Charles L. Watson, Vice President of Franchise Development

The phrase that best describes Charles Watson is "Renaissance Man." He joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe in January of 2010 as Vice President of Franchise Development. Watson has spent his entire career working in franchise related companies including time with U.S. Franchise Systems, Wyndham Hotel Group, Intercontinental Hotels Group and Hospitality Real Estate Counselors (HREC). His mindset is focused on the success of franchisees.

Watson grew up in the restaurant business and provides invaluable insight. By age 14, he was well-schooled in the back of house functions of a restaurant and spent ages 15-21 concentrating on front of house duties. While at Cornell University, where he played football, he managed a bar full-time. Watson also received his MBA from the University of Georgia in May of 2005, concentrating in Real Estate and Strategy.

He enjoys reading, fishing, golf, camping, live music and college football.

Scott Cole, Director of Franchise Development

Scott Cole has been Director of Franchise Development for Tropical Smoothie Cafe since April 2003. His invaluable insights and experience gained while working for companies such as Sandestin Resorts, Trustmark Bank and Edwin Watts golf have served him well during his tenure with Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

He enjoys playing golf and any type of water activity. An avid biker, he may also pull up to your restaurant and offer to take you for a spin on his Harley.

The Rest of the Crew

Operations: These are the people that really do the core work of ensuring that the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Experience is provided. They'll aid you with the day-to-day operations of your cafe franchise and make sure that everything is up to par.

Marketing: People love to talk about what a great time they had at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. While word of mouth is a great medium, we work diligently to get our message to the masses and increase brand awareness. With today's complicated media landscape, it's essential to have the perfect mix of all mediums to ensure that our customers always have Tropical Smoothie Cafe on their mind.

IT and Finance: It's harder to think of two things farther away from any vision of paradise one might have than the words IT and Finance. It's also impossible for us to create the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Experience without them. They're here to get the ball rolling, get your cafe franchise up and running and have you providing a little bit of paradise to your customers before you know it.