Tropical Smoothie Cafe® Opens Cafe at Asheville Regional Airport 

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Leading Fast Casual Brand Opens Third Airport Location, Expanding Its Non-Traditional Growth

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jul. 2, 2025 – Tropical Smoothie Cafe opened a new franchised location on July 1 at the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), highlighting the brand’s expansion into non-traditional channels. The Asheville Regional Airport location is the third U.S. airport-based cafe, following successful Tropical Smoothie Cafe openings at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in March 2024 and Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City in March 2022. All three airport cafes are operated by Paradies Lagardère, a leading travel retailer and restaurateur with a strong footprint in airports.  

“This cafe opening in the Asheville Regional Airport represents a meaningful step in our ongoing efforts to diversify where and how guests experience our brand,” said Max Wetzel, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Café, LLC. “As the brand’s third airport location with Paradies Lagardère, this opening reinforces the strong demand for better-for-you options among busy travelers and the strength of our concept in non-traditional formats. Having the seasoned team at Paradies Lagardère spearhead our growth in regional travel hubs has enabled our brand to thrive in high-traffic destinations, and we’re confident this latest opening in Asheville will continue that momentum”. 

Travelers passing through Asheville can now enjoy freshly prepared, craveable, better-for-you smoothies, bowls, wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads, and quesadillas. Tropical Smoothie Cafe offers a variety of options perfect for travelers throughout the day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks.   

Paradies hosted a VIP party on June 20, ahead of the official opening on July 1.

About Tropical Smoothie Cafe®          

Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a national fast-casual restaurant brand built on a mission to Inspire Better®, a commitment that starts with our better-for-you food and smoothies and extends to inspiring better in the communities we serve. Born on a beach in 1997, today Tropical Smoothie Cafe has more than 1,500 locations in 44 states. For the fifth year in a row, the brand was ranked #1 in the Smoothie/Juice Category by Entrepreneur Franchisee 500. For 12 consecutive years, the brand has received the Franchise Times Fast and Serious award, and in 2024 the brand’s FUND Score was 905, one of the top scores for franchise concepts analyzed by FRANdata.    

SOURCE Tropical Smoothie Cafe   

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