--- title: "Smoothie King Expands Northern Footprint with 85% Growth Across Northeast and Midwest Markets Over the Last Five Years" url: https://burnaze.com/article/ae05a3d3-9628-4c81-bea8-bad638e92af5 source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20260624_smoothie_king_expands_northern_footprint_with_85_growth_across_northeast_an.html category: "Beverage & juice" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Beverage & juice" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2026-06-24T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T14:57:51.288Z image: https://imgs.franchising.com/brands/social/smoothieking.jpg --- # Smoothie King Expands Northern Footprint with 85% Growth Across Northeast and Midwest Markets Over the Last Five Years **TL;DR:** Smoothie King has expanded its northern footprint with 85% growth across Northeast and Midwest markets over the last five years, and is opening its first location in Penfield, New York as part of a 3-unit deal. The brand has grown from 15 locations in New York in 2020 to 32 locations today, with 87 trade areas still available for development. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2026-06-24. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20260624_smoothie_king_expands_northern_footprint_with_85_growth_across_northeast_an.html).* ## Story As part of the brand's continued northern expansion, Smoothie King is opening its first-ever location in Penfield, New York located at 2150 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road, Ste B (between Panera Bread and Burger King), as part of a 3-unit deal for the area. This new Smoothie King is owned and operated by Mohammed Waqas Akram. Born and raised in New York, Mohammed Waqas Akram is an entrepreneur with a background in retail business ownership and commercial real estate. A husband and father of quadruplets, Akram's personal connection to health and nutrition played a key role in his decision to join the Smoothie King system. After discovering the brand and connecting with its mission of inspiring healthy and active lifestyles, he was drawn to its focus on purpose-driven products and wellness. Akram is now expanding Smoothie King across Western New York, with plans to open three total locations in the region. The Penfield store's official Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will take place on Saturday, July 18. A live DJ will kick off the festivities at 11:00 AM, and the first 500 guests in line will receive a free 20 oz. smoothie. The event will also feature an array of exclusive, free merchandise giveaways throughout the day. The excitement continues the following weekend as the Penfield location joins the nation in honoring the United States Semiquincentennial. On Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26, Smoothie King Penfield will celebrate America's 250th birthday by giving away a free 20 oz. smoothie to the first 250 guests each day. "We want our entry into Penfield to be an unforgettable celebration for our neighbors," said local franchise owner Mohammed Waqas Akram. "We're launching with a fantastic grand opening party on July 18 and keeping the energy going the following weekend to honor America's landmark 250th birthday. This is just the first step for us—we are already actively looking at sites in Henrietta and Greece to make healthy, goal-oriented options accessible to the entire Rochester community." In the last five years, New York has emerged as a key growth market, with store count increasing from 15 locations in 2020 to 32 locations today. With 87 trade areas available in New York, the brand is actively seeking passionate entrepreneurs to further develop the market and join the Smoothie King family. While smoothies are often associated with warmer weather, guests are increasingly seeking functional nutrition regardless of season, which presents a significant growth opportunity for the Northeast market as consumers prioritize convenient, better-for-you food options. Beyond its extensive lineup of protein-packed smoothies, bowls and food offerings, the brand offers functional enhancers designed to support immunity, energy and wellness goals year-round. This combination of convenience, customization and purpose-driven nutrition continues to resonate with health-conscious guests across both established and emerging markets. "As Smoothie King continues to grow beyond its traditional strongholds in the South, we're seeing tremendous interest from both guests and entrepreneurs across northern markets," said Chris Bremer, Chief Development Officer at Smoothie King. "Consumers everywhere are looking for convenient options that support their health and wellness goals, and our continued expansion allows us to bring our vision to new communities throughout New York and beyond." Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., the original U.S. smoothie franchise, is a privately held, Dallas-based company with more than 1,200 units nationwide. It was founded in 1973 with the mission to inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Today, with over 50 years focused on making nutrition delicious and guided by a vision to make the world a better place by nourishing healthy habits, Smoothie King continues to design each smoothie from the ground up, working with their nutritional experts to balance nutrients and flavor. In April 2023, Smoothie King expanded beyond smoothies with the launch of Smoothie Bowls. In 2025, the brand introduced its Power Eats Menu, its first nationwide rollout of food items, which earned Nation's Restaurant News' MenuMasters Healthful Innovation award in 2026. Repeatedly recognized as a top franchise opportunity, Smoothie King was recently ranked #17 in Entrepreneur Magazine's highly competitive "Franchise 500" ranking for 2026, as well as #11 in Entrepreneur's 2025 Top Brands for Multi-Unit Owners and #11 in its 2025 Top Franchises for Veterans feature. Smoothie King was also included in the 2025 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, Technomic's Top 500 Chains and Franchise Times 2025 Top 400. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - QSR (sector) - franchise development (topic) - brand expansion (topic) - new york (location) - Smoothie King (company) - unit growth (topic) - healthy food options (topic) - Chris Bremer (person) - Mohammed Waqas Akram (person) - northern expansion (topic) - Penfield, New York (location) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20260624_smoothie_king_expands_northern_footprint_with_85_growth_across_northeast_an.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/ae05a3d3-9628-4c81-bea8-bad638e92af5).