Smoothie King plans to expand to Michigan, open 50 juice bars

Posted on May 16, 2018

NEW ORLEANSMay 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Smoothie King, the leading smoothie company with more than 960 locations worldwide, continues its record-setting growth with a new franchise partner that will bring the brand to Michigan in 2018.

Christopher Klebba, president of Northern Diamond Management, and his team have signed an agreement to develop 50 locations throughout the state. With deep roots in Michigan, the team is actively seeking real estate in and around Detroit in anticipation of opening three area locations by the end of 2018.

Klebba comes most recently from franchise group Impact Fitness, which owns 22 Planet Fitness gyms in Michigan and Indiana. The team also focuses on bringing business to underserved communities, with a strong emphasis on attracting and developing local leaders.

“We are committed to making an active lifestyle attainable for people in our community, and we see a real need for an offering like Smoothie King,” said Klebba. “We were attracted to the Smoothie King brand because its mission to inspire people to live healthy, active lifestyles is perfectly aligned with ours, and we fell in love with the brand and the people.”

The 50-store development agreement further fuels Smoothie King’s expansion. Already the fastest-growing chain in its category, Smoothie King expects to open 150 new locations in 2018, the most it has ever opened in the U.S. in a single year.

Smoothie King CEO Wan Kim credits the company’s continued growth to its Cleaner Blending initiative and its ongoing focus on “Smoothies With A Purpose.”

“Attracting franchisees like Christopher and his team is a real testament to our mission,” said Kim. “The Impact Fitness team has supported tens of thousands of Michiganders in achieving an active and healthy lifestyle, and together, we’re eager to further support the community’s health goals by bringing Smoothie King to the area.”