Tropical Smoothie Cafe has 1,500 locations across 44 states. Credit: Kristi Blokhin/ Shutterstock.

US restaurant franchise Tropical Smoothie Cafe has announced the appointment of Max Wetzel as its new chief executive officer.  

Wetzel takes over from Charles Watson, who has stepped down after more than 16 years with the company and six years as its CEO.

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The company also welcomed Roland C Smith to its board of directors, bringing his leadership experience in the fast-casual restaurant, consumer-packaged goods and retail sectors, and in growing global brands and franchised restaurant businesses. 

His most recent role was as CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings, the parent company of Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s.  

Before this, he was chief operating officer at Papa John’s International. 

Max Wetzel’s past roles include CEO positions at Delhaize America, Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, Wendy’s International, Triarc Companies and Office Depot. 

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Tropical Smoothie Cafe chairman of the board Nigel Travis said: “We are delighted to welcome Max and Roland, two industry executives of the highest calibre, to Tropical Smoothie Cafe as we continue to deliver exceptional service and high-quality products for our valued guests. 

“Tropical Smoothie Cafe continues to redefine the smoothie and juice better-for-you food category with the support of our dedicated franchisees. Max’s commitment to fostering a people-first culture centred around operational excellence combined with his proven track record of expanding brand awareness through product innovation and best-in-class marketing capabilities will help Tropical Smoothie Cafe and our franchisees extend their strong momentum.” 

Tropical Smoothie Cafe, established in 1997 as a single beachfront location in Destin, Florida, now has 1,500 locations across 44 states. 

Since 2023, the cafe has opened more than 300 new locations, more than 70% of which were opened by existing franchisees. 

In early 2024, Blackstone-managed funds acquired Tropical Smoothie Cafe to support its growth through investments in menu innovation, operating excellence and marketing.