San Antonio Business Journal: Up against the giants: How new, small franchise concepts are amplifying their San Antonio presence

Watch out, McDonalds, Burger King and Subway, there’s a new sheriff in town. That’s because Smoothie King is making a name for itself in the San Antonio market. With the recent boom in San Antonio’s food and beverage market, the area has become so crowded that smaller concepts are having an increasingly difficult time establishing themselves in the area. Smoothie King franchise owner Joanne Hilliard has a five-unit agreement in the San Antonio market and is hoping to expand even further once her locations are up and running.

"Because Smoothie King doesn't have a lot of branding here yet, it will initially make things more difficult," Hilliard said of the lack of name recognition throughout San Antonio. "Once we get up and networking, and the fact that we're opening two locations back-to-back...that will help with the branding effort here. It will be easier to grow after that."’

The expansion maintains a strong focus on the northern rim of San Antonio, with two locations housed within the University of Texas at San Antonio's northwestern campus and one slated to open at the Rim. Hilliard's first opening will continue that submarket focus with a location in the new Louis Pasteur Retail Center.