Dive Brief:
- Smoothie King launched its first food menu with its “Power Eats” menu on Tuesday, the company said in an emailed press release.
- The menu includes loaded toasts and protein boxes and follows a pilot in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Additional items will be added to the menu in early 2026, the company said.
- The food menu comes over two years after Smoothie King expanded into smoothie bowls — acai or pitaya base topped with fruit — which led to a significant boost in sales and traffic. The chain sold 4.5 million bowls in the first seven months following that product launch.
Dive Insight:
The menu is expected to pair well with the chain’s smoothies, Claudia Schaefer, CMO at Smoothie King, said in a statement. In an email to Restaurant Dive, she said that the Power Eats menu will make it easier for guests to turn to Smoothie King as part of their daily lives, be that as a meal replacement or a complement to a smoothie.
“The launch of Smoothie Bowls in 2023 was a big milestone for us,” Schaefer said. “It was the first time we expanded beyond smoothies, and it gave us invaluable learnings on how to introduce new formats into our system. We saw how much our guests embraced the idea of having more variety, and that success gave us the confidence and framework to take the next step with food.”
Smoothie King took over a year to develop its food menu and initially tested it in 14 Dallas-Fort Worth locations. It was quickly expanded to 100 units across the region, Schaefer said. As part of the nationwide rollout, the brand evaluated the equipment stores would need to prepare the food menu. Smoothie Kings typically lack toasters or ovens, so the chain had to add toasters and TurboChef ovens, which allow staff to prepare items quickly without needing a traditional fryer or ventilation hood, she added.
“The toasters and ovens fit seamlessly into our existing store layouts, are easy for teams to use, and most importantly, deliver the high-quality taste and texture our guests expect,” Schaefer wrote. “This approach keeps operations simple while giving us the ability to expand our menu in a smart, scalable way.”
As part of the menu debut, the chain will offer a limited-time bundle for Healthy Rewards loyalty members to try one Loaded Toast and a 20-ounce smoothie starting at $9.99. The bundles will be available to all guests beginning Sept. 2.
Other primarily beverage-focused chains, like Joe and the Juice and Nektar, have been adding food items to their menus to attract a broader audience and draw afternoon traffic.
On Monday, Robeks expanded its food offerings, which include acai bowls and premium toasts, with the addition of a Harmonious Bites menu, a lineup of savory handhelds, at a price comparable to Smoothie King’s offerings. The smoothie chain, which has over 140 locations across 13 states, is now offering an Impossible Breakfast Sandwich, Margherito Pizzolo, Southwest Chicken Wrap, Spinach & Egg Flatbread and Spinach and Feta Stuffed Pretzel. Prices range from $5.99 to $6.99. Tropical Smoothie Cafe, which has long offered a food menu, added a breakfast menu last week.
