In early June, we were grateful to bring our premier group of franchisees together at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas to celebrate the success we’ve achieved over the last year, and to discuss the opportunities that lie ahead for Smoothie King. Throughout the conference, franchisees heard directly from our Chief Executive Officer, Wan Kim, and the executive team on how we can discover the Greatness from Within as we continue to expand our footprint nationwide and realize our vision to be an integral part of every health and fitness journey.
There’s no doubt there have been many obstacles across the quick-service restaurant industry over the last two years. Our keynote speaker, Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour, shared how she made gutsy moves to address challenges throughout her career in the Marines and how important it was to adapt and find solutions to any situation thrown her way. As the first African-American female naval aviator in the Marine Corps, and the branch’s first female combat aviator, it was inspiring to hear her story. Vernice’s experiences remind us how important it is to acknowledge obstacles, but to not give them power.
Our President and Chief Operating Officer, Dan Harmon, took the stage multiple times during the conference and talked about what it means to be a ‘Brand Champion.’ Seeing the engagement and enthusiasm among our team as they shared conversation and caught up with each other throughout the Gaylord’s corridors, we were reminded of all the Brand Champions across the Smoothie King franchise network. Each day they showcase their passion for the brand, and we are excited to see what they achieve in years to come.
A few of the Smoothie King Brand Champions honored at the conference include:
- Top Sales of the Year: Store 556 in Lafayette, LA – Owned and operated by Heather Knight Billeaud.
- Store of the Year: Store 1533 in Washington, D.C. – Corporate location managed by Quintana Hawkins.
- Franchisee of the Year: Brett Lawson and Eric Grush.
- 53 stores entered the Million Dollar Club, and 107 stores entered the King’s Club ($800,000 and above in total sales).
- Developer of the Year: Yonas Hagos.
Additionally, franchisees had the opportunity to ask questions during a Q&A panel featuring Wan Kim, Dan Harmon, Rebecca Miller (Chief Marketing Officer), Laura Scavone (Vice President of Human Resources) and Franchise Advisory Council members Jason Luther and Yonas Hagos. We covered several hot topics including hiring, menu changes and operation efficiencies, among others. We pride ourselves on the transparent relationship we have with our operators, and the panel was the perfect outlet for constructive dialogue on successes and challenges.
We look forward to celebrating Smoothie King’s 50th anniversary with everyone at our 2023 brand conference in Nashville, Tennessee, July 10-12. We can’t wait to celebrate our franchisees’ success when we see each other again.
