Tropical Smoothie Cafe opens in Southgate Plaza, expanding healthy fast-casual options

Franchisee Brijesh Patel opened a Tropical Smoothie Cafe at Southgate Plaza in Jasper on Jan. 13, adding a bright, tropical-themed quick-service option to the county’s dining mix. The restaurant offers blended smoothies with customizable add-ins such as protein, collagen and B12, along with wraps, flatbreads, salads and a kids menu, positioning itself toward health-minded customers and families seeking faster meal options.

Patel secured an exception from the brand’s usual market-size preferences to place a location in Jasper, a sign of local demand and developer confidence. The announcement mentioned hours, menu highlights and a planned grand-opening ribbon-cutting with the Jasper Chamber of Commerce, underscoring the franchise’s intent to plug into existing civic and business networks.

For residents, the most immediate impact is convenience and variety. Southgate Plaza customers now have an on-site option for nutritious blended drinks and handheld meals that can serve as breakfast on the go, midday lunches for employees, or family-friendly casual dining. For parents and caregivers, the presence of a dedicated kids menu offers more family-oriented ordering choices without a full-service meal commitment.

Economically, a new franchise tends to support local employment and incremental retail traffic at its shopping center. While specific staffing numbers and payroll details were not released, the arrival of a national chain can raise foot traffic for neighboring businesses and add modest sales-tax revenue for municipal services. Patel’s ability to convince the franchisor to enter Jasper may also signal that franchisors see smaller micromarkets in rural and small-city America as viable, which could attract further franchise investment if the location performs well.

On the competitive front, Tropical Smoothie Cafe enters a market that already includes coffee shops, sandwich counters and regional fast-casual operators. Its focus on customizable nutrition add-ins and quick-service formats aims to carve a niche among health-focused diners and commuters. The planned ribbon-cutting with the Jasper Chamber will be an early test of community engagement and marketing reach.

The longer-term question for Dubois County is whether this and similar openings will shift local dining patterns toward faster, healthier options or simply redistribute existing restaurant spending. Monitoring customer turnout, repeat business and lunchtime weekday traffic over the next quarter will offer the clearest indicators.

Our two cents? Swing by the grand opening and sample a smoothie to see if the tropical vibe sticks—then consider how this quick-service choice fits into your weekly routine and local dining dollars.