Smoothie King returning to Springfield

A St. Louis Smoothie King franchisee is bringing the concept back to Springfield.

Springfield native Rob Edwards is scheduled to open his first Smoothie King in the Queen City on Dec. 2 at 4406 S. Campbell Ave., Unit 104. Edwards signed a five-year lease with 4406 South Campbell LLC for undisclosed terms for 1,200 square feet in a strip center anchored by Famous Dave's Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que.

Edwards penned a three-store deal for Springfield with Metairie, Louisiana-based Smoothie King for undisclosed terms. According to SmoothieKingFranchise.com, franchisees can expect to invest between $188,200 and $414,050 per store. Edwards has a three-year plan to open two more in the Queen City, though he hasn’t cemented site locations.

Edwards opened his sole Smoothie King franchise in St. Louis two years ago with plans to launch more. However, he said since then, other franchisees in St. Louis market have bought multiple store deals and made the area much more competitive.

“The available space in St. Louis started to shrink pretty quickly,” he said. “I was looking at Springfield with a lot of interest. This is a huge market. It’s a big college town.”

When examining Springfield’s potential, Edwards inquired with Smoothie King officials as to why a couple stores in the city closed several years ago. They gave him a vague understanding of stores that operated at 2941 E. Battlefield Road and 3305 S. Campbell Ave.  

“I don’t know the whole story on that. I do understand that the brand recognition eight to 10 years ago when they were there is nothing like it is now,” he said. “The brand has really taken off. We’ve had a lot of response on social media from people who do remember when Smoothie King was in Springfield.”

Edwards said his South Campbell store will employ around 18.

Using the slogan, “Smoothies with a Purpose,” Smoothie King offers a variety of health-centered products. The company has over 600 stores.