Smoothie King announced Thursday a minority investment from Main Post Partners, signifying a “powerful new chapter for the brand.”
The amount of the deal was undisclosed.
Wan Kim, who purchased Smoothie King in 2012, remains majority shareholder. The company said it plans to use the funds to accelerate growth, innovation, and market leadership.
“At Smoothie King, our vision is to make the world a better place by nourishing healthy habits, and that starts with having partners who share our vision and embrace our values,” Kim said in a statement. “We have been extremely impressed by Main Post’s track record of growing franchise brands the right way – by building a strong culture, focusing on the guest, and always thinking long term.”
Smoothie King has more than 1,200 shops nationwide. In Q1, the brand opened 13 new locations across eight states. The chain also signed 20 new store commitments, marking 15 straight quarters of securing 20 or more. The new agreements span 15 markets across 12 states, including multi-unit deals in Long Island and Phoenix. Sixty percent of the signings were with existing operators.
The chain also bolstered its C-suite by appointing CFO Gavin Felder as the new president and hiring Jamba and Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen veteran Claudia Shaefer as CMO.
Main Post currently has investments in Flynn Group, the world’s largest franchisee organization, Viva Chicken, and Krispy Krunchy Chicken. It previously partnered with Snooze A.M. Eatery and Jimmy John’s.
“This investment is more than capital — it’s a powerful alignment of vision and capability,” Jeff Mills, managing partner at Main Post, said in a statement. “We are very impressed by the strength of the Smoothie King brand and reputation, the quality and innovation of the product offerings and its commitment to the guest experience. We are excited to partner with Smoothie King’s strong leadership team and franchisees to support the company in capitalizing on its Clean Blends menu, impressive customer service ranking, 1,200+-unit restaurant base and category leadership. Smoothie King is well positioned to enter its next phase of growth and fulfill its bold and inspiring vision to become one of America’s favorite brands.”
Smoothie King is one of several high-powered franchise brands to receive interest from private equity over the past year. In 2024, Blackstone purchased Jersey Mike’s and Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Roark Capital finalized a deal to buy Dave’s Hot Chicken for roughly $1 billion. Also, similar to Smoothie King, Crumbl received a minority investment from TSG Consumer Partners; 7 Brew received a growth investment from Blackstone last year as well.
