Tropical Smoothie Café plans its first Idaho store

Atlanta-based Tropical Smoothie Café will open its first Idaho franchise in summer at the Calderwood North Shopping Center on Overland Road near Maple Grove Road.

Tropical Smoothie has 555 locations in 41 states, but so far has a paltry presence in the Northwest, with only three stores in Washington, none in Oregon and six in Utah.

Local Tropical Smoothie franchise holders Kory and Michelle Pukash have an agreement to open five stores in Idaho with the right to first refusal in the entire state, company publicist Courtney Whelan said.

Kory Pukash said they plan to open a second store at Broadway and Beacon Street and others in downtown Boise, Caldwell and Eagle with desires to expand to Pocatello, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls and later to Coeur d’Alene and Spokane.

The Pukashes in 2010 established BloodyFine Foods, a Bloody Mary mix company, in Boise.

Tropical Smoothie opened its first store in 1997 in Tallahassee, Fla. The restaurants serve smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads and salads.

Tropical Smoothie was expected to appear March 8 before the city of Boise’s Design Review Committee.

Cushman & Wakefield Pacific represented Tropical Smoothie in the 1,640-square-foot lease negotiations.