Surf City Squeeze
Surf City Squeeze is a U.S. smoothie and juice bar franchise founded in 1981, operating nearly 100 franchised retail locations built around a proprietary low-fat smoothie mix and serving health-conscious consumers and fitness enthusiasts under Kahala Brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersScottsdale, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Surf City Squeeze does
Surf City Squeeze is a U.S. smoothie and juice bar franchise founded in 1981 in Phoenix, Arizona and now headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona under Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. The company operates an asset-light, franchise-led model with nearly 100 retail locations across the United States and U.S. territories. Its revenue streams include a one-time $30,000 franchise fee, an ongoing royalty of 6% of gross sales (with a $300 weekly minimum), and an advertising fee of approximately 4% of gross sales, supplemented by retail sales at franchise-operated outlets.
The brand's product portfolio is built around a proprietary low-fat smoothie mix that comprises 90% of the menu and serves as the core differentiator versus competing smoothie concepts. The menu is organized into three smoothie tiers—Signature (fruit-based blends), Pumped Up (protein and supplement-enhanced), and Sweet (dessert-style with chocolate, peanut butter, and OREO)—with additional offerings including hand-squeezed lemonades, iced chillers, and an extensive add-ins catalog (whey protein, creatine, spirulina, ginseng, matcha, multi-vitamin, and others). Limited Time Offerings, such as the Mangonada, provide seasonal novelty.
The go-to-market is franchise-led, targeting prospective franchisees with $250,000 in net worth and $100,000 in liquid capital; startup costs range from $82,410 to $396,500 per location. Support is provided through Kahala Brands' shared infrastructure, including site selection, training, and marketing. Digital channels include the order.surfcitysqueeze.com online ordering platform, the Surf Rewards loyalty program (powered by Spendgo), and Instagram/Facebook sweepstakes for top-of-funnel engagement. The brand is part of the broader Kahala Brands portfolio, which enables cobranding and multi-unit opportunities with sibling QSR concepts.
The company is privately held by Kahala Franchising, L.L.C., a private LLC; no venture, private equity, or public shareholders are identified. Operational contacts route through mtygroup.com email domains, suggesting affiliation with the larger MTY Food Group franchise platform. Brand recognition has been cited by Entrepreneur, Restaurants & Institutions, and Franchise Times. No revenue figures are disclosed, and the company has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, patents beyond the brand trademark, or active M&A activity.
Surf City Squeeze firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Surf City Squeeze
- Legal name
- Kahala Franchising, L.L.C.
- Website
- https://surfcitysqueeze.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Surf City Squeeze is a U.S. smoothie and juice bar franchise founded in 1981, operating nearly 100 franchised retail locations built around a proprietary low-fat smoothie mix and serving health-conscious consumers and fitness enthusiasts under Kahala Brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Surf City Squeeze is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Scottsdale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Surf City Squeeze business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees: One-time franchise fee of $30,000 charged to new franchisees for the right to operate a Surf City Squeeze location.
- Royalty Fees: Ongoing royalty fees of 6% of gross sales from franchisees, with a $300 weekly minimum for traditional locations.
- Advertising Fees: Advertising fees of 4% (or 1% per FAQ) of gross sales collected from franchisees for national marketing and brand building initiatives.
- Retail Store Sales: Revenue from direct retail sales of smoothies, lemonades, and iced chillers to end consumers at franchise and company-owned locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Franchise fee for new franchisees |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Estimated startup costs for franchise locations |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Weekly | Ongoing royalty fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Weekly | Advertising fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Surf City Squeeze product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Surf City Squeeze sells made-to-order smoothies, fresh-squeezed lemonades, and iced fruit chillers through nearly 100 franchise-owned retail locations in the U.S. Its core offering is built around a proprietary low-fat smoothie mix that makes up 90% of the menu and creates a unique brand taste profile. The company also licenses its brand and operating system to franchisees through a formal franchise program supported by Kahala Brands.
Product overview
Surf City Squeeze is a juice and smoothie shop offering a menu centered around its proprietary low-fat smoothie mix (comprising 90% of offerings). The product portfolio includes three main smoothie lines: Signature Smoothies (fruit-based blends), Pumped Up Smoothies (protein and supplement-enhanced), and Sweet Smoothies (dessert-style). Additional offerings encompass Fresh Squeezed Lemonade (hand-squeezed with fruit infusions), Iced Chillers (frozen fruit and agave nectar blends), and seasonal Limited Time Offerings. The company also provides customizable Add-ins/Supplements, operates a loyalty program (Surf Rewards), offers Online Ordering, and franchises locations nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Signature Smoothies Core fruit-based smoothie line made with the company's proprietary low-fat smoothie mix, which comprises 90% of the menu. Varieties include Triple Berry, Strawberry Banana, Strawberry Banana Kale, Pineapple Coconut Orange, Peach Mango, and Green Pineapple Banana.
- Pumped Up Smoothies Protein and supplement-enhanced smoothies designed for fitness and energy-focused customers. Includes Super Squeeze, Power Pump, Ginseng Fling, Bee Stinger and other varieties featuring Whey Protein, Creatine, Spirulina, Ginseng, Bee Pollen, and L-Carnitine.
- Sweet Smoothies Indulgent dessert-style smoothies featuring sweet ingredients. Varieties include Peanut Butter Banana, Mocha Java, Extreme OREO, and Chocolate Covered Strawberry.
- Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Hand-squeezed lemonades made in-store with real fruit infusions. Available in Original, Strawberry, and Raspberry varieties.
- Iced Chillers Frozen fruit beverages blended with ice and Agave nectar. Varieties include Strawberry Pineapple, Strawberry Mango, Pineapple Strawberry Spinach, Pineapple Mango, and Peach Mango.
- Mangonada (Limited Time Offering) Seasonal specialty beverage featuring Mango, Orange Juice, and Agave Nectar with Chamoy Drizzle and Tajín seasoning, available for a limited time.
- Franchise Program Business franchise opportunity offering entrepreneurs the right to own and operate a Surf City Squeeze location. Includes $30,000 one-time franchise fee, 6% ongoing royalty on gross sales, 4% advertising fee, single and multi-unit options, cobranding with other Kahala Brands, and operational support including site selection, training, and marketing from Kahala Brands. Candidates require $250,000 net worth and $100,000 liquid capital.
Companies that use Surf City Squeeze
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Surf City Squeeze technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Surf City Squeeze partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Surf City Squeeze competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Starbucks: Mass-market beverage incumbent offering smoothies as part of a broader beverage and food portfolio. Not a direct smoothie specialist, but competes for the same beverage occasions and mall/retail real estate.
Direct peers
- Robeks: Health-focused smoothie and juice franchise with locations across the U.S. Competes directly with Surf City Squeeze on premium fruit-forward smoothies and similar calorie/health positioning.
- Smoothie King: One of the largest U.S. smoothie franchises with ~1,000 locations. Closely comparable operating model, target customer (health/fitness consumers), and franchise economics.
- Jamba: Specialty smoothie and juice chain with ~800 locations. Now privately held (Inspire Brands/Focus Brands), offers a near-identical smoothie-and-juice franchise product to Surf City Squeeze.
- Playa Bowls: Fast-growing smoothie and bowl franchise. Competes for the same health-conscious consumer occasions and similar franchise partner pool as Surf City Squeeze.
- Nekter Juice Bar: Fast-growing juice and smoothie franchise with 170+ locations. Comparable menu and health/clean-label positioning, but with a more aggressive recent unit growth trajectory.
- Clean Juice: Certified-organic juice and smoothie franchise. Comparable premium health positioning, target demographic, and franchise structure.
- Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Franchised smoothie and food chain with 1,400+ U.S. locations. Directly competes with Surf City Squeeze in the same franchise model, similar smoothie menu, and mall/retail real estate footprint.
- Frutta Bowls: Acai bowl and smoothie franchise. Operates in an adjacent (and overlapping) niche to smoothie bars, with similar franchise model and health-conscious target customer.
- Planet Smoothie: U.S. smoothie franchise chain. Directly comparable operating model, customer base, and product category to Surf City Squeeze.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
Surf City Squeeze social profiles
Digital presenceSurf City Squeeze financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Surf City Squeeze leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Surf City Squeeze funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Surf City Squeeze 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 Surf City Squeeze
What does Surf City Squeeze do?
Surf City Squeeze sells made-to-order smoothies, fresh-squeezed lemonades, and iced fruit chillers through nearly 100 franchise-owned retail locations in the U.S. Its core offering is built around a proprietary low-fat smoothie mix that makes up 90% of the menu and creates a unique brand taste profile. The company also licenses its brand and operating system to franchisees through a formal franchise program supported by Kahala Brands.
Is Surf City Squeeze a public or private company?
Surf City Squeeze is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Surf City Squeeze founded?
Surf City Squeeze was founded in 1981. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Surf City Squeeze based?
Surf City Squeeze is headquartered in Scottsdale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Surf City Squeeze make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees are the primary driver. The others are royalty Fees, advertising Fees and retail Store Sales.
Who are Surf City Squeeze's main competitors?
Starbucks is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Robeks, Smoothie King, Jamba, Playa Bowls, Nekter Juice Bar, Clean Juice, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Frutta Bowls and Planet Smoothie.
Does Surf City Squeeze have an API?
No public API is recorded for Surf City Squeeze.