“I needed a job, and Smoothie King seemed like a cool job to have,” Thomas said.
Thomas is a native of New Orleans, where Smoothie King originated and still maintains a significant presence. The home court for the New Orleans Pelicans, formerly the New Orleans Arena, was renamed The Smoothie King Center after the company purchased the naming rights there. When Thomas left the city to come to Alabama, where he was on the club rowing team and studied finance, Smoothie King was there waiting for him in Tuscaloosa.
After graduation, Thomas coached at Stetson University, where he earned his masters before going into business with his father, who owned multiple McDonald’s franchises.
This influence caused Thomas and his wife to decide to buy into franchising together.
“We felt like we wanted to do something more healthy,” Thomas said. “We settled in Florida and took the opportunity to go visit with franchises there. We really liked what we saw and learned.”
They bought an existing store. Four weeks ago, the couple expanded to a second location.
“On a typical day, I take the kids out,” Thomas said. “I check in on the stores on my phone. Everything is so advanced now. I usually spend four to six hours a day at one location.”
Thomas said his managers run much of the daily business at the stores for him, and that this was a part of why he chose to become a franchisee like his father.
“Running your own business is really good for your family,” Thomas said. “My father was available to go to baseball games and band concerts. He didn’t always have to be there at the stores. A doctor has to be there to make money and service patients. When you run a restaurant, you don’t always have to be there.”
Thomas remembered when, as a child, his family took a beach vacation together.
“My dad checked something on his phone and turned to me and said, ‘I’m making money right now and we’re at the beach,’ and that stuck with me the rest of my life,” Thomas said. “I was like, ‘I want to do that’.”
Thomas also said Smoothie King is about to launch a new Apple-based point-of-sale system.
“It’s going to be the biggest Apple-based POS nationwide,” Thomas said.
Thomas said he would suggest franchising to anyone who was ready and had experience in the industry.
“Learn as much as you can about a business first,” he said. “I don’t think I would buy into something new. Learn on someone else’s dime first.”
Steve Shields, Smoothie King Franchise Development Manager, signed Thomas up as a franchisee several years ago.
“He comes from a family familiar with franchising,” Shields said. “He’s smart, has great character and a great personal compass.”
Shields said Thomas has a passion for the Smoothie King goal of becoming a part of customers’ healthy lifestyles.
“Chris and Kate represent our brand very well,” Shields said. “We want them to grow. We want to grow with them. I think he’s done a nice job positioning himself.”
