The franchise opportunity that began on the beach, then started a wave

Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Max Wetzel brings decades of experience successfully growing global brands and highly franchised restaurant businesses.

Prior to Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Max served as CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., parent company of Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s®, overseeing more than 3,700 restaurants across 40 countries and territories. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Papa John’s International, Inc., one of the largest franchisors of restaurants in the world. Throughout his career, his leadership has centered around creative innovation, collaborative culture, and improved customer experience.

With a proven track record for driving growth and innovation, Max also brings experience from the H. J. Heinz Company, where he held roles such as VP Global Walmart Business, Marketing Director – Emerging Markets and North America Consumer Products, and Brand Management. He began his career as a Consultant at Accenture.

Max earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a focus on Management from Bucknell University, as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.

Michael Lapid joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe in October of 2019 in the role of Chief Information and Digital Officer. Michael brings 20 years of foundational IT skills and core functions of digital knowledge critical to shaping our journey to reach guests via innovative technologies. Previously with Papa John’s International as the Vice President, Global Digital Technology, Michael is a seasoned technology executive with vast engineering and operations expertise, leadership, and a deep understanding of digital technology and guest experiences. At the start of his career, Michael’s ambitious spirit led him to develop a point of sale system, Hot Sauce.

Most recently, Joe served as Chief Operations & Global Development Officer at Papa John’s, where he helped lead growth across a global system of more than 6,000 restaurants in more than 50 countries and territories. Throughout his career, he has led franchise development, operations, growth strategy and cross-functional initiatives across complex franchise organizations. He brings a proven track record of supporting franchisees while driving sustainable expansion.

Von Kutzleben most recently served as vice president of brand strategy, advertising and menu at Arby’s. Prior to that, she spent 22 years at BBDO Worldwide, where she was executive vice president and senior director for the global advertising powerhouse, leading campaign strategy and execution for many large national brands.

Karen Wickliffe brings extensive experience from both in-house and law firm settings, including over seven years with Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Wickliffe will oversee all legal functions and will partner with leadership and business stakeholders on strategic initiatives as the brand continues its rapid expansion.

Kristi Kingery oversees our supply chain and quality assurance programs. She is also responsible for the strategy development to optimize profitability for Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchisees. Kristi brings wide-ranging experience in both domestic and global foodservice supply chains. She has held prior leadership roles at ARCOP (Arby’s Supply Chain Cooperative) and Brinker International (Chili’s and Maggiano’s). Prior to being named the Chief Supply Chain Officer in 2024, Kristi also served as the Vice President and Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

Chris Sasser brings deep financial acumen and strategic leadership to guide the brand’s continued expansion. A key contributor to Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s financial success, Sasser has played an instrumental role in shaping the company’s fiscal strategy and performance.

Jonathan Biggs joins Tropical Smoothie Cafe from Baskin-Robbins, where he served as Brand Head, overseeing operations across the United States. With over a decade of experience in field and global operations, he has a proven track record of driving restaurant profitability through technology and operational innovations that improve the guest experience. A Georgia Tech graduate, his engineering mindset and operational expertise will be key as the brand enters its next phase of growth.