---
title: "The Advocate: Smoothie King Owner Named Franchisee of the Year"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/7750e3c5-3d52-44f2-b4e2-d885530fe08f
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/the-advocate-smoothie-king-owner-named-franchisee-of-the-year-6678
category: "Fitness"
industry: "Fitness"
published: 2016-10-18T22:17:19.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T12:24:28.477Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/26a10dfd6601e2fed79c5cba91e504d3790.jpg
---

# The Advocate: Smoothie King Owner Named Franchisee of the Year

**TL;DR:** Roger Wilder, a Smoothie King franchisee, has been named Franchisee of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the brand. Wilder has been with the brand since working alongside the original owners and became a franchisee at 23 years old.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2016-10-18. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/the-advocate-smoothie-king-owner-named-franchisee-of-the-year-6678).*

## Story

"I'm humbled. When I got the call saying I had won, I thought it was because of work we had been doing in Livingston Parish following the devastating floods," Wilder said. "But the decision was made before Aug. 12."

Roger Wilder has come quite a long way since he worked alongside Smoothie King’s original owners, Steve and Cindy Kuhnau, as a staff member in their stores. At just 23 years old, he became a franchisee of the brand and opened his first location in Denham in 2001. The store has since been deemed a total loss due to the flood earlier this summer.

"When the storm hit, I got in touch with the COO and top guy at Smoothie King, and they asked immediately what Smoothie King could do to help," explained Wilder. "I told them I wanted some vans and smoothies. Forget the business side of it, this community got derailed. I know what our brand can do, so me, Trey Ponsock and Daniel Heltz began blending smoothies out of our other stores."

Wilder's his team visited about 13 shelters, 14 neighborhoods and stopped by 11 schools to hand out smoothies.

“With passion and hard work, you will find success, but it’s vital for you to love and believe in the product you’re selling. I found that with Smoothie King, and it’s become the inspiration in everything I do,” Wilder says. "God deserves the glory I get. I truly feel that."

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- franchise expansion (topic)
- Fitness (sector)
- Smoothie King (company)
- franchisee of the year (topic)
- brand contribution (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/the-advocate-smoothie-king-owner-named-franchisee-of-the-year-6678). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/7750e3c5-3d52-44f2-b4e2-d885530fe08f).