Tucson Newspaper Profiles Planet Smoothie Owner Michelle Williams

Planet Smoothie owner scoured the nation for the perfect healthy franchise before choosing smoothie franchise

Planet Smoothie attracts many passionate customers, and we also attract passionate franchisees. That’s because we focus on both great taste and excellent nutrition when designing smoothies. In addition to being the best-tasting smoothies on the planet, our smoothies will have 9% fewer calories and 37% less sugar on average than similar smoothies from another franchise.

That’s because we eschew sugar as a sweetener. Instead, we have developed a proprietary blend called LeanLeaf, which is an all-natural sweetener made from a blend of agave nectar and stevia.

Michelle Williams is a great example of a passionate Planet Smoothie owner, eager to bring healthy options to her community. She owns a store in Tucson, Arizona, and was featured by her hometown newspaper.

From the article:

Behind a small self-serve frozen yogurt bar and bright countertops piled high with all things organic, Michelle Williams, one of the founders behind Oro Valley’s Planet Smoothie, stands ready to offer a smoothie and a smile to all who walk through the door. A native Tucsonan and health aficionado, Michelle and her husband, Alonzo, chose to bring the Planet Smoothie franchise to Oro Valley after using exercise and healthy eating to transform their lives.

While overcoming her struggle with being overweight, Michelle became a self-proclaimed “smoothie junkie,” but was disappointed to find that a vast majority of the smoothie places she knew were packing their products with sugar and a host of ambiguously labeled additives — claiming to be healthy, but skimming over the facts. Michelle then took it upon herself to adopt the role of Sherlock in her quest for the perfect smoothie, scouting all corners of the country and grilling employees on the origins of any given ingredient. Only Planet Smoothie did not dissatisfy. With a menu touting options for the gluten-sensitive and even the occasional vegan customer, Michelle and Alonzo were perhaps most impressed with the brand’s LeanLeaf sweetener, a blend of naturally sweet stevia and agave.

Offering over 20 smoothies under 300 calories, as well as seven expertly engineered “Blasts,” with supplements tailored to fit the needs of the many lifestyles occupied by their fan base, Planet Smoothie reassures that no one will be left behind in their pursuit of health.

In keeping with the fact that Michelle learned much of this by pop-quizzing unsuspecting smoothie-baristas, the couple have made an effort to hire staff based on their own passion for healthy living, so that the example set forth and the information provided to customers might come from a genuine place of interest, rather than from a script learned by heart.

“Right now we have a ballerina and a soccer player working with us,” Michelle said. “And, we are currently promising 10 percent off to any customer who can prove membership at a gym. Our goal is to reward a healthy lifestyle and educate those who aren’t doing so.”

A healthy franchise that does healthy business

Planet Smoothie’s commitment to health dovetails perfectly with a shift toward healthier eating by Americans, who are embracing opportunities to enjoy fast, delicious foods that are also nutritious. Our franchisees enjoyed an average same-store sales growth of 6% in 2012, 4% in 2013 and 6% in the first half of 2014 — significantly faster than the restaurant industry. To learn how you can become a Planet Smoothie franchisee, download our free franchise report to start a conversation, or visit our research pages, where you can learn about startup costs and more things that make Planet Smoothie special.