Smoothie King Franchises Inc. has named industry veteran Rebecca Miller its chief marketing officer, the company said Wednesday.
The Dallas-based smoothie brand said Miller succeeds Jennifer Herskind, who left as CMO in February, and she will support the company’s marketing strategy as well as its “Clean Blends” initiative. Miller joined Smoothie King on Feb. 25.
Miller most recently served as senior vice president of marketing for Dallas-based On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina. Previously, she spent nine years in various brand marketing and product innovation roles with Plano, Texas-based Pizza Hut Inc., a division of Yum! Brands Inc.
“Rebecca has a great deal of talent and experience engaging and working with franchisees, which make up most of our system," said Wan Kim, Smoothie King CEO, in a statement. "Her leadership style will position us for marketing success as we continue in our rapid growth phase and the ongoing focus on clean eating."
Smoothie King passed the 1,000-store milestone in 2018. The company has announced plans to continue expanding its “Clean Blends” initiative, which aims to make smoothies with more whole fruits and veggies, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and no added sugar.
"I look forward to helping Smoothie King further its mission to inspire guests to lead healthy, active lifestyles, while supporting growth and franchisee success," Miller said. "Wan and the team have such a clear vision for this brand, and I am eager to help realize it at both the corporate and local levels."
Smoothie King was founded in 1973 in Kenner, La.
For the 2018 fiscal year ended Dec. 31, Smoothie King reported $415.7 million in U.S. systemwide sales, up 10.4% from the preceding year. The company reported U.S. year-end systemwide unit count of 901, with 29 of those company-operated, for growth of 10.6% over the number reported in last year's Top 200 census.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]
Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless