Tropical Smoothie Café has grown from a single site in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1997 to having more than 600 locations in 43 states nationwide today. I spoke recently with CEO Mike Rotondo about the company’s journey and what’s ahead. Q: With your success and experience in the franchising industry, what did you see in this franchise that you knew you could add value? A: Tropical Smoothie Cafe was this little gem that was really fragmented.