When Brand & Owner Values Align (Video Transcript)
So there’s two values that really mean something to me. The first oe is relationships rule. In any restaurant concept, I think it’s really important that you continue to develop people and have those long term relationships with them as well as having good solid relationships with the franchisor. The second one is all in. When we do anything, we go all in with the experience that we are the ones that really put the brand forward and operate at the highest levels so we put all our resources, all our efforts to being all in with the brand.
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
CHIEF STRATEGY AND ANALYTICS OFFICER
Chris Sasser joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe in April of 2019. In his role as Chief Strategy and Analytics Officer, Chris provides guidance for the brand’s strategic roadmap, helps analyze market trends and monitor performance and aides in the execution of initiatives. Prior to joining Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Chris served in a variety of roles within the franchise industry in corporate strategy, finance, marketing, pricing, and analytics.
DEBORAH VON KUTZLEBEN
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
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.
CHARLES WATSON
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Charles Watson has been with the company for more than 10 years and is passionate about supporting the franchise system’s sustainable growth, the success of its franchisees, and the execution of the brand’s Inspire Better mission.
Prior to being named CEO in 2018, Charles served as the chief development officer for Tropical Smoothie Cafe. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of franchise development, real estate, design and construction and franchise administration and helped grow the system from 265 open units to 725 open units. Charles recently joined his team in celebrating the opening of the 1,000th Tropical Smoothie Cafe location. Tropical Smoothie Cafe has deals in place for hundreds more locations in the pipeline and is on track to meet Charles’ aggressive goal to hit 1,500 locations by the end of 2024.
A veteran franchise professional, Charles has worked for several hospitality-related companies including Intercontinental Hotels Group and US Franchise Systems. Charles also serves on the boards of the International Franchise Association (IFA) and the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program.
Charles is a graduate of The Hotel School at Cornell University and holds a Master of Business Administration from The Terry College of Business at The University of Georgia.
RICHARD KEY
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Richard Key serves as the Chief Operations Officer, responsible for overseeing the operations team and its support and training of the Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise community. Richard has served in a franchise operations capacity for more than 20 years with brands such as TCBY, Carvel, and Moe’s Southwest Grill. Prior to joining Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Richard was the Vice President of Operations, West Division, for Papa Murphy’s International where he was responsible for field operations and marketing.
CHERYL FLETCHER
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Cheryl Fletcher joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe in July of 2017. In her role as Chief Development Officer, Cheryl drives the brand’s franchise development sales, real estate and design and construction. Previously, Cheryl held a 17-year tenure with Popeyes, during which she served as Vice President of Franchise Development, Vice President of Development Strategic Planning, and Director of Investor Relations and Finance.
PAUL MARSDEN
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Paul Marsden oversees development and execution of financial strategies to support the company’s business plans. With extensive experience in the food service industry, Paul comes to Tropical Smoothie Cafe from Popeyes, where he served as the Chief Accounting Officer and spent nearly two decades working in the brand’s financial and accounting departments.
PETE WARD
GENERAL COUNSEL
Pete Ward advises Tropical Smoothie Cafe on all legal and business matters, including franchising, real estate, labor and employment, litigation, intellectual property, licensing, and other commercial matters. Prior to joining Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Pete served as the Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance/Risk Officer at Popeyes for over 10 years and has extensive experience handling corporate transactions, both in-house and in private practice.
MICHAEL LAPID
CHIEF INFORMATION AND DIGITAL OFFICER
Michael Lapid joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe in October of 2019 to 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.
MARK MONTINI
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Mark Montini joined Tropical Smoothie Cafe as Chief Marketing Officer in October 2019. In this role, Mark leads brand, marketing, product, and digital innovations – core functions of delivering the remarkable guest experience that drives Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s success. Prior to Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Mark served as Chief Marketing Officer with Floor Coverings International where he was responsible for driving the brand’s digital transformation and leadership position in service-based franchising. Early in his career, Mark served the franchise industry as a supplier, delivering innovative technology-enabled marketing strategies to help emerging franchise concepts rapidly scale and grow revenue through local-level marketing and sales. Mark serves on the board of the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives.
