Franchising Is A Smooth Ride For Virginia Relatives

RICHMOND, VA. (Thursday, July 14, 2005) - When sisters-in-law Gemini Patel and Urvashi Patel signed on with Tropical Smoothie Cafe, they were looking for a challenge. This ambition has netted them the franchise territorial rights for all of New Jersey and a plan to push the growing brand throughout the state. Gemini Patel, far left, and Urvashi Patel, far right, have picked up Tropical Smoothie Cafe´s franchise territorial rights for New Jersey. The pair plan to oversee the opening of 100 stores in the state. They own two Tropical Smoothie stores in Virginia.



The interior of Tropical Smoothie Cafe features a tropical theme with paintings and colors. The chain offers over 40 different smoothie flavors and gourment wraps.



RICHMOND, Va. - When sisters-in-law Gemini Patel and Urvashi Patel signed on with Tropical Smoothie Café, they were looking for a challenge. This ambition has netted them the franchise territorial rights for all of New Jersey and a plan to push the growing brand throughout the state.

"We have had a tremendous response from the New Jersey market," said Gemini Patel. "Our plan is for 100 plus stores in New Jersey."

To aid in their task, Gemini and Urvashi have started their own company, Tropical Developments Inc., hired a director of operations and begun working with area developers.

"We are looking for select franchisees for individual or multi units," Gemini Patel said.

The pair's ambition can be traced to a strong belief in Tropical Smoothie concept. They own two stores in Richmond, Va.; they bought their first store last September; and the second in February.

Though they first looked at other franchise opportunities, it didn't take long for Tropical Smoothie to win them over.

"We fell in love with the menu because it offered such a variety of items," said Gemini Patel. "We went to an existing store in Richmond and fell in love with it."

"(Tropical Smoothie) has a health-conscious mix of food," Urvashi Patel said. "It is a good, fun-loving atmosphere for families. We have great potential for expansion."

"Whenever anyone has walked into the store, they are kind of dazzled by the store," she added.

Tropical Smoothie Franchise Development Corp. was founded in 1997 in Florida. The brand launched as a small smoothie shop with a tropical theme. The first franchised Tropical Smoothie was opened in Tallahassee, Fla. in October 1997. In 1998, the brand expanded its offerings to include gourmet wraps and coffee. In 2000, it was renamed Tropical Smoothie Café, changing its décor to reflect the café image.

Tropical Smoothie offers a full smoothie line of about 40 flavors, as well as gourmet wraps, specialty sandwiches, salads and tortizzas.

Its trademark smoothie is described as "high energy, natural sweetener based beverage, which is made from real fruits and fresh whenever possible." According to the company, the smoothies are customized for each customer with nutritional supplements that enhance weight loss, promote muscle development and enhance mental alertness. Soy milk can also be substituted, as can natural sweeteners safe for diabetics. Many smoothies are reduced-calorie products.

The stores' smoothie lines include: low-fat smoothies such as "Tropical Nectar" and "Rockin' Raspberry"; dessert smoothies such as "Chocolate Chiller" and "Strawberry Cheesecake"; power smoothies such as "Muscle Blaster" and "Fat Buster"; smart smoothies such as "Memory Fuel" and "Brain Booster"; meal replacement smoothies such as "Tidal Wave" and "Typhoon"; and weight-gain smoothies such as "Peanut Paradise" and "Volcanic Eruption."

Tropical Smoothies offers about a dozen gourmet wraps. These include the "Veggie Veggie," made with Southwestern rice, corn, black beans, asparagus, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese and light olive oil dressing; and the "King Caesar," made with chicken breast strips, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing.

The brand's specialty sandwiches are made with Boar's Head meats and include the standard fair such as turkey, roast beef and ham. Available salads are garden, tuna, grilled chicken Caesar, chef and sesame chicken.

Tropical Smoothies' tortizzas are pizzas made on 12-inch tortillas. The menu choices are cheese, pepperoni, Hawaiian and barbeque.

Tropical Smoothie has about 130 stores in over 14 states, including Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia, Texas and Nevada. Another 60 stores are currently in development.

Earlier this year, Entrepreneur magazine ranked Tropical Smoothie 192 among the top 500 franchise companies in the United States.

According to Gemini and Urvashi Patel, their plans have received tremendous support from Tropical Smoothie and founder and president Eric Jenrich.

"He is very, very pleased with us," said Gemini Patel. "We have gotten good feedback from him."

Gemini Patel said it wasn't long after open their first Tropical Smoothie that she and Urvashi started thinking about buying up territorial rights and franchising them out.

Both emphasize the reason behind venturing into franchising was for a challenge - one beyond just owning and operating a couple of stores.

Each has a background in the hospitality industry.

Gemini Patel, who was born in Africa and lived in England, grew up helping her parents run a variety of businesses, including a sari shop and beauty supply shop, a Chinese wholesale store, grocery store and a vegetarian Indian restaurant.

She graduated from England's Redbridge College with a business degree and opened a pharmacy with her husband in 1984. In 1985, she moved to the United States and opened a motel in Richmond. A year later, they bought a second motel and eventually a Subway.

Gemini Patel worked with her husband, who still owns two motels and now has four Subways.

Urvashi Patel was also born in Africa. She attended college in India and received a bachelor's degree in banking and business administration from BJB College. She worked with her husband in the pharmacy business before coming to the United States in 1986.

She has worked for five years in the motel industry and 13 years in the restaurant industry with Subway.

Gemini and Urvashi have confidence in each other and believe they are a pairing for success.

"We have a unique relationship on a personal and a business level," Gemini Patel said.

They both profess the goal of furthering the Tropical Smoothie brand.

"We want to have more brand-name recognition," Urvashi said. The hope is to make Tropical Smoothie a household name, she added.

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