OFFICIAL FILING · WI · 2026
Tropical Smoothie Cafe FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) — 2026
The FDD is the 23-item legal disclosure every U.S. franchisor must hand you at least 14 days before you sign or pay anything (FTC Franchise Rule, 16 CFR 436). Tropical Smoothie Cafe's most recent FDD tracked here was filed in 2026 with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal) — and because registration-state filings are public records, you can read it free, without giving a broker your phone number.
THE SAME DOCUMENT SITES SELL OR GATE BEHIND LEAD FORMS. FILED 2026 · SOURCE STATE WI
| ITEM 5 | Initial franchise fee | $35K |
| ITEM 6 | Ongoing royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| ITEM 7 | Total initial investment | $276K–$771K |
| ITEM 3 | Disclosed litigation matters | 2 |
| ITEM 19 | Earnings disclosure (FPR) | Yes — median unit volume $931K ("The following tables provide historical sales information for Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchised restaurants ("Restaurants") that were open at least one full year as of: (a) the calendar year 2025 for 1,431 Restaurants; (b) the calendar year 2024 for 1,268 Restaurants; and (c) the calendar year 2023 for 1,151 Restaurants. The tables do not include any financial performance information for any other types of franchises, such as non-traditional locations (i.e. college campus or other captive locations) or seasonal locations, and do not include any franchises of any type that had not been open for at least one year on December 28, 2025, December 29, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively." Reconciliation for FY2025: "As of December 28, 2025, there were 1,650 franchised Restaurants and 1 company-owned Restaurant. Of the 1,650 franchised Restaurants, 1,485 were franchised Restaurants that had been open for at least 12 months as of December 28, 2025. Of the 1,485 Restaurants, 33 restaurants were excluded since they were non-traditional locations. Of the 1,452 Restaurants, 21 were excluded since they were not open for at least 357 days in 2025 (51 out of 52 weeks in 2025 fiscal year). Of the 1,431 Restaurants referenced in the above table, all reported sufficient financial performance information to be included in this financial performance representation." Figures reported are "Net Revenue" (revenue only; no cost/profit data). Top-quartile figure is the "Top 25%" column: 358 Restaurants, Avg. Net Revenues $1,457,288 (median $1,369,487). Mean/median reported here are the FY2025 "Total" column (n=1,431). Franchisor states: "Neither we nor an independent certified public accountant has independently audited or verified the information.") |
| ITEM 20 | Outlets (fiscal 2025) | 1,650 franchised at year end · 34 exits (2.2% annualized) |
Citation discipline: every figure above is extracted from the 2026 Tropical Smoothie Cafe FDD as filed and links back to that document. Fields the filing did not state are omitted — nothing here is estimated, surveyed, or filled in from marketing material. FDDs are reissued annually; verify against the current issuance before relying on any number.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe FDD questions, answered
Where can I download the Tropical Smoothie Cafe FDD for free?
Tropical Smoothie Cafe's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is a public record, filed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal). It can be downloaded free from the source link on this page — no broker form, no email signup required.
What year is Tropical Smoothie Cafe's most recent FDD on file?
The most recent Tropical Smoothie Cafe FDD tracked here was filed in 2026 with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal). Franchisors must update their FDD annually, so confirm you are reading the current issuance before signing.
Does Tropical Smoothie Cafe's FDD disclose earnings (Item 19)?
Yes — Tropical Smoothie Cafe makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its 2026 FDD, reporting a median unit volume of $931K. Read the basis fine print: franchisors choose which units and metrics to include.
What does Tropical Smoothie Cafe's FDD Item 20 show?
In fiscal 2025, Tropical Smoothie Cafe ended with 1,650 franchised outlets; 34 of 1,514 open at the start of the year left the system — an annualized exit rate of 2.2% (terminations, non-renewals, and "ceased operations — other reasons").
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Tropical Smoothie Cafe's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
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