Smoothie King, the national chain offering various delicious smoothies and snacks, is working on a new location in Orange Park at 661 Blanding Boulevard, Suite 504.
The company’s newest 1,200-square-foot location is set to move into a vacant spot within Bolton Plaza, according to a plan review application submitted to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. Smoothie King will sit next to the recently opened Sabor Mix Ceviche & Grill and the anchoring Panera Bread. This is the latest from franchise owner Rishil Patel. There’s no exact timeline for the opening, but it’s expected to open before the end of the year.
The new location comes only a few months after Smoothie King Franchises Inc. named Gavin Felder its chief financial officer, officially taking the position in late May, according to a press release. Felder spent 16 years at Yum Brands, most recently as its chief strategy officer, overseeing corporate strategy, investor relations, mergers and acquisitions, and store innovations. He also worked as commercial director for KFC U.K., CFO of KFC Africa, and CFO for Yum’s Global KFC Division.
“I’m honored to join this world-class team poised for extraordinary growth,” Felder said in a press release. “Smoothie King is truly a category-defining brand fueled by an inspiring mission, and I couldn’t be more excited to partner with our franchisees, suppliers, and store teams to take the business to new heights together.”
This addition to the executive leadership team comes from a strong 2023 for Smoothie King, highlighted by significant comp growth and new store development. Q3 2023 marked the highest sales period in the brand’s 50-year history, and Q4 2023 marked Smoothie King’s largest new development quarter in seven years. This growth contributed to an 11.5% jump in same-store sales and positive traffic growth. Smoothie King’s most recently reported Q1 marked the fifth consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales and a combined total of 41 new store openings and commitments so far this year.
“I take great pride in the teams we’ve built and the culture we’ve created at Smoothie King, and we’re happy to welcome Gavin Felder to our distinguished leadership team,” Wan Kim, CEO of Smoothie King, said in a press release. “Gavin is a visionary leader with a keen eye for innovation and I believe he’s the perfect partner to lead us into the next phase of Smoothie King’s growth story as we look to provide even greater value to our guests and franchise partners.”
