Atlanta Planet Smoothie Franchise Owner TuRhonda Bloomer Launches Second Location
A great start in a busy downtown area four years ago gives this Planet Smoothie franchise owner the confidence to tackle a new location
TuRhonda Bloomer’s story is like that of many other Planet Smoothie franchise owners: She fell in love with the products, and the rest followed. And now, four years after taking over a franchise in Atlanta’s busy downtown business district, she’s ready to double down on her business.
“It’s a vote of confidence in Planet Smoothie, and in myself, to open a second location,” TuRhonda says. “But my first location has done well, and I have learned a lot, so I believe this is a good time to take that step.”
Business model dovetailed with entrepreneurial goals
TuRhonda first became familiar with Planet Smoothie by visiting the franchise she now owns. She had been working at the nearby Marriott hotel, the latest stop in a successful career in the hospitality industry, and it connected to a food court that served three major hotels. Among its offerings was a Planet Smoothie franchise, and after one visit she was hooked.
“I had been considering my own business for some time and had looked at some franchise concepts, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” she says. “Meanwhile, I kept going to Planet Smoothie and heard through the hotel grapevine that it was for sale. I began to research the concept more thoroughly, and knew pretty quickly that owning this Planet Smoothie franchise was what I needed to be doing.”
She admits to a learning curve after working a regular, 9-to-5 job for most of her career, but adds that operating a Planet Smoothie franchise was “smoother” than she had anticipated.
“It’s an easy business,” she notes. “I knew how to manage people, and learning the back-office systems for inventory and other processes was easy with the training I received. Once I learned the recipes and products, it really was pretty easy.”
Area developers help scout locations and more
When she began considering a second location, she found the same support as when she was first getting started, which made the decision easier.
“The corporate team is always there when you need them, and I have wonderful area developers here to work with as well,” TuRhonda says. “They have been terrific partners all along, especially when it comes to marketing, and they stepped right up when I indicated that a new location was on my mind and helped me scout locations.”
She will be setting up in a building now under construction between Midtown and Buckhead, two thriving parts of Atlanta, and hopes to be open in spring 2017.
“I’m pleased at how the business has grown since I took over my current location, and I am confident in the new site as well,” TuRhonda says. “It was a leap of faith to begin my own business, but owning a Planet Smoothie franchise – and soon to have two of them — has been a very good decision for me.”
Planet Smoothie is a smoothie franchise that sets itself apart by offering great-tasting smoothies that use healthier, natural ingredients. In a side-by-side comparison, our smoothies generally have less sugar and fewer calories — a big competitive advantage as Americans actively seek out healthier options. Planet Smoothie is led by a veteran franchise team and dedicated brand support team as part of the Kahala Brands family.
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