Smoothie King Franchise Cost 2026: $329,850 to $1.28M by Format

A Smoothie King costs $329,850 to $683,715 to open as an end-cap or in-line store, or $639,950 to $1,278,900 as a free-standing store with a drive-thru, per Item 7 of its Franchise Disclosure Document issued April 8, 2026. The initial fee is $30,000 for a traditional store and $15,000 for a non-traditional one.

Smoothie King franchise costs at a glance

Item	Amount	Source
Initial fee	$30,000 traditional, $15,000 non-traditional	FDD Item 5
Total investment, end-cap or in-line	$329,850 to $683,715	FDD Item 7
Total investment, free-standing drive-thru	$639,950 to $1,278,900	FDD Item 7
Operating fee (royalty)	Greater of 6% of monthly gross sales or $500 a month	FDD Item 6
National marketing fee	3%, can rise to 5%	FDD Item 6
Regional or local marketing	Up to 2% regional, or 2% local where no regional fund exists	FDD Item 6
Term	10 years	FDD Item 17
Units (Dec. 29, 2025)	1,200 franchised, 42 company-operated	FDD Item 20

The format decides the cost

The two Item 7 totals barely overlap. The free-standing floor sits near the end-cap ceiling, and the top of the range is nearly four times the bottom, so a single “Smoothie King franchise cost” figure tells you little until you know the format.

The $15,000 non-traditional fee covers formats such as airport and campus host locations. It is a lower-cost entry point, though non-traditional units sit outside the regional marketing funds and may run a shorter term under their addendum, so read that addendum before comparing the two.

Price your format: end-cap vs drive-thru

Our free startup-cost worksheet follows the Item 7 rows, so you can replace Smoothie King's estimates with quotes for your site. Plus the due-diligence kit.

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The royalty has a floor

The operating fee is the greater of $500 each calendar month or 6% of monthly gross sales. Six percent equals $500 when monthly sales are about $8,333, so the minimum binds below roughly $100,000 in annual sales. Above that line you pay the percentage. Below it you pay the floor, and the slower the store, the larger the fee becomes as a share of sales.

This is arithmetic on a disclosed fee term, not a prediction about any store, and it is not an earnings claim. Minimum-royalty clauses only bite in a store’s weakest months, which is why they are worth reading before you sign.

Marketing fees: one fund or the other

Item 6 lists three marketing charges, and two of them are alternatives:

• National marketing fee: 3% of monthly gross sales. Smoothie King may raise it to 5% on 60 days’ notice, and it also rises to 5% if you fail to provide evidence of required local marketing.
• Regional marketing fee: up to 2%, set by Smoothie King, where a regional marketing fund exists. The FDD lists 26 designated marketing areas.
• Local marketing: 2% of annual gross sales, required only where no regional fund exists. Regional fund contributions are credited toward it.

So marketing runs about 5% today whether you pay a regional fund or spend it locally. Add the 6% royalty and the total is around 11% of gross sales, or 13% if the national fee goes to its 5% cap. That cap is the number to plan against, since a two-point increase needs only notice. Our royalty calculator models both rates, and our Item 6 guide explains why the recurring percentage dominates long-run cost. For comparison, see Tropical Smoothie’s cost page. Also compare Robeks, Jamba and Playa Bowls.

What Smoothie King’s Item 19 reports

Table 19-1 reports Net Sales for 1,087 franchised U.S. units for December 31, 2024 to December 29, 2025. Net Sales includes products and services sold in or from the unit, including off-premises catering and delivery, but excludes excise or sales taxes, returns, allowances and discounts. These are sales figures, not profit or owner income.

The eligibility requirement was a consecutive 13-month operating period ending December 29, 2025, meaning units opened before November 26, 2024. Of 1,116 franchised units open during that period, 29 were excluded because they were not scheduled to open daily, were temporarily closed for more than eight weeks, or did not use the required POS system. The daily-opening rule excludes holidays; examples of excluded schedules include office-building units closed on weekends and campus units closed for summer. Units closed for less than eight weeks for remodeling could be included. The year-end system count excluded 33 units that permanently closed during the reporting period. Company-operated units are excluded from the sales table, and all 1,087 included franchised units reported sufficient information.

Table 19-1, TOTAL (ALL)	Reported result
Average Net Sales	$662,015
Median Net Sales	$627,210
Units that met or exceeded average Net Sales	465 / 43%

The table groups units by sales rank, not store format. The FDD says the historical results came from franchisees and states:

Neither Smoothie King nor an independent certified public accountant has independently audited or verified the information.

Its results caveat reads:

Some outlets have achieved these results. Your individual results may differ. There is no assurance that you’ll sell as much.

What Smoothie King asks for in net worth and liquidity

Smoothie King’s two franchising pages list different figures (both checked October 11, 2026):

Page	Net worth	Liquid	Credit score
Franchise process (refers to the April 8, 2026 FDD)	$400,000 (1 store)	$175,000 (1 store)	700 minimum
FAQ	$350,000	$150,000	700+

The franchise-process page is the one tied to the current FDD, so plan on $400,000 and $175,000 and confirm the figure with Smoothie King. The FDD itself sets no qualification minimum. Our net worth calculator compares your numbers with the minimums other brands publish.

How to get the FDD

Smoothie King’s FAQ says each qualified candidate receives a copy of the FDD, so the usual route is to apply through its franchise site. The April 8, 2026 FDD cited on this page is also hosted by Restaurant Finance Monitor. Whichever copy you read, ask Smoothie King to confirm it is the current one before you rely on it. Our FDD walkthrough covers what to read first.

Terms, discounts and scale

Term: 10 years for a traditional location. Renewal currently costs half the then-current initial franchise fee plus a $775 design fee. See Item 17: term and renewal.

Veterans: 20% off the initial fee, worth $6,000 on a traditional store. First responders: the same 20% for law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMTs with at least 10 years of experience. Neither discount applies to the renewal fee. Our veteran discount comparison sets the programs side by side.

Single units are the default. An Area Development Agreement is optional. If you sign one, you commit to a minimum of 3 stores and pay a $12,500 development fee for each store after the first.

As of December 29, 2025, the system had 1,200 franchised units and 42 company-operated units, per Item 20.

The 2025 systemwide franchised-outlet totals below are reproduced from Item 20, Table 3’s TOTAL row, with transfers from Table 2:

Franchised units, 2025	Reported total
Units at the start of the year	1,149
Units opened	81
Transfers to new owners other than the franchisor	75
Terminations	0
Non-renewals	0
Reacquired by franchisor	0
Ceased operations / other reasons	30
Units at the end of the year	1,200

The zero non-renewals above is the printed TOTAL, although the Alabama row lists 2. The FDD also notes that “Units Opened” includes formerly company affiliate-owned units sold to existing franchisees: 2 in Louisiana, 3 in Texas and 4 in Tennessee. See the Item 20 guide for how to read the outlet tables and use the franchisee contacts.

Comparing Smoothie King with other smoothie franchises?

Get the free comparison spreadsheet: fee, Item 7 total, royalty, marketing fees and qualification minimums, one row per brand, filled from each FDD. Plus the due-diligence kit.

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SBA Franchise Directory: Smoothie King appears in the SBA’s Franchise Directory file effective October 9, 2026 (SBA Franchise Identifier Code S1591; franchisor certification marked received). A listing is what a lender checks for brand eligibility; it is not an endorsement, and your own eligibility as a borrower is assessed separately. See how to check the SBA Franchise Directory. The file notes a rider condition when real estate secures the loan.

Questions to ask Smoothie King before you sign

• Which net-worth and liquidity figures are current, given that your franchise-process page and FAQ differ?
• Is there a regional marketing fund in my area, and what does the 2% local requirement ask me to document?
• Are there plans to raise the national marketing fee toward its 5% cap?
• Which formats are available in my market, given the cost gap between them?
• What does the current Item 20 show for openings, closures and transfers since December 2025?
• What term and renewal conditions apply to a non-traditional store?
• Will a franchise attorney and an accountant review the full FDD with me before I commit?

Take these questions to a franchisee call

Get the free validation-call script for the owners listed in Item 20: sales, costs, support, and why some stores closed. Plus the due-diligence kit.

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Optional: connect me with a vetted franchise-development partner if I match what they're looking for. FranchiseFeast may be paid a referral fee for this. It is never required to get what you asked for, and you can withdraw at any time.Your background (optional)Prefer not to sayCorporate or executive backgroundEntrepreneur, no food experience yetI already operate multiple unitsSomething else

Company

The kit is educational only, not legal or financial advice. By subscribing you agree to ourterms and privacy policy. How we're paid, including referral fees:affiliate & referral disclosure.