Planet Smoothie facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food and beverage |
| Founded | 1995 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Headquarters |
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U.S
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Number of locations
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125 |
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Area served
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United States |
| Products | Smoothies |
| Parent | Kahala Brands |
Planet Smoothie is a popular American company that sells delicious smoothies. It is one of the biggest smoothie chains in the United States. The company started in 1995 in Atlanta, Georgia, thanks to its founder, Martin Sprock. Today, Planet Smoothie has more than 100 stores across the country.
Over the years, Planet Smoothie has joined forces with other companies. In 2011, a company called Tasti D-Lite LLC, which also runs Tasti D-Lite stores, bought Planet Smoothie. Later, in 2015, a larger company called Kahala Brands bought both Planet Smoothie and Tasti D-Lite. Kahala Brands owns many other well-known food chains like Blimpie and Cold Stone Creamery. Now, Planet Smoothie and Tasti D-Lite are managed from Kahala Brands' main office in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 2022, Planet Smoothie even started opening stores in Australia!
Contents
Fun Advertising Campaigns
Planet Smoothie likes to get creative with its advertising! In 2007, they launched a special tour to promote their brand.
Meet Cup Man
Planet Smoothie decided to find someone to play their fun character, Cup Man. This person would travel across the country to spread the word about smoothies and important environmental ideas.
The "Good for You, Good for the Planet" Tour
The chosen Cup Man went on a 30-day journey from Orlando to San Diego. He traveled in a special ice cream truck that ran on biodiesel fuel. This tour visited 22 different cities. Its main goal was to teach people about "green issues," which means being kind to our planet.
To become Cup Man, people had to send in a video explaining why they would be the best choice. Joel Moss Levinson from Dayton, Ohio won the contest! He wrote a catchy song with lines like "I wanna be your Cupman" and "I’m environmentally responsible, I recycle, reduce and reuse, that’s why I want to drive your car that runs on biodiesel fuel." Joel received many votes online and became the touring Cup Man.
Joel has since become quite famous, winning many other contests and even appearing in The New York Times and on TV shows like The Jay Leno Show.
Caring for Our Planet
Planet Smoothie also cares about the environment. In 2008, they held a contest to find new ideas for eco-friendly cups.
Finding Eco-Friendly Solutions
Smoothies need special cups that keep them frozen. At the time, cups made from recycled polystyrene were the best option for keeping smoothies cold. Planet Smoothie wanted to find an even better, more environmentally friendly material. They encouraged inventors to come up with new ideas for cups that would be good for the planet. They also offered a reusable "MacDaddy" insulated travel mug to help reduce waste.
Working Together: Mergers
After Planet Smoothie was bought by Tasti D-Lite, some stores started to offer both smoothies and soft serve ice cream. This meant customers could enjoy two different treats in one place!
