Apple Pay
Mandatoryd/or PCI-compliant systems or vendors that we designate from time to time. You must also accept all payment options specified by us, including non-cash systems (i.e. Google Pay or Apple Pay). For any
From the filings
+4.439% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Smoothie King
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing at Smoothie King is tightly controlled by the franchisor, with mandates covering POS hardware, operating systems, and proprietary operational systems. The chain operates 1,242 total units (1,200 franchised, 42 company-owned), generating an average unit volume of $662,015. For vendors, this means a single-point-of-influence sale into a system with nearly 1,200 addressable franchise locations, all bound by HQ's technology requirements.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
1,242
1,200 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+4.439%
vs prior filing
AUV
$662K
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
3%
national + local
Initial fee
$30K
per unit
Investment range
$320K–$1.30M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
9%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
4 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
CrunchTime
Mandatorythe reinstallation of your front-of-house and back-of-house Smoothie King 2026–2027 20 QB\101776015.1 systems. You must purchase inventory management and scheduling software from Crunchtime or other v
Google Pay
Mandatoryds transfer and/or PCI-compliant systems or vendors that we designate from time to time. You must also accept all payment options specified by us, including non-cash systems (i.e. Google Pay or Apple
QuickBooks
Mandatorywe may require you to engage our approved vendor of information technology (IT) services for the reinstallation of your front-of-house and back-of-house Smoothie King 2026–2027 20 QB\101776015.1 syste
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
30 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 1 explicit no; 3 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees to sign all software access or license agreements and related documents required by Franchisor in connection with Franchisee’s use of any Proprietary Software.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have unlimited independent access to your Unit systems data (Franchise Agreement – Section 10.3.14).
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall submit to Franchisor, within two (2) business days after the end of each month during the term of this Agreement beginning after the opening of the Unit, a remittance report, in the form prescribed by Franchisor, accurately reflecting all Gross Sales and, within thirty (30) business days after the…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees that certain products, materials, and other items and supplies may only be available from one Designated Supplier, and Franchisor or its affiliates may be that Designated Supplier.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
Smoothie King has a National Franchise Advisory Council (“FAC”) made up of franchisees elected by the franchisee community.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
Smoothie King reserves the right to designate specified suppliers whom franchisees can only purchase from in the future.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
14500081Item 8
In the calendar year ended December 29, 2025, Smoothie King received approximately $14,500,081 in revenue from rebates.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Smoothie King and its affiliates receive rebates based on franchisees’ required purchases of products and services.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
20Item 8
approximately 20% to 35% of the cost to operate your Smoothie King Business.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
Smoothie King may impose a charge not to exceed the actual costs of inspection and testing, which you or the supplier must pay.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you desire to purchase any items from an unapproved supplier, you or the supplier must submit to Smoothie King a written request for approval in advance.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall also immediately discontinue any telephone listing under the Proprietary Marks and immediately assign to Franchisor any rights it has in any telephone number from which Franchisee has done business under the Proprietary Marks or discontinue the use of the number upon request of Franchisor.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) as they may be revised and modified by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, or any successor organization and/or in accordance with other standards Franchisor may specify, and the Fair and Accurate Credit…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
Smoothie King will periodically, as it considers necessary, inspect your supplies, merchandise, methods of service and merchandising and speak with you to ensure you are complying with your agreements, Manuals and the required standards established for the System (Franchise Agreement—Section 10.3).
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
Changes in the standards, specifications and procedures may become necessary and you must comply with these modifications, revisions and additions to the Manuals.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You must locate a site for your Unit that Smoothie King will consent to.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You may not operate independent websites, online ordering platforms, or digital services for your Unit without Smoothie King’s express written consent.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall be required to expend on grand opening advertising, marketing and promotion an amount equal to Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000) for Traditional Units and Seven- Thousand Five-Hundred Dollars ($7,500) for Non-Traditional Units (the “Grand Opening Expenditure”).
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 6
If your Unit is located in a region without a Regional Marketing Fund, you must spend, on an annual basis, a minimum of 2% of annual Gross Sales on local advertising and marketing.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 16
You must participate in Smoothie King’s loyalty program, currently the Healthy Rewards program, and Smoothie King’s gift card program.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase certain branded inventory products from Performance Food Group/Roma (“PFG/Roma”) or Smoothie King’s designated foodservice distributors.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase any furniture, fixtures, equipment, finishes, and materials from Smoothie King’s designated suppliers or vendors as detailed in your design documents, the Manuals, or otherwise in a writing provided to you from Smoothie King, including your build-out Unit package (i.e., cabinetry and equipment).
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You are required to use all approved back-office, credit-card, debit cards, gift cards, electronic funds transfer and/or PCI-compliant systems or vendors that we designate from time to time.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must sign the electronic transfer of funds authorization attached to this Agreement as Attachment C, and all other documents and instruments necessary to permit Franchisor to withdraw by electronic funds transfer from Franchisee’s designated bank account all continuing payments and fees and any other…
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must participate in the Smoothie King Gift Card Program or other gift card program that Franchisor specifies.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
The Unit that you develop and operate must at all times be under the direct, full-time, on-location supervision of you or a trained and competent employee acting as a full-time manager.
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall ensure that all uniforms, clothing, forms, stationery, signs, and other materials used in connection with the Franchised Business bear the Proprietary Marks in the form, colors, location and manner prescribed by Franchisor and otherwise comply with the mandatory standards and specifications…
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must operate only Smoothie King-approved POS hardware, operating systems, and software versions that are fully supported by the manufacturer and Smoothie King.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have unlimited independent access to your Unit systems data (Franchise Agreement – Section 10.3.14).
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor reserves the right to charge reasonable fees for materials and/or participation in any training courses offered by or on behalf of Franchisor, except that no fee shall be charged for the attendance by up to two (2) persons representing Franchisee at the initial franchise management training program.
The filing answers no to 1 question
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
Who buys here
The buyer at this brand
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
Formal HQ procurement; C-suite sponsor + cross-functional committee + IT/security/legal; often PE-backed.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
- 41.9% of quick service brands mandate no POS system, leaving a massive blind spot in your target list.By instantly identifying the 452 brands with no POS mandate, you replace weeks of manual FDD research and focus your pipeline on high-fit displacement targets, cutting customer acquisition cost by over 60%.
- 82.3% of brands mandate no accounting system, signaling a wide-open market for tech vendors.FranCloud surfaces the 888 brands without an accounting mandate so your team can prioritize outreach before competitors even know they exist, turning a manual research cost center into a predictable revenue engine.
- Only 17 out of 1,079 quick service brands mandate a CRM, yet unit counts and AUVs prove these are high-value accounts.Instead of spending 40+ hours manually combing FDDs to find CRM-needy brands, FranCloud delivers the 17 mandate-holders and their financials in one query, letting your team close deals 10x faster.
The vendor opportunity at Smoothie King
Smoothie King operates 1,242 total units in the quick-service restaurant segment, with 1,200 franchised locations and 42 company-owned stores. The brand posted a 4.44% year-over-year unit growth rate, signaling steady expansion and a growing addressable base for software vendors. Average unit volume sits at $662,015, and franchisees pay a 6.0% royalty on a 10-year initial term. The operator footprint is entirely single-unit: 237 mapped operators run 237 locations, with no multi-unit operators recorded. Texas dominates the geography with 152 units, followed by Virginia (18), Wisconsin (10), Illinois (8), and Florida (8). For a software seller, this means a fragmented franchisee base with no large multi-unit buyers—purchasing influence sits squarely with the franchisor.
Who controls software purchasing
Technology decisions at Smoothie King are centralized at headquarters. The FDD lists Sung-Wan Kim as Chairman and CEO, Gavin Felder as President and CFO, and Dustin Couts as Vice President of Field Operations. Chris Bremer, Chief Development Officer, and Claudia Schaefer, Chief Marketing Officer, round out the named executive team. While no dedicated CIO or CTO is disclosed, the mandate-heavy tech environment suggests that operational software approvals flow through the C-suite, likely with the VP of Field Operations playing a key role in evaluating tools that touch store-level systems. Vendors should target this group when positioning compliance-dependent solutions.
Mandated and current tech stack
Smoothie King imposes a strict technology framework on its franchisees. The FDD mandates a proprietary software and data security program, a Smoothie King intranet system, Smoothie King-approved POS hardware, operating systems, and software versions, and Smoothie King-designated operational systems. These are not optional—they are required elements of franchise compliance. The specific POS vendor is not named in the FDD extract, but the approval requirement means any third-party software that integrates with POS, operations, or data security must pass HQ scrutiny. The intranet system likely serves as the central hub for franchisee communications, training, and reporting, creating a single digital environment that any vendor solution must complement or integrate with.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Procurement rules are not detailed in the most recent FDD. Item 8, which typically outlines designated or approved supplier requirements, contains no extract, leaving the formal procurement model unclear. However, the renewal process described in Item 17 offers timing signals. Franchisees seeking a 10-year renewal must demonstrate a good compliance record, satisfy all monetary obligations, provide written notice, show a current lease with right-to-remain evidence, commit to unit upgrades per Smoothie King's specifications, sign a general release, and execute a new Franchise Agreement—which may contain materially different terms. This upgrade-and-compliance trigger creates natural windows where franchisees must adopt updated technology to meet current standards, making renewal cycles a strategic entry point for vendors whose solutions align with HQ's evolving mandates.
How to read the Smoothie King FDD
The 2026 Smoothie King Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below for full review. It is filed with state franchise regulators and contains the legal and operational disclosures that govern the franchise system. For software vendors, the critical sections are Item 11 (franchisor's assistance, advertising, computer systems, and training), where the tech mandates live, and Item 1 (the franchisor and any parents, predecessors, and affiliates), which names the executives who control purchasing. Item 17 (renewal, termination, transfer, and dispute resolution) reveals the contractual triggers that can open conversations about new software adoption. Use this primary source to validate your target list before outreach.
FranCloud helps SaaS vendors identify which franchise systems match their product, starting with the FDD data that matters. Reach out to see a ranked list of franchise targets built for your software category.
Questions vendors ask
Smoothie King, answered from the filing
The C-suite controls technology mandates. Key executives include Sung-Wan Kim (Chairman/CEO), Gavin Felder (President/CFO), and Dustin Couts (VP of Field Operations), who likely influence or approve operational software decisions.
Franchisees must use Smoothie King-approved POS hardware, operating systems, and software versions, plus a proprietary software and data security program, intranet system, and designated operational systems.
Smoothie King has 1,242 total US units, of which 1,200 are franchised and 42 are company-owned. The brand is classified as a quick-service restaurant.
The procurement model is not disclosed in the most recent FDD. Item 8 contains no extract, so designated-supplier versus approved-supplier status is unknown from this filing.
Franchise agreements run 10 years, with renewal requiring compliance, written notice, lease evidence, unit upgrades, a general release, and a new agreement. Unit growth of 4.44% suggests ongoing new-store openings.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can view the full document in the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze tech mandates, executive contacts, and unit economics directly.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Smoothie King files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
237 operators run 237 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit237
Top states by locations
| TX | 152 |
|---|---|
| VA | 18 |
| WI | 10 |
| IL | 8 |
| FL | 8 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Smoothie King
single_brand_holdco of Smoothie King.
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.