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It’s been about two and a half months since Blackstone finalized its acquisition of Tropical Smoothie Cafe. During this period, CEO Charles Watson and his team have met with the private equity firm a few times.
His feedback from those discussions is quite simple—nothing big is changing for Tropical Smoothie. The focus on serving franchisees, supporting unit-level economics, and pleasing customers remains in place. Those aren’t complicated ideals, Watson says, and he knows Blackstone understands. That’s due in large part to Nigel Travis, former CEO of Dunkin’ and Papa Johns, who was named chairman of the beverage concept as part of the transaction. Watson also points to Blackstone’s experience with franchising in other sectors, like Servpro and Hilton Hotels & Resorts. The company has proven that it’s possible to make money and grow a franchise business at the same time.