Smoothie King is so thankful for those that serve our country and preserve the freedoms we’re all privileged to enjoy. Last Friday was Veterans Day and we hope everyone took the time to thank the Veterans in their family. We’re honored at Smoothie King to have several Veterans in our franchise family and we do our best to thank them as often as we can and to show support and appreciation for all who fought for our country.

Service teaches you many skills that are translatable to the franchise industry. Discipline, time management, integrity, honesty, etc. are all qualities learned when serving our country. Today, we wanted to recognize the Veterans that are part of the Smoothie King family and take an extra moment to thank them for their service and hard work.

Yonas Hagos

Yonas Hagos is an honorary Purple Heart veteran who combines his passion of perseverance and strength to showcase his commitment to serving his country both in battle and within the store. Following the events of September 11, 2001, Yonas was determined to give back to his country and enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he later earned the Purple Heart while serving in Iraq.

After returning from the military, Yonas started to build his own business and realized that franchising provided a more structured path to success. "As such, Yonas began seeking opportunities that presented an ideal path to entrepreneurship."

Shortly after that realization, Yonas visited a Smoothie King for a quick lunch and was motivated by the brand’s mission and vision – to inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle.

Yonas continues to demonstrate outstanding service to both his customers and employees – striving to deliver exceptionalism, while still staying true to the core of Smoothie King. In fact, Yonas was named Smoothie King’s “Franchisee of the Year,” in 2021, the highest honor presented to individual franchisees within the business.

Jarrod Johnson

At the age of 37, Jarrod Johnson has already had his fair share of experiences. He served in the Marine Corps. and patrolled the streets of Houston as a police officer. Now, he is an owner of a Smoothie King in Rome, Georgia.

For 11 years, Jarrod served in the police force and helped keep the streets of Houston safe. When his wife accepted a job in Rome, Georgia, Johnson decided to leave his career as an officer behind to begin a new life in the South. Following relocation, Jarrod was surprised at the lack of quick and healthy food options.

As longtime Smoothie King fans, Jarrod and his wife recognized that adding a Smoothie King would help meet the need for a quick and healthy option in their town. Jarrod is on a mission was to help change the way his town eats and influence better food decisions.

Jarrod opened his first Smoothie King location in 2016, and he credits his experience in the Marine Corps to instilling the values and leadership skills needed to successfully run a business.

Eric Jones

Former United States Air Force Colonel, Eric Jones, retired from the military in 2017 Air Force, after serving 30 years. During his transition period, Eric decided he wanted to be his own boss. Smoothie King appealed to him because he was a fan (especially of the Peanut Power Plus) and he wanted to own a franchise that sold a product he believed in.

Realizing his market located outside of Atlanta needed a local Smoothie King, Eric and his wife decided to open their very own. Eric opened his first Smoothie King location in 2016. He later followed with two additional openings in 2018 and 2019. Eric plans on owning as many as six Smoothie King stores. In fact, he has two more stores that are opening later in November 2022 and in early 2023.

Eric takes pride in being a hands-on-owner and finds watching his staff grow and succeed as the most rewarding aspect of entrepreneurship.

To learn more about veteran franchisee opportunities, check out Smoothie King’s franchising page at www.smoothiekingfranchise.com