Published on: September 16, 2015
Mike Haines has been a Franchise Owner with Tropical Smoothie Café since 2015 when he signed a development agreement to open 10 restaurants in North Atlanta. Haines worked in sales for 15 years at Facebook and Microsoft before deciding to leave corporate America to become an entrepreneur.
“My background in sales, marketing and engaging consumers through a variety of communication channels and platforms provided me with the experience and knowledge I need to own my own business,” said Haines, who lives in Cumming, Ga., with his wife and three daughters.
When it came time to start his business, Haines opted to franchise because he understood the value of being backed by a proven concept.
“With an established franchise, there’s buying power and organizational expertise I can benefit from that I wouldn’t have on my own,” he explained. “Additionally, developing a brand, investing in the right technology, creating systems and processes, and menu development are expensive, time-consuming objectives that as an independent owner I could never keep up with the way a good franchisor does.”
Tropical Smoothie Cafe was the obvious choice for Haines, who loves that the brand is “on-trend with shifting consumer preferences toward healthier eating” as well as its strong unit economics and continued same-store sales growth.
“The company is really focused on franchisee success and profitability,” he added.
