Smoothie King is a smoothie food retailer that caters blended fruit-based drinks. First opening in 1973 as a stand-alone vitamin shop in Kenner, Louisiana; Smoothie King now encompasses over 600 locations (as of March 2009).

History

A Smoothie King at the University of Houston

Working as a soda jerker in his teenage years, Steve Kuhnau, founder of Smoothie King, found himself unable to digest the very malts, shakes, and floats he was preparing, due to a lactose intolerance. Consequently, he formulated the world's first nutritional smoothie in his kitchen, to serve as a healthier, dairy-free alternative to popular ice cream based drinks of the era. His novel drink idea, a blend of fresh fruit coupled with vitamin and protein additives, proved also to be efficacious in treating his allergies and stabilizing his blood sugar level. This creation was the impetus for an industry: shortly after his first store opened in Kenner, Louisiana 1973, other stores were opened all over the New Orleans metropolitan area, and subsequently in Washington, D.C. and 32 other states. Kuhnau began to franchise the Smoothie King name and business in 1989. Smoothie King's 30 year anniversary, in 2003, was commemorated with their first international franchise, in South Korea.

Smoothie King Franchises, Inc. has agreed with the Amer Group to open at least 20 Smoothie King locations in Egypt and Turkey in the next few years. Smoothie King, ranked the 37th fastest growing franchise and the 57th top global franchise by Entrepreneur magazine in 2009, currently operates in more than 600 locations in the United States and South Korea.