We all know how great a fruit smoothie tastes on a hot day, and most of us know that the cooling combinations of strawberry, banana, orange or whichever flavor you prefer not only taste good, but are good for you as well. And, for franchisees of FROOTS, they can be just as good for one’s wallet or portfolio. Consider these facts:
- l The natural food and drink industry market exceeds $20 billion a year.
- l..Smoothie makers in recent years have generated more than $2 billion from made-to-order and packaged smoothies.
- l The smoothie market increased sales by some 80 percent over a five-year period this decade.
- l Consumers say they love these functional light foods because the drinks are portable, nutritional and just plain tasty.
None of this is news to David Lopez, founder of FROOTS, a chain of quick-serve restaurants with locations across the United States and other countries such as Panama, Turks and Caicos, Guam, and Honduras. The concept for the restaurants stems from an idea he had as a second-year business student at the University of Central Florida that he was not being exposed to enough real-world business experiences. Like any good business person, he first sought wise counsel and was encouraged to find an emerging industry, product line or trend that lacked a recognizable industry leader but had huge potential for growth.
That industry turned out to be smoothies. “The industry was enormous, tracking double-digit growth throughout recent years,” says Lopez. “But I could not find an identifiable leader. That void, and the fact that Americans’ hunger for a healthier lifestyle was only growing, convinced me that smoothies were the way to go.” He then developed a business plan, added some partners and went to work for several smoothie operations to better learn about the industry. And in December of 2001 Lopez opened his first store.
Today, just eight years later, there are 36 franchised FROOTS ranging from their home state of Florida all throughout the U.S. and extending to the West coast – and Lopez has plans to open hundreds more over the next few years. FROOTS was also named one of the FAST 55 by the Franchise Times and made the Top 500 list in Entrepreneur Magazine. A key to his success is the focus on health. His products feature all-natural ingredients and food items that compliment their popular drinks – wraps, paninis, salads, gourmet soups and more.
“This was the key difference from the competition in the marketplace,” he says. “We didn’t want to be considered just another smoothie shop. We want people to think of FROOTS as a lunchtime destination and give our customers a reason to come back on a more frequent basis. This concept has also helped us generate additional revenue through catering and delivery.”
Franchisees looking for a different business model are finding that FROOTS is just the fit. Through a well-thought out combination of training, support, branding and a flexible footprint, failure is a near impossibility. After an intense initial training period that covers everything from business planning and reporting to P&L reviews and a management travel path, FROOTS provides a minimum of two representatives from the company to help provide general assistance and guidance in all that’s entailed in the opening and day-to-day operations of the franchise.
A unique branding strategy further enhances the FROOTS franchise experience. With the easily identifiable bright colors of fruit and vegetable imagery, customers are sent an undeniable message: FROOTS equals healthy eating for your body and your wallet. Additional branding is available in international and regional markets, with a construction team available to custom tailor the FROOTS store experience. “FROOTS is also committed to full research and development support in the area of menu alternatives and culturally appropriate menus and product offerings,” says Lopez. “And menu development is an ongoing service provided to all master franchisees.”
It’s apparent that the FROOTS model is anything but one-size-fits-all, and Lopez couldn’t be happier. “When I told my father that I was opening a smoothie store, he thought I was insane,” says Lopez. “Now he doesn’t say that anymore.”
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