’t equivalent. Tropical Smoothie is closer to a healthy-fast-casual than a pure smoothie operator. The right comparison set includes brands like Freshii, Sweetgreen (not franchised), and B.Good — but most of those aren’t widely franchised, leaving Tropical Smoothie as the dominant publicly franchised brand in the healthy-fast-casual space.
A new Tropical Smoothie cafe doesn’t open at $954K of revenue. Year-one revenue typically lands at $670K-$760K, with month-by-month progression roughly:
By year two, most well-located cafes ramp toward the $850K-$950K range. By year three, mature cafes hit or exceed the system median. The ramp curve is typical for healthy-fast-casual — slower than burger QSR but faster than membership-driven businesses.
The Item 19 disclosure’s lack of a tenure filter means the disclosed median already includes some of this ramp drag. The “no-filter” methodology is honest about that. A buyer who underwrites year one at 70-80% of the disclosed median is operating from realistic assumptions.
The Item 19 reports the system median. It doesn’t disclose:
For specific market analysis, the brand’s franchise development team can provide market-specific guidance. Validation calls with 8-12 existing franchisees in markets comparable to your target are the most reliable way to fill the gap.
For more context, see our Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise cost guide and the Tropical Smoothie vs Smoothie King comparison. For brand-specific cost detail, the live Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise page carries Item 7 specifics.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe's most recent Item 19 reports a $954,743 median annual gross sales across 1,268 franchised cafes for calendar year 2024. The disclosure covers all franchised cafes with no tenure filter.
No. The disclosure covers all franchised cafes in the system without a tenure or operating-period filter. That methodology is more conservative than disclosures that exclude ramp-stage units — including new cafes drags the median down somewhat but produces a more representative figure for the operating system as a whole.
Tropical Smoothie's $954K median is higher than Smoothie King's typical median, which has historically run in the $500K-$700K range. The difference reflects Tropical Smoothie's positioning around fresh food (sandwiches, wraps, bowls) alongside smoothies, which produces a higher average ticket and longer dayparts than smoothie-only concepts.
Year-one new-build revenue typically lands at 70-80% of the system median — roughly $670K-$760K — as the cafe builds repeat customers and trade-area awareness. Plan for a 24-month ramp to the median. Cafes opening in markets with existing brand density ramp faster; greenfield markets ramp slower.
Item 7 reports a total initial investment range of $340,750 to $814,500 depending on buildout specifics, market, and build vs. conversion economics. The initial franchise fee is in the $30K-$45K range. Royalty is 6% of gross sales; ad fund contribution is 3%.
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