Smoothie King to open in Vista this week; another on the way

Local franchisee Dewayne Bohannon will open his third area Smoothie King on Friday in the Vista at 1205 Lincoln St.

The location was once home to Tutti Fruitti frozen yogurt shop which opened there in November 2011 and closed earlier this year.

Bohannon introduced the New Orleans-based Smoothie King into the Midlands with the opening of its 4601 Forest Drive location last April. In May of this year, he opened a second location on Lake Murray Boulevard in Irmo.

Bohannon and his wife discovered the franchise when the two traveled with their sons' soccer teams.

"We really loved the product and when we traveled we started seeking out Smoothie Kings," said Bohannon whose family has lived in Columbia for over 30 years. "And we would see other parents and kids from the team in there, too."

Next spring, Bohannon plans to open a fourth area Smoothie King location at Village at Sandhill.

The Vista location is a "vibrant" one, he said.

"It's just exciting to see all the activity there and to be there and be a part of it," Bohannon said. "It's just refreshing to be able to bring something that is such a good product and a good company to the city that we call home."

Bohannon's most popular smoothies have been the Lean One--which contains 23 grams of protein and comes in strawberry, chocolate or vanilla--and the Angel Food, made with strawberries and bananas.

The original Smoothie King opened as Smoothie Bar in New Orleans in 1973. With the goal of creating healthy beverages by mixing nutrients, proteins and grains with fresh fruits and vegetables, the franchise slogan quickly became "Smoothies with a purpose."

In addition to the Vista location, 10 other Smoothie King franchises are located in South Carolina from Charleston to Easley. More than 650 are located worldwide.

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Smoothie King to open in Vista this week; another on the way."