Beware Dairy Queen, Smoothie King is readying for a Chicago quick service crusade.

Smoothie King, a nutrition-based fresh fruit beverage brand, is preparing to conquer Chicago with plans to open 80 to 90 locations in the region within the next three to five years. Franchisee Umair Nazir intends to start the quest by opening two locations, the first of which is set to open in Bloomingdale by December 2015.

Nazir told Crain’s Chicago Business that choosing the right area to develop is essential.

"Location is of the essence," Nazir said. "We don't want to rush into the wrong location. We want to be in an area where we can cater to the healthier side of the market instead of just open for the heck of opening."

Illinois currently has seven Smoothie King establishments, with O'Hare International Airport being the only Chicagoland location.

Smoothie King has more than 720 stores in 33 and three countries, and the brand is looking to partner with five to 10 franchisees who can each open multiple locations in the region according to Crain's Chicago Business.

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Nick Powills

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Nick Powills

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Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.