Smoothie King, the 1973 originator of the nutritional fruit smoothie, has reached an agreement with BW Ventures, LTD, to develop multiple stores in the Cayman Islands within the next few years.
BW Ventures, LTD, operated by Barry Bodden and Gary Watler, plans to have their first location up and running in summer 2010. "In recent years, there has been a strong movement in the Cayman Islands toward healthy living," said Bodden. "We are confident that Caymanians, as well as the millions of annual tourists to the islands, will make Smoothie King highly successful here."
"After living in New Orleans for more than 30 years, I experienced the passion of Smoothie King first hand," added Gary Watler. "When I returned to my home in Grand Cayman, I knew that I had to introduce this excitement for healthy eating to my friends and family here on the island."
The expansion of the Smoothie King brand worldwide is a mark of the international movement toward healthy living. Since Smoothie King first went international in South Korea in 2003, the company has expanded its operations to Japan, Egypt and Turkey – and now the Cayman Islands.
As the consumption of healthy food and beverages continues to rise not only in the United States but worldwide as well, part of Smoothie King's vision is to aggressively introduce the Smoothie King brand to new international markets.
"Personal fitness and living a healthy lifestyle are important to the people of the Cayman Islands as well as the entire Caribbean," said Steve Kuhnau, co-founder and chief executive officer, Smoothie King. "We look forward to healthy growth in the entire area – the Cayman Islands are just the beginning."