Planet Smoothie Opens in the Land Down Under with Plans to Expand

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Aug 22, 2022, 10:48 ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The international development of Planet Smoothie® is in motion with the opening of its first two locations in suburban Melbourne, Victoria. Kahala Brands™, the franchisor and owner of the Planet Smoothie brand, has collaborated with Smoothie Group Pty. Ltd. to open the brand in Australia.

Owned and operated by Wally and Carrie Ibrahim, Smoothie Group Pty. Ltd. is based in Docklands, Victoria just outside of Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD). The company plans to open an additional location in the fourth quarter of 2022 and by year's end seeks to employ approximately 40 staff across four retail locations around the Melbourne area.

Planet Smoothie fills the need of Australian consumers looking for a broader range of options and a high level of customer service. Planet Smoothie's menu looks to resonate with consumers who care about the quality and variety of ingredients that go into their smoothies.

"Planet Smoothie is a brand to get excited about. With colourful branding, fun and cleverly named smoothies that taste amazing - as we like to say, The Best Tasting Smoothie on the Planet - second to none customer service levels, Planet Smoothie is simply a fun brand that everyone loves. We have developed an old favourite, Orange Sherbet, as a delicious ingredient for our smoothies and introduced peanut butter as an ingredient that has been exciting for our customers!" said Wally Ibrahim, CEO of Smoothie Group Pty. Ltd. "The option for customers to customise their smoothies and add in Blasts is something that really hasn't been explored at a national retailer level in Australia, and I am excited to see how these options resonate with the Australian public. I am so happy to be partnering with Planet Smoothie and bringing healthy fruit options to the Australian public. I wanted to work with an organisation that made me feel like a partner. The team at Kahala made me feel like that from our very first interaction. The opportunity to bring a new player into the Australia Smoothie market was evident and the perfect match was Planet Smoothie."

Longer term, Smoothie Group Pty. Ltd. and Kahala Brands will work together to expand the Planet Smoothie brand with plans to open multiple locations within the next five years.

"Building this brand and supporting its international expansion into Australia has been a pleasure for us at Planet Smoothie," said Eddy Jimenez, senior vice president of international operations and development at Kahala Brands™. "Their passion and commitment to steadily grow this brand over the next five years is very impressive, and we are thrilled to introduce Planet Smoothie and all of our healthy offerings and exceptional customer service to all consumers in the Melbourne market and beyond."

About Planet Smoothie

Planet Smoothie®, intent on redefining the smoothie category, is among the country's top smoothie concepts. The brand appeals to a demographic of loyal, active and occasion-driven customers who want to live a healthier lifestyle. Planet Smoothie offers smoothies made with real fruit and other healthy ingredients, giving customers a quick, portable snack or meal replacement. The brand's menu is organized into lifestyle categories to assist customers in finding the smoothie that helps them to achieve their personal goals, including protein, energy, and Planet Lite™ categories. The Planet Smoothie brand operates approximately 150 locations in over 25 states. In 2015, Planet Smoothie was acquired by Scottsdale, Arizona-based Kahala Brands™, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of nearly 30 fast-casual and quick-service restaurant brands with approximately 3,000 locations in over 30 countries, and with MTY Food Group's purchase of Kahala Brands, Planet Smoothie is now also a part of the MTY Food Group family.

For more information visit www.PlanetSmoothie.com and www.kahalamgmt.com/

About Smoothie Group Pty. Ltd.

Located in the Docklands Precinct next to Melbourne's CBD, Smoothie Group Pty. Ltd. is the parent company of Planet Smoothie Australia. Smoothie Group seeks to bring "The Best Tasting Smoothies on the Planet" to the Australian consumers through both company-owned and sub-franchised locations across the country.

For more information visit www.planetsmoothie.com.au or social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn.

About MTY Food Group^™

Headquartered in Canada, MTY Food Group is among North America's leading franchisors in the restaurant industry. Its activities consist of franchising and operating corporate-owned locations in the QSR and casual dining segments of the restaurant industry, as well as the sale of retail products under a multitude of well-known brands. MTY operates approximately 7,400 locations under more than 70 brands in more than 35 countries. The company also operates a distribution center and a food processing plant, both of which are located in the province of Quebec, Canada. MTY's multi-brand platform allows the company to position itself across a broad range of demographic, economic and geographic sectors. Some of the company's larger brands include Cold Stone Creamery^®, Papa Murphy's^®, Thai Express^™, Baja Fresh^®, TacoTime^®, Manchu Wok^®, Mikes^™, Scores^™, Baton Rouge^™, Mucho Burrito^® and Sushi Shop^™. A full list of all brands and other information on the company and its financial statements can be found on SEDAR's website at www.Sedar.com.