Smoothie King plans four new locations in central Indiana

Smoothie King was founded in suburban New Orleans in 1973. (Photo provided by Alison Brod Marketing & Communications)

A second attempt to take hold in central Indiana is working out for Smoothie King, which plans to expand from nine area locations to 13 by next summer.

Smoothie King, founded in suburban New Orleans in 1973, debuted in Indianapolis in 2004, but all local shops closed by 2012. Former Indiana University and NBA basketball player Alan Henderson was co-owner of Smoothie King locations at Indianapolis International Airport, in Broad Ripple and other parts of the city.

In 2015, Smoothie King returned to central Indiana when franchisee Chris Sgroi opened a location in Fishers to sell the company’s blends of fruits and vegetables. Since then, two shops in Carmel, a second in Fishers and locations in Avon, Greenwood, Westfield and Zionsville have opened.

A representative of Smoothie King, now a Dallas-based company with more than 1,300 stores in the United States, told the IBJ that franchisee agreements are in place to add four shops in the area:

• An Indianapolis store at 8603 S. Emerson Ave., part of the Claybrooke Commons retail center, expected to open in the first quarter of 2025.
• A Franklin store at 1151 N. Morton St., expected to open in the first quarter of 2025.
• An Indianapolis store at 7411 N. Keystone Ave., part of the Norgate Shoppes retail center, expected to open mid-2025.
• A Speedway store at 5945 Crawfordsville Road, part of the Speedway Shoppes retail center, expected to open mid-2025.

Michael Penn is the franchisee affiliated with the Keystone Avenue store. Reggie Pitts and Telesha Pitts are the franchisees affiliated with the Speedway store. Smoothie King did not share franchisee information for the other two locations.

“We are proud to bring more Smoothie King locations to the Indianapolis area,” said Chris Bremer, Smoothie King’s chief development officer, in a written statement. “As we prepare for the openings, we are actively seeking talented candidates to further develop the market. Indianapolis has a thriving community of health-conscious individuals, and we believe our smoothies will be a perfect addition to their daily routines.”

According to figures excerpted from Smoothie King’s franchise disclosure document posted at smoothiekingfranchise.com, a $30,000 franchise fee is required to launch a store. The investment range for a store is $320,000 to $1.27 million.

The Smoothie King menu includes smoothies, bowls, coffee blends and “refresher” beverages served over ice.