Tropical Smoothie Cafe Unveils New Branding As Sales Top $1.6 Billion

According to CNBC, Tropical Smoothie Cafe unveiled a new brand look on Wednesday that will highlight its frond-shaped “Palm T” icon as the chain prepares for continued growth under Blackstone ownership. The redesign will appear on packaging, the mobile app and website, and uses brighter colors and a uniform font; CEO Max Wetzel said the company is planning for its next 3,000 cafes. The chain said system sales topped $1.6 billion over the 12 months ended in June and it expects to exceed 1,800 U.S. locations by year-end, up 50% from the end of 2022. Tropical Smoothie also plans to expand outside the U.S. The company said its $80 million marketing budget is being used more effectively after it consolidated national and local media spending into one advertising fund in late 2024, and brand awareness rose to 42% from 34% a year earlier. Wetzel said the loyalty program has grown to 13 million members, with about one in three orders coming from a member. Tropical Smoothie also said it is improving cafe operations, testing self-ordering kiosks and preparing an upgraded app and website by year-end. Blackstone bought the chain in 2024 for a reported $2 billion, including debt.