Shake Smart
Shake Smart is a privately-held health food and beverage company operating 60+ franchised and licensed locations across 20+ U.S. states, primarily on university campuses, military bases, and healthcare facilities, serving protein-rich shakes, acai bowls, and functional nutrition through self-ordering kiosks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Shake Smart does
Shake Smart is a privately-held health food and beverage company founded in 2011 at San Diego State University, operating through a franchise and licensing model in non-traditional locations. The company runs 60+ locations across more than 20 U.S. states, with the bulk concentrated on university campuses (e.g., Penn State, Texas A&M, Arizona State, UT Austin, University of Arizona, Northwestern, SDSU, SMU, KU, EMU), supplemented by sites on military installations (Fort Drum, Fort Carson, Camp Pendleton) and in healthcare facilities (New Orleans Children's Hospital). The product portfolio centers on functional nutrition: protein shakes with 25g+ protein per serving, acai bowls, cold brew coffee, smart toast, oatmeal, chia pudding, Greek yogurt, protein balls, wraps, and sandwiches, with vegan and gluten-free variants available. Pricing is positioned as affordable, with catering offered under $5 per person.
The company's core technology is a self-ordering kiosk system deployed in each location to reduce wait times and enable fast, convenient ordering. Beyond the kiosk layer, Shake Smart relies on proprietary recipes developed over 15 years, emphasizing real fruits and vegetables, premium whey protein, and organic agave nectar sweetness. The technology stack is light: there is no disclosed mobile app, no public API, and no AI/ML capabilities described in the source material.
Shake Smart's revenue model combines direct retail sales at company-owned and operated locations with franchise and licensing fees from operators at university, military, and healthcare sites. The go-to-market motion is heavily channel-partner driven: the brand is embedded within dining contracts operated by Sodexo, Chartwells, Aramark, and Compass Group, supplemented by direct relationships with campus recreation departments and a student advocacy program that lets prospective student consumers petition to bring Shake Smart to their campus. In 2022, the company extended beyond location-based food service by launching a Shake Smart protein line into retail stores nationwide, opening a consumer packaged goods revenue vector.
Shake Smart firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shake Smart
- Legal name
- Shake Smart, Inc.
- Website
- https://shakesmart.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Shake Smart is a privately-held health food and beverage company operating 60+ franchised and licensed locations across 20+ U.S. states, primarily on university campuses, military bases, and healthcare facilities, serving protein-rich shakes, acai bowls, and functional nutrition through self-ordering kiosks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shake Smart industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Healthy Food Service
- NAICS
- Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Smoothie & Protein Shake Bars (THAFAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dairy-Based Protein & Meal Replacement Shakes (RTD Dairy Shakes) (AFAFAEAD), Protein & Sports Dairy Beverages (RTD Protein Shakes, High-Protein Milk) (AFAHAIAD), Plant-Based Protein Shakes & Nutritional RTD (Non-Dairy) (AFAFAEAH)
Keywords
Where Shake Smart is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Shake Smart business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Franchise/License Fees: Licensing model for universities, military bases, and non-traditional locations. Licensees pay franchise or licensing fees to operate Shake Smart branded locations.
- Direct Retail Sales: Company-owned and operated locations selling protein shakes, bowls, and related products directly to consumers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering under $5 per person |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Shake Smart product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shake Smart is a health-focused food and beverage brand that sells protein-packed shakes (25g+ protein), acai bowls, cold brew coffee, oatmeal, smart toast, wraps, sandwiches, and related functional nutrition items. The company operates primarily through a franchise and licensing model in non-traditional locations (university campuses, military bases, and healthcare facilities) and uses self-ordering kiosks to provide fast service with minimal wait times.
Product overview
Shake Smart is a health-focused food and beverage company operating primarily on university campuses and non-traditional locations. The offering consists of a unified menu of functional nutrition products including protein shakes (25g+ protein), acai bowls, cold brew and coffee, smart toast, oatmeal options (classic and overnight), chia seed pudding, greek yogurt, protein balls, signature wraps, and sandwiches. The products share core values of nutritious, delicious, affordable, and convenient offerings featuring real fruits and vegetables, high-quality whey protein, and vegan/gluten-free options. The company uses self-ordering kiosk technology for customer ordering. Shake Smart operates as a licensed model in universities, military bases, and other non-traditional locations, with over 60 locations across 20+ states.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Protein Shakes
Quantifiable outcome
- 60+ campus and non-traditional locations nationwide
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Shake Smart
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Shake Smart technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Shake Smart partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SodexocoreMajor food service management company partnering with Shake Smart for campus dining locations across multiple universities. Shake Smart operates as branded concept within Sodexo-managed facilities.
- ChartwellscoreFood service provider for university dining, operating Shake Smart locations at partner campuses including University of Utah.
- Compass GroupcoreInternational food service company providing dining services at universities with Shake Smart locations.
- NIRSAcoreNational Association of Collegiate Directors of Campus Recreation - shown as proud partner, key association for campus recreation market
- NACASminorNational Association of College Auxiliary Services - membership organization for campus support services
- NACUFSminorNational Association of College & University Food Services - industry association for campus dining
- ACUIminorAssociation of College Unions International - professional organization for campus union and activities professionals
- University of Pennsylvania DiningminorUniversity dining services operating Shake Smart locations on campus
- University of Florida AramarkminorAramark-managed campus dining with Shake Smart locations at University of Florida
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Shake Smart competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Robeks: Premium smoothie and juice franchise; explicitly cited as being displaced by Shake Smart in college rec centers, demonstrating direct head-to-head competition for the campus smoothie customer.
- Smoothie King: Largest US smoothie franchise, directly comparable to Shake Smart in product (protein/functional smoothies, bowls) and franchised foodservice model; competes for health-minded consumer occasions.
- Tropical Smoothie Cafe: National smoothie and food franchise with a strong protein/health positioning that overlaps directly with Shake Smart's menu and target consumer; the most relevant scale competitor in the smoothie/protein shake bar category.
- Jamba (formerly Jamba Juice): National smoothie/juice chain with similar smoothies, bowls, and functional ingredients; comparable foodservice franchise model and overlapping customer base of health-conscious consumers.
- Nekter Juice Bar: Growing franchise concept offering juices, smoothies, and acai bowls with a functional nutrition positioning highly similar to Shake Smart's 25g+ protein and clean-ingredient messaging.
- Clean Juice: Certified organic juice and smoothie franchise emphasizing clean ingredients and functional nutrition; comparable target customer and franchise model to Shake Smart.
- Vitality Bowls: Specialty franchise focused on acai bowls, smoothies, and superfoods; overlapping menu (acai bowls specifically compete with Shake Smart's 'The Buzz Bowl') and health-conscious target demographic.
- Frullati Cafe & Bakery: Smoothie, juice, and sandwich cafe concept offering a similar menu mix (smoothies, wraps, sandwiches) to Shake Smart in mall and non-traditional locations.
Broad incumbents
- Starbucks: Dominant incumbent in beverage and light foodservice with broad menu including smoothies and protein options; competes for the same student traffic and on-campus real estate that Shake Smart targets.
- Sweetgreen: Large, well-capitalized healthy fast-casual chain that competes with Shake Smart for the health-conscious, active-lifestyle consumer and increasingly for campus real estate partnerships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
Shake Smart social profiles
Digital presenceShake Smart financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shake Smart leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Shake Smart funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shake Smart M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shake Smart
What does Shake Smart do?
Shake Smart is a health-focused food and beverage brand that sells protein-packed shakes (25g+ protein), acai bowls, cold brew coffee, oatmeal, smart toast, wraps, sandwiches, and related functional nutrition items. The company operates primarily through a franchise and licensing model in non-traditional locations (university campuses, military bases, and healthcare facilities) and uses self-ordering kiosks to provide fast service with minimal wait times.
Is Shake Smart a public or private company?
Shake Smart is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Shake Smart founded?
Shake Smart was founded in 2011. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Shake Smart based?
Shake Smart is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Shake Smart make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Franchise/License Fees are the primary driver. The others are direct Retail Sales.
Who are Shake Smart's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Robeks, Smoothie King, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Jamba (formerly Jamba Juice), Nekter Juice Bar, Clean Juice, Vitality Bowls and Frullati Cafe & Bakery. Broad incumbents are Starbucks and Sweetgreen.
Does Shake Smart have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shake Smart.
What industry is Shake Smart in?
Shake Smart's product category is Healthy Food Service. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAKAB, Smoothie & Protein Shake Bars, with a secondary code of AFAFAEAD, Dairy-Based Protein & Meal Replacement Shakes (RTD Dairy Shakes). Its NAICS code is 312111 and its SIC code is 2090.