Smoothie King is back in the mix.
Nestled in Butler Plaza, the store is the first Smoothie King in Gainesville since 2008, said DJ Halligan, a managing partner for the franchise. Located at 3600 SW Archer Road, it’s the first of three locations that Halligan, 43, and his partners — Susan Halligan, 40, and Ravi Murjani, 38 — plan to open in Gainesville.
After holding a soft opening last week, there was a line of about 30 people waiting out front when the store officially opened at 10 a.m. Saturday.
“I was not shocked to see the line out the door,” Halligan said, attributing the company’s popular name brand.
The drink shop offers more than 50 different smoothies and includes vegan and gluten-free options.
Prices start at $3.79 for a small, 20-ounce smoothie. The shop also offers 10 smoothie enhancer options, each costing 99 cents.
Miranda Jackson, 19, said she enjoyed the atmosphere at Smoothie King on Saturday and thought the staff was helpful.
The UF mathematics freshman stayed in the store for about 15 minutes admiring a 10-foot Kala Signature standup paddleboard — valued at $1,200.
Halligan said the store would host raffles once a month through the summer to help drive business. The paddleboard is the store’s first offering.
Jackson said she was determined to win the prize. Customers can enter the drawing by ordering a medium smoothie with at least two enhancers, which costs about $8.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 1/20/2015 under the headline “Smoothie King opens on Archer Road, to hold monthly raffles"]
Cars drive past Smoothie King, located at 3600 SW Archer Road in Butler Plaza, on Monday.
