Planet Smoothie
{{Short description|American smoothie chain}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Planet Smoothie
| logo = Planet Smoothie logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| type = Private
| foundation = {{start date and age|1995}}
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
| hq_location_city = Scottsdale, Arizona
| location_country = U.S
| area_served = United States
| industry = Food and beverage
| genre =
| founders =
| parent = Kahala Brands
| num_locations = 125
| key_people =
| revenue =
| homepage = {{URL|planetsmoothie.com}}
| products = Smoothies
}}
Planet Smoothie is the third largest American chain of smoothie stores{{cite web |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Raving-Brands-Inc-Company-History.html |title=Raving Brands, Inc. Company History |website=FundingUniverse |access-date=2020-01-02}} serving smoothies. The company was founded in 1995{{cite news
| title = Franchise Directory
| publisher = All Business
| url = http://www.allbusiness.com/franchises/planet-smoothie/11650714-1.html
}} by Martin Sprock in Atlanta, Georgia, and currently operates more than 100 locations. In November, 2011, Planet Smoothie was acquired by Tasti D-Lite LLC who also operates Tasti D-Lite stores.{{cite news| title =Tasti D-Lite acquires Planet Smoothie| publisher =Networld Media Group| url =http://www.qsrweb.com/article/187633| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://archive.today/20130630044806/http://www.qsrweb.com/article/187633| archive-date =2013-06-30}}
In June 2015, Quick-Service Restaurant Franchisor Kahala Brands purchased both Planet Smoothie and Tasti D-Lite in a deal that brings their 128 locations into the portfolio of about a dozen fast food, treat and sandwich chains such as Blimpie and Cold Stone Creamery owned by the Serruya family of Canada. Together, the Tasti D-Lite and Planet Smoothie locations will now be run from the Kahala Brands corporate headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.{{cite news | title= Kahala Brands Announces Purchase Of Planet Smoothie & Tasti D-Lite | url= https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kahala-brands-announces-purchase-planet-231000265.html | date= 2015-06-02 | access-date= 2015-06-02 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160204070024/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kahala-brands-announces-purchase-planet-231000265.html | archive-date= 2016-02-04 }}
In August 2022, Planet Smoothie expanded operations to Australia with 4 locations opening across Victoria within the first 12 months.
Advertising
In 2007, Planet Smoothie decided to send one person on a trip from Orlando to San Diego to assume the role of Cup Man, the chain's longstanding brand character.{{cite news
| title = Planet Smoothie to hit the road for the good of the globe
| publisher = Nation's Restaurant News
| date = Jan 15, 2007
| url = https://www.nrn.com/corporate/planet-smoothie-hit-road-good-globe-0
| access-date =2020-01-02}}
The 22-market "Good for You, Good for the Planet" tour took Cupman coast-to-coast in a biodiesel converted ice cream truck designed to raise awareness of green issues in markets across the country.{{cite news
| title = Planet Smoothie Issues a Call for Green Inventors With Its "New Year! New Look! New You!" Campaign
| publisher = Earth Times
| url = http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/planet-smoothie-issues-a-call-for-green-inventors-with-its,269567.shtml
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120819180242/http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/planet-smoothie-issues-a-call-for-green-inventors-with-its,269567.shtml
| archive-date = 2012-08-19
| url-status = dead
}}
Candidates were required to submit a video of why they felt they would make the best Cup Man for the 30-day green trek.{{cn|date=December 2021}} Joel Moss Levinson, of Dayton, Ohio was named the winner. For Joel's winning entry, he wrote a song with lines such as “I wanna be your Cupman” and “I’m environmentally responsible, I recycle, reduce and reuse, that’s why I want to drive your car that runs on biodiesel fuel.{{cite news
| title = Internet Crush: Joel Moss Levinson
| work = New York Daily News
| url = http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/10/internet_crush_joel_moss_levin.html
}}” Joel garnered enough online votes to be chosen as the company's walking, talking, touring CupMan.{{cite news
| last = Dempsey
| first = Laura
| title = He's a real smoothie in a cup suit Dayton native Joel Moss mixes showbiz, environmentalism as drink company's roving mascot.
| publisher = Dayton Daily News
| date = April 1, 2008
}}
Joel has since won 11 contests — earning more than $200,000 in money and prizes. He has been featured in The New York Times,{{cite news
| last =Clifford
| first =Stephanie
| title = Finding a Gold Mine in Digital Ditties
| work =The New York Times
| date =October 28, 2008
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/business/media/28video.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
| access-date =May 22, 2010}} The Jay Leno Show{{cite news
| title = The Jay Leno Show
| url = http://www.tv.com/the-tonight-show-with-jay-leno/steve-carell-joel-levinson-gym-class-heroes/episode/1240191/summary.html
}} and an Access Hollywood Rising Star.{{cite news
| title = Rising Star Rising Star: Joel Moss Levinson
| date = December 1, 2008
| url-status=dead
| url = http://www.accesshollywood.com/rising-star/rising-star-joel-moss-levinson_article_12411
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714011515/http://www.accesshollywood.com/rising-star/rising-star-joel-moss-levinson_article_12411
| archive-date=2009-07-14
| access-date =2020-01-02}}
Environmental stewardship
In 2008, Planet Smoothie, who served its smoothies in cups made of recycled polystyrene and offered the reusable "MacDaddy" insulated travel mug, sponsored a contest to encourage inventors to develop an eco-friendly solution to polystyrene, currently the only cup material in the marketplace that maintains a smoothie's frozen integrity.{{cite news
| title = Planet Smoothie Issues a Call for Green Inventors With Its "New Year! New Look! New You!" Campaign
| publisher = Reuters
| date =February 4, 2008
| url-status=dead
| url = https://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS151680+04-Feb-2008+MW20080204
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090501193300/https://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS151680+04-Feb-2008+MW20080204
| archive-date=2009-05-01
| access-date =2020-01-02}}
Merger
Following the acquisition of the Planet Smoothie brand by Tasti D-Lite, several stores began to convert to a dual brand product mix, offering both smoothies and soft serve.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.planetsmoothie.com/}}
- [http://www.tastidlite.com/ Tasti D-Lite official company website]
{{MTY Food Group}}
{{Fast-food chains of the United States}}
Category:1995 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:2015 mergers and acquisitions
Category:Companies based in Atlanta
Category:Companies based in Scottsdale, Arizona
Category:Fast-food chains of the United States