Published on: July 31, 2018
Grant Watkins first tried Tropical Smoothie Cafe while attending college at the University of South Florida in Tampa. His go-to meal back then was the Turkey Bacon Ranch Sandwich and a Banana Smoothie. Now, with his first West Texas franchise business in San Angelo, he shares his love of the brand with people who may never have tried Tropical Smoothie Cafe, but are psyched to get their hands on it.
“There’s really nothing like this in West Texas, so there was a lot of good buzz about our opening. The night before, people camped out, and by 5:00 a.m., there were about 80 people waiting for us to open. When we opened our doors 7:00 a.m., there was a line that wrapped around the building!” said Watkins.
Speaking of the building, his franchise location was originally an outdated Arby’s restaurant that he completely revamped into a brand new Cafe. With his first location now open, he has big plans to open four more in quick succession.
“As I went through the process of opening, I relied on my mentors Glen Johnson and Nick Crouch, who are also multi-unit Tropical Smoothie Cafe Franchise Owners. I would love to be a mini-version of those two guys,” said Watkins.
He is well on his way. In addition to his Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Grant and his brother own seven Florida locations of a national burger chain, making them franchisees with vast experience and diverse portfolios.
When asked what originally attracted him to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise opportunity, other than the eat better, feel better mantra, Watkins cited the company culture that is unlike any other brand he investigated.
“They seemed like family, a close-knit group of people who really got to know me on a personal basis,” he said.
To learn how you can be like Grant and become part of Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s winning culture, click on the LEARN MORE button above.
