Innovator of Juice & Smoothie Segment Brings Nutritional and Purposeful Smoothies to Dubai and Beyond
With more than 700 locations worldwide and plans to top 1,000 locations globally by the end of 2017, Smoothie King is proud to announce its expansion into the Middle East, beginning with multiple locations in Dubai, through its partnership with Al Ghurair Retail. Smoothie King is providing guests around the world with nutritional solutions that live up to the brand’s founding vision to create “Smoothies With a Purpose.”
Just a decade since its inception, Al Ghurair’s commercial reach spans more than 20 countries including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and boasts an eclectic roster including financial services, food and commodities, construction, education, prime technologies, printing and real estate. Al Ghurair has supported the evolution of Dubai from a port city to a dynamic and cosmopolitan metropolis by developing brands there since the 1960s. The group employs more than 70,000 across the Middle East. A division of the company that will be implementing Smoothie King’s expansion, Al Ghurair Retail, currently represents six fashion brands and plans on opening 45 Smoothie King locations over the next five years throughout the GCC, starting with the United Arab Emirates before expanding into Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
“I am thrilled to introduce Smoothie King as our first ever food and beverage brand and a meaningful new addition to Al Ghurair Retail’s rapidly expanding portfolio of companies in the UAE,” Al Ghurair Retail General Manager Laurent Cabioch said. “Al Ghurair Retail has seen the increasing demand for healthy food and beverage products for those on the go and Smoothie King will meet this demand as we take the concept from Dubai into the rest of the GCC.”
The GCC retail market has experienced a dramatic upsurge and now accounts for 54.5% of international retailers already present in the United Arab Emirates alone. Al Ghurair is further expanding its roster with the high-performing franchise concept Smoothie King as a monumental addition.
Smoothie King is poised for international success with its fine-tuned business model and high-quality products. One-off juice and smoothie businesses have been popping up all over the world, but Smoothie King differentiates itself as an originator and innovator in this space, evolving to meet customer’s health needs since 1973. The mission since the company’s inception carries through to today: to inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
“By working with dedicated and passionate partners like AG Retail, we are able to continue to build our brand and expand our presence worldwide, while preserving brand integrity,” said Smoothie King CEO Wan Kim. “We are confident that the company will be a great ambassador for Smoothie King by serving the global community and helping to grow the brand in the Middle East.”
Smoothie King offers a wide variety of smoothies made with the highest quality ingredients, created to meet all nutritional goals including weight loss, weight gain and increased energy. Smoothie King is currently located in Korea, Grand Cayman and Singapore, and according to Dan Hannah, Vice President of International Business Development, the company is eyeing development in Japan, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Australia and Brazil.
To inquire about international franchising, please email International@smoothieking.com
Smoothie King Franchises, Inc. is a privately held, New Orleans-area-based franchise company with more than 700 units worldwide. By creating each smoothie with a purpose, Smoothie King makes it simple and pleasurable for guests to achieve their individual health goals. The franchise also offers a number of healthy retail products, including sports beverages, energy bars, vitamins, supplements and more.
Smoothie King was founded in 1973 by Steve Kuhnau, whose mission was to help others achieve better health in a tasty way. In 1989, Smoothie King became the first smoothie franchise in the U.S. and currently operates in 33 states, the Caymans, Singapore and the Republic of Korea. In 2015, Smoothie King was ranked No. 1 by Entrepreneur magazine in the juice bar category for the 21st year and No. 79 overall on the 2015 Franchise 500 list. In 2014, Smoothie King partnered with the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association to launch the Smoothie King Center, a multi-use indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. Visit www.smoothieking.com or www.smoothiekingfranchise.com; engage on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SmoothieKing; follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/smoothieking.
