A Smoothie King mega-franchisee has plans to open a new downriver outpost of the multinational juice-bar chain.
Brighton entrepreneur Christopher Klebba recently signed a lease for about 2,000 square-feet of retail space at 26842 Telegraph Road in Flat Rock.
The storefront will be a corner suite at the Tel-Rock Plaza, a shopping center whose retail lineup already includes CVS, H&R Block and Greek restaurant Leo’s Coney Island.
“Our family has roots in the downriver area and over 10 years of business experience in the area,” Klebba told What Now Detroit in a statement. “The Michigan market has welcomed Smoothie King with open arms and we look forward to opening later this year, with plans to open 50+ locations in the future.”
Lease records indicate the new tenants inked the agreement in May and terms of the lease began this month. It was not clear how long the lease agreement lasts.
Klebba confirmed that he intends to transform the vacant storefront into one of his new Smoothie King franchises, one of dozens he’s on a quest to launch in the next few years.
In 2018, Klebba signed an agreement to open 50 new Smoothie Kings in both Michigan and Ohio. Through his private equity firm Northern Diamond Management, he and his team have already debuted 18 stores in the two markets — a dozen of them in Michigan. They’re working to open another location later this year at 12720 S. Saginaw Road in Grand Blanc.
Smoothie King is a Texas-based chain originally founded just outside of New Orleans in 1973 that has grown its empire to more than 1,300 stores worldwide. The franchise sells an assortment of healthy meal replacements made with a perfect blend of whole fruits, organic vegetables and nutritional enhancers like protein powder, energy boosters, multivitamins, metabolizers and other supplements.
Klebba referenced Smoothie King’s belief that “each day is filled with promise and possibility” and its mission to help customers “be your best self, live your best life, and rule the day” with their curated blends.
“With a brand that makes statements like this, you can understand why we focus on bringing this message to our home state,” Klebba said.
