The last year has been a healthy one for smoothie and health food retailer Smoothie King with 51 openings worldwide and 48 new franchise agreements.

Smoothie King is on track to open 33 new Korean and 17 US locations, as well as its first store in Singapore by the year’s end.

Twenty-six of the newly signed franchise agreements will be developed in Korea and 22 in the US.

“Our performance in 2012 is only the beginning of Smoothie King’s aggressive expansion in the US,” said Smoothie King global CEO Wan Kim.

“We intend to add 1000 new franchised and corporate locations domestically over the next five years, with the goal of opening 40 franchise and 20 corporate locations in 2013,” he said.

Even with more than 600 locations in the US, Smoothie King still has extensive franchise opportunities available in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, as well as Texas.

International development includes master franchise and corporate expansion in Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, with 50 new stores planned in Korea and 10 in Singapore in 2013.

“Our growth plans are fuelled by consumers’ increasing desire to live a healthier lifestyle,” said Kim.

“Smoothie King’s current and future better-for-you and on-the-go products will continue to meet consumer demand as we expand across the US and beyond.”

Besides smoothies, the Korean-owned smoothie chain offers healthy retail products including sports beverages, energy bars, healthy snacks, vitamin supplements, herbs, minerals and other sports nutrition products.

GB