Tropical Smoothie Café LLC has promoted Cheryl Fletcher to the new position of chief development officer, the company said Tuesday.
The Atlanta-based fast-casual brand said Fletcher, who joined the company in July 2017, will continue to lead franchise development.
“Cheryl is hands down the best pipeline expert in the franchising business,” said Charles Watson, Tropical Smoothie CEO, in a statement.
“Our franchise development strategy and growth has thrived under her leadership; especially through the challenges of the past year,” Watson said. “She is one of the primary reasons we have 600 new cafes in our opening pipeline and are on track to reach more than 1,000 operating locations in 2021.”
Fletcher joined Tropical Smoothie Café as the vice president of franchise development strategy in 2017 and was promoted to senior vice president of franchise development in 2018.
Prior to Tropical Smoothie, Fletcher worked 17 years with Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, where she led the company's franchise development and strategic planning.
“Cheryl is that rare mentor who leads with both her head and her heart,” Watson said. “She's mastered the art of knowing when to push while still being kind. Passionate about business imperatives, she builds solid relationships based on deep trust and accountability within our Support Center and among our franchisees. She always puts our franchisees first and operates as if their bottom line is her bottom line.”
Los Angeles-based Levine Leichtman Capital Partners bought the brand in 2020.
Tropical Smoothie Café has more than 915 locations nationwide.
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