Tropical Smoothie Cafe, the leading national fast-casual concept known for its better-for-you food and smoothies with a tropical twist hosted their annual franchise convention this month and the Fish team was invited to join. Our Senior Account Manager, Courtney attended the event to learn alongside the corporate team, franchisees and crew members about the exciting new development and innovative plans the brand has in store for 2019 and beyond!
The convention was hosted in sunny Florida, in the heart of one of America’s most sought after tourist destinations, Orlando. Veteran Chief Development Officer and newly appointed CEO, Charles Watson kicked off the conference by sharing his inspirational path to success and personal connection to the restaurant industry, background on his long career in hospitality, followed by announcing the brands plan for the future that combines an exceptional guest experience combined with innovative technology to dominate the fast casual category.
Over the course of the next two days, attendees were invited to attend inspirational general sessions led by Navy Commander Mike Abrashoff who was able to inspire the audience to rethink common beliefs about leadership and organizational structure to create a thriving and successful work cultures. Restaurant industry and human resources veteran Carrie Luxem also spoke to the team about the importance of restaurateurs taking care of their greatest assets — their people.
Informative breakout sessions were scheduled throughout the day, focusing on subjects such as new technology platforms and systems that will be integrated into cafes throughout the year in an effort to further implement efficiency and customer satisfaction across the board. Panel conversations with corporate executive leaders and fellow franchisees, sought to challenge conventional methods and inspire franchise owners and crew members to think outside of the box and implement new and innovative techniques to take their businesses to the next level.
During the lunch sessions, attendees were invited to join the tasting center in which Chef Lake Dawson and his team served up mouth-watering food and smoothies from the brands test kitchen that will potentially be making their way to a Tropical Smoothie Cafe menu near you in 2019!
When the sun went down, the party livened up as guests were invited to visit the Universal Islands of Adventure park… but this wasn’t just any old park visit. Tropical Smoothie Cafe took it a step further by shutting. the. park. down. Literally. From 9pm – 11:30pm convention attendees were treated to live music, food, drinks, character interaction centers, and oh yea, an all access pass to Marvel rides such as The Hulk, Dr. Doom and Spider Man. If you’ve ever been to a theme park, then you know how freeing it is to ride a rollercoaster with no lines as many times as you want.
We may be a little bias but as far as work events go, Tropical Smoothie Cafe sure knows how to host a convention!
