QSR September 2022

BACK PAGE START TO FINISH CharlesWatson CEO TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE

What was your first job? I was 11 years old when I got my first job washing dishes at my father’s restaurant. I may have been the smallest employee there (I had to stand on a tub used for bus ing tables just to reach the sink) but I had the biggest ambition. I worked for my fa ther throughout my teenage years, and those years were my first taste of what the cuisine outside of Tropical Smoothie? Southern-style, all the way! I love a good pot roast with mashed potatoes, green beans and corn. On the other hand, it’s hard to beat a plate of spaghetti. people that inspire me daily, but I really do think that my parents inspired me to be the leader I am today. Both of my parents had the entre preneur bug and they defi nitely passed that on to me. What’s the best piece of advice that other restaurant executives should hear? There’s an obvious answer for me here, and that’s to put your heart into what you do. As a res taurant executive, hospitality should be in your blood. What are some of your interests outside of work? I’m a football lover. I was originally a quarterback in high school and had my heart set on the same position for college. How ever, I ended up a punter at Cornell. I won’t lie, it was a blow to the ego at first, but it taught me what being a “role player” means and how important every role is to the bigger picture. industry was all about. What’s your favorite Who inspires you as a leader? I have a lot of

I was born with a strong work ethic. I started working at a young age and because of my early drive, have been involved in a variety of industries and performed many different jobs. These early experiences in the workforce are what ignited my entrepreneurial spirit. My mentality and passion for what I do has remained consis tent at every stage of my career, carrying over to when I f irst started with Tropical Smoothie Cafe in 2010, as the brand’s f irst vice president of franchise development. The brand’s dedi cation to “Inspire Better” in all aspects of the business resonated with me from day one. From my VP of development days to my role as chief development officer to today as CEO, I’ve been passionate about the brand’s vision. It’s been quite the adventure since becoming CEO in 2018, and I’ve enjoyed every twist and turn in the road. In today’s restaurant industry, consumers are always looking for the next trendy item or the next emerging concept. Over the years, we’ve learned that our innovative and versatile

menu, featuring a wide variety of food items in addition to smoothies, has brought tremendous success to our brand and to our incredible fran chisees. Our franchisees and their teams are the faces community members see daily, and the dedication from them is truly what’s given us so much success in recent years. For me, my entreprenurial passion really came from my parents. I learned through watching them success shouldn’t be measured in hours worked, but rather in getting the job done right. We like to call it “chopping wood,” meaning you don’t decide when quitting time is; you sim ply get the work done. I try to pass along that spirit and advice to others. I think the greatest thing you can do in life is serve others and reap the reward of knowing you’ve done something good for someone else. Passion is key in every thing. Maybe you made somebody’s day just 1 percent better; you still had a positive impact. I think the world would be a little bit of a better place if we all kept that in mind. q

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE / STAN HESTER PHOTOGRAPHY

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SEPTEMBER 2022 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com