Smoothie King is a popular smoothie franchise with over 1000 locations across the United States. They are known for their wide variety of blended fruit drinks and health food options. Smoothie King first opened in Kenner, Louisiana in 1973 and has expanded across the country over the past few decades. The company continues to grow, opening new franchise locations each year. One of their largest markets is in Texas, specifically in the greater Houston area. With a health-conscious population and hot climate ideal for cooling drinks, Houston has become home to dozens of Smoothie King stores. But exactly how many Smoothie King locations currently operate within Houston city limits? Let’s take a closer look at Smoothie King’s presence in the Houston market.
Quick Answer
Based on Smoothie King’s store locator tool on their website, there are currently 38 Smoothie King locations in operation within the Houston city limits as of November 2023. This makes Houston one of the major Smoothie King markets in the United States. While not as large as other cities like Dallas with over 60 locations, Houston still offers plenty of convenient options for Smoothie King smoothies and other menu items. The 38 stores are spread throughout the city with multiple locations in key neighborhoods and suburbs.
Houston’s Growing Health Food Market
Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States with a population of over 2.3 million residents in the city proper and nearly 7 million in the metro area. Over the past decade, Houston has experienced rapid growth and an increasing focus amongst residents on health and wellness. This has corresponded with the rise in popularity of smoothies and juice bars across the city. Smoothie King has capitalized on this growing trend, expanding to offer smoothies, supplements, and other nutritious options across Houston.
The warm humid climate of Houston also lends itself well to smoothies and chilled blended fruit drinks. With temperatures frequently in the 90s and 100s during the summer months, smoothies provide a refreshing and rejuvenating meal or snack. Smoothie King’s wide array of tropical fruit, berry, and green smoothie options appeal to Houston residents as the perfect drink during hot weather. The convenience of grab-and-go smoothies also fits well with the fast-paced lifestyle of Houston’s large commuter population.
Houston Store Details
Smoothie King locations are found across the sprawling metropolis of Houston with stores in the central city, suburbs, and surrounding neighborhoods. Hot spots for Smoothie King stores include Upper Kirby, Greenway Plaza, Rice Village, Memorial City, Sugarland, The Woodlands, and Kingwood. These neighborhoods feature dense residential populations as well as major office and retail centers.
The Houston stores come in various sizes to fit different markets. Larger standalone locations with drive-thrus and expansive dining rooms can be found in the suburbs and outer neighborhoods. Smaller footprint stores in strip malls and street retail centers are common in dense urban areas and office districts. Smoothie King has also opened outlets within grocery stores, universities, hospitals, and other shared retail spaces.
Smoothie King has direct competition from other smoothie and juice bar chains in Houston. Popular competing brands include Jamba Juice, Robeks, and Nekter Juice Bar. However, Smoothie King remains the dominant player in the market with its established brand recognition and vast area presence.
Signature Houston Menu Items
While Smoothie King provides a consistent core menu across all locations, the Houston stores offer some unique flavors and options tailored to local tastes. These include:
- Texan Sweet Potato Smoothie – Sweet potatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar capture classic Texan flavors in smoothie form.
- Houston Heat Wave Smoothie – This spicy smoothie includes mango, pineapple, jalapeno, cayenne pepper, and other warming ingredients to beat the Houston heat.
- Space City Strawberry Smoothie – Named for Houston’s “Space City” nickname, this smoothie blasts off with strawberries, bananas, and soy protein.
- League City Green Smoothie – Calling out Houston’s suburb League City, this green smoothie is packed with kale, spinach, avocado, ginger, and apples.
The flavors rotate seasonally, providing new varieties for Houston smoothie lovers to enjoy. Limited edition regional flavors are also sometimes created for major local events like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Smoothie King’s Houston Beginnings
While Smoothie King originated in Louisiana, Houston played an important role in the early years of the company. The very first out-of-state Smoothie King opened in Houston in 1989. The early success of this location proved the smoothie concept could work outside of Louisiana and convinced the founders to embark on wider franchise expansion.
Houston was also home to Smoothie King’s headquarters from 1990 to 2003 before the company relocated to Dallas. The quick growth and development of the Smoothie King Houston stores and early corporate presence helped propel overall brand growth nationally throughout the 1990s. This laid the foundation for Houston emerging into one of Smoothie King’s largest and most successful markets today.
Future Growth
With 38 current Smoothie King stores and counting, Houston has more room for growth to match other major US cities. As Smoothie King aims to reach new neighborhoods and customer demographics, expansion in Houston will likely continue. New locations may include areas currently lacking a Smoothie King such as Chinatown, East Downtown, Midtown, and Third Ward.
The greater Houston metro area also offers expansion opportunities in surrounding cities like Sugar Land, Katy, Spring, The Woodlands, Baytown, and League City. These suburban communities continue to grow rapidly and provide prime targets for new Smoothie King stores.
As more people discover the convenience and health benefits of smoothies, Smoothie King’s footprint across the Houston area will keep on growing. The company shows no signs of slowing expansion in one of its most successful and dynamic markets.
Conclusion
Smoothie King has found an ideal home for growth in Houston, Texas. With currently 38 locations across Houston city limits and the surrounding metro region, Smoothie King has tapped into Houston’s active, health-conscious population. The tropical climate makes cooling, nutritious smoothies a popular choice year-round leading to sustained demand. While Houston’s Smoothie King presence is already considerable, expect even more expansion ahead as the company introduces new locations in untouched neighborhoods. With smoothies’ immense popularity showing no decline, Smoothie King’s footprint has the potential to reach over 50 or even 100 Houston stores in the years ahead.