Franchisee Shares Plans For Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Health-focused cafe is a good fit for Ogden Ave. neighborhood, says Yash Patel.
624 E. Ogden Ave. Photo taken July 31st, 2013 by Michael Horne.
A new Tropical Smoothie Cafe — the second for Milwaukee — is proposed to open at 626 E. Ogden Ave.
The business, according to franchisee Yash Patel, aims to satisfy an increasing demand for fresh, healthy options in the area, located near the meeting of the Lower East Side, Yankee Hill and East Town neighborhoods.
“After COVID-19, we saw a lot of people make that shift toward healthier food,” he said. “I think Downtown Milwaukee — especially that area next to a college and residential apartment buildings — is going to be a good fit.”
An experienced franchisee, Patel also operates Subway restaurants and liquor and convenience stores throughout Milwaukee, Racine and Burlington. He became involved with Tropical Smoothie through a development agreement several years ago, but faced challenges stemming from a “tough real estate market.”
Patel signed a lease for the Ogden Avenue storefront, formerly a 1,622-square-foot office space for Coldwell Banker Realty, earlier this year. With Kolbrook Design and RESA Construction, a series of permit requests for the build-out were submitted in March.
The project is estimated at $150,000, according to construction documents.
If all goes well, Tropical Smoothie Cafe could open as soon as September, coinciding with the start of the fall semester for nearby Milwaukee School of Engineering students.
The health-focused cafe offers more than a dozen smoothie flavors with optional add-ins like protein powder, collagen and Vitamin B12. Smoothie bowls with toppings like goji berries and Nutella, Greek yogurt bowls, sweet and savory breakfast wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads, salads and quesadillas are also on the menu.
Founders Eric Jenrich, Delora Jenrich and David Walker launched the first Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Florida in 1997. The chain, now owned by Blackstone, has grown to include more than 1,400 locations nationwide.
The upcoming Tropical Smoothie Cafe will join an existing Milwaukee location at 3657 S. 27th St. Another is progressing at 2575 N. Downer Ave.
Several additional smoothie-centric businesses are under development or recently opened in Milwaukee. Baya Bar opened in April at 2220 N. Prospect Ave., followed by Oakberry Acai, which opened in May at 2142 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., in Bay View.
Patel said he’s seeking to expand with additional locations as opportunities arise.
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