These Are The Most Popular Smoothies At Tropical Smoothie Cafe - Exclusive
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is coming up on its 25th year of operation, and in that time, the chain has expanded to 44 states and plans to have 1,500 locations nationwide by the end of the year 2024. In their two-and-a-half decades, they have also expanded their smoothie menu, which features more than two dozen smoothies.
But, during an exclusive interview, when Mashed asked Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Charles Watson about the best-selling smoothies at the chain, he first stressed that the control is always in the customer's hands.
"You, the consumer, the guest have all the choice in the world," Watson said. "We can make you any smoothie that you like with our whole ingredients and you can mix and match as you see fit. Yes, we have some great products on our menu that we've crafted, but you can go off-script."
As for the best-sellers from the established smoothie menu? "Oh gosh. For many, many years, it's been the Bahama Mama," Watson said. "That's a smoothie that has pineapple, strawberries, and white chocolate and coconut. So it's got a little bit of indulgence to it. So that's always up there." In terms of sales, Watson pointed to the Mango Berry Cosmo as the top seller. "And the number one seller from a limited time offer perspective has always been our summertime Watermelon Mojito, it's incredibly popular — 20 to 25 sales per cafe per day. ... Everyone looks forward to it."
But Tropical Smoothie Cafe is about more than just smoothies
Changes on the menu are a key component of success, according to Charles Watson. "That's why food and smoothie innovation is so important, it's to keep things fresh and to make sure that our guests are getting exciting things [they can] see and try," Watson said. "And if you do that well, then your top-sellers, sometimes you beat them. So we've been able to do that."
One can be forgiven for assuming the only food Tropical Smoothie Cafe offers consists of smoothies, but in fact, the "cafe" part of the name is the operative. Watson wants people to know that not only does the chain offer Bahama Mamas and Watermelon Mojitos, but they also have "high quality food."
"It's not just, 'We have snacks,'" Watson explained. "We have a full-on robust kitchen that's preparing fresh products. We have quesadillas, we have flatbread sandwiches, we have sandwiches, we have salads. So we have a broad array of food products that are both healthier and they're more boldly flavored. ... It's not run-of-the-mill bland food, we want to bring a little bit of a culinary experience to quick casual."
As for the best-selling food product currently sold at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, it's the Chipotle Chicken Club flatbread sandwich, Watson told Mashed. Which makes sense, given its (approximate) $6.59 price tag, 490 calorie count, and sandwich featuring grilled chicken, bacon, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, pepper jack cheese, and a chipotle mayo, per the menu. And no, the sandwiches are not simply warmed up. Watson said: "It's the made-to-order. It's fresh. It's high-quality ingredients. You're paying for a premium product."
You can follow Tropical Smoothie Cafe on Facebook and Instagram to learn about their latest deals and promotions. To find a location near you, check out their website.