The Planet Smoothie franchise began in Atlanta during the mid-1990s, when smoothies were first beginning to be seen as a food offering on their own rather than part of an extended menu. Up until then smoothies were almost completely associated with hardcore health fanatics — people who spent a lot of time at the gym and were fanatical about counting calories  More Americans were looking to slim down and become healthier, a trend which continues through today, and smoothies became seen as a way to enhance a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing taste or convenience.As more people discovered smoothies, the market exploded, and Planet Smoothie quickly spread throughout the Southeast, becoming a dominant brand across the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. The opportunity to rapidly expand Planet Smoothie excited a team of veteran franchise executives at Kahala Brands, which acquired Planet Smoothie in 2015. Under their leadership, Planet Smoothie has developed the capabilities and resources, such as improved supply chains, more purchasing power and a single operating system, to accelerate growth and drive stronger results for franchisees.Planet Smoothie is on the move. The hunger for convenient, healthy and great-tasting food, with a transparent list of recognizable ingredients, continues to grow. A customer survey by public relations giant Edelman found that 83% of customers want that combo of good nutrition and great taste, for example, and only 50% of them think the food-and-beverage industry is doing a good job. We are meeting with Stacey Wopnford, Brand President at Planet Smoothie. Planet Smoothie is a fun and exciting smoothie franchise that knows the importance in differentiating itself from the competition. With a unique menu and bright color scheme, Planet Smoothie stands out from the rest.  In part 2 we play a clip from our poplar Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.