Tropical Smoothie Cafe, the fast-casual cafe concept known for its food and smoothies with a tropical twist, will open three new franchised locations throughout the Houston market over the next 12 months. Tropical Smoothie Cafe has one restaurant in Richmond, Texas, which opened in August 2013. 

Local franchisee Vanessa Boles will open Houston's second cafe at 19075 I-45 South, Suite #116 C in Shenandoah this September. Franchisee Jignesh Patel, who owns the Richmond cafe, will open his second location in Katy in January 2017. Additionally, Tropical Smoothie Cafe signed a development agreement with new franchisee Dexter Rivera, who is aiming to open his location in Pearland in spring 2017.

"Texas is among the nation's leaders in restaurant sales and employment,” says Mike Rotondo, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe. “In fact, the National Restaurant Association projected sales to reach $52.4 billion this year, with 1.3 million Texans employed by the industry. And Houston's restaurant growth is outpacing some of the country's largest cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. This is an exciting time for us to build our presence in Houston.

“We're thrilled with the brand's growth in the first quarter and are optimistic that the second quarter will be even better as we continue to align ourselves with new franchise partners who share our passion for meeting the rising demand of better-for-you food choices and healthier lifestyles in markets across the U.S."

A restaurant industry veteran, Rivera brings two decades of experience to Tropical Smoothie Cafe. In addition to the variety of food and smoothie choices that Tropical Smoothie Cafe offers its guests, the brand's strong corporate culture and franchisee support attracted Rivera to the concept.

"I'm thrilled to be joining a brand that is dedicated to its customers and to its franchisees," Rivera says. "I've considered many different franchise concepts as a first-time franchise owner, but none like Tropical Smoothie Cafe. The incredible network of franchisees backed by decades of franchise experience, along with the brand's commitment to quality service, made the decision to franchise an easy one for me. I look forward to contributing to the success of the brand in Houston and growing our presence in Texas in the years to come."

Tropical Smoothie Cafe reported its strongest year of growth in 2015 with same-stores sales of 11.25 percent and signed franchise agreements to develop 199 new cafes across the U.S. The brand recently reported its seventh consecutive quarter of double-digit positive comp sales. This year, the food and smoothie franchise plans to exceed 550 restaurants nationwide. The brand has franchise opportunities across the U.S. in markets such as Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Atlanta. By 2018, Tropical Smoothie Cafe plans to have 800 locations open across the U.S.