Tropical Smoothie Cafe is pushing into New York and Connecticut with a 40-unit franchise agreement signed through Aurify Kingstar, a newly created holding company backed by Aurify Brands, one of the New York area’s most experienced multi-concept franchise operators. The deal positions the franchise brand to build presence in a region where it has historically had limited penetration, as it closes in on its 1,800th location nationwide.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe currently operates more than 1,750 locations across the United States under a fully franchised model. The brand is on track to cross the 1,800-unit threshold before the end of 2026, a milestone that reflects sustained expansion since Blackstone acquired the chain for $2 billion in 2024. System sales have surpassed $1.6 billion annually, and the brand counts 13 million loyalty members across its network. The announcement of the New York and Connecticut development agreement was made on October 19, 2026, with major trade press coverage picking up the following day.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
It’s Tropic Time
- Restaurant
- Liquid capital: $500000
A Dedicated Holding Company for Franchise Expansion
The agreement was structured through Aurify Kingstar, a holding company created specifically by Aurify Brands to consolidate its franchise development activity. Andy Stern, the Aurify partner leading Aurify Kingstar, described the setup as designed to keep franchise brand activity separate and organized, distinct from Aurify’s proprietary brands.
Aurify Brands operates a portfolio that includes Five Guys, Wingstop, and Le Pain Quotidien on the franchise side, alongside proprietary concepts including Melt Shop, Little Beet, and Happy Monkey by Jean-Georges. Stern also noted that Aurify Kingstar is exploring additional franchise agreements in categories beyond smoothies and health-focused fast casual.
New York and Connecticut: Underdeveloped Markets for the Brand
Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Max Wetzel identified New York and Connecticut as markets with substantial room to grow. Despite the brand’s scale elsewhere in the country, its presence in the Northeast has historically been thinner relative to its national footprint.
The 40-unit commitment from Aurify Kingstar addresses that gap with a large-format development agreement designed to build density over several years. The first location under the agreement is expected to open in early 2027. Wetzel has also pointed to nontraditional venues, including airports and military installations, as part of the brand’s broader Northeast and national growth strategy.
The Aurify Playbook: Proven Operators Moving into New Categories
Aurify Brands has built its reputation in the New York area by operating established franchise concepts at scale, with a track record that includes multi-unit arrangements across QSR and fast-casual categories.
The creation of Aurify Kingstar as a standalone structure for franchise expansion is consistent with an approach seen increasingly among sophisticated franchise operators: separating new brand acquisitions into distinct entities to simplify management and capital allocation. Aurify Brands indicated that Aurify Kingstar is already in discussions for additional franchise agreements, suggesting the vehicle is positioned for a role beyond this single deal.
Key figures
1,750+ locations nationwide. $1.6 billion in system-wide sales. 13 million loyalty members. 40 units committed for New York and Connecticut under the Aurify Kingstar agreement. First opening expected in early 2027.
What Comes Next for the Brand
Beyond the Aurify Kingstar deal, Tropical Smoothie Cafe is pursuing franchise growth in multiple directions. Nontraditional real estate formats such as airports and military bases are part of the brand’s stated development priorities, and international expansion is also under consideration.
The brand’s fully franchised model means that growth depends on securing operators capable of executing multi-unit commitments in dense urban and suburban markets. The New York and Connecticut agreement, with Aurify Kingstar’s background in those markets, represents one of the larger Northeast bets the brand has made to date.
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