For shoppers at Lowry Town Center, Squeeze Fresh Smoothies is just the citrus-colored shake shop on the corner.
But there’s more to it.
Greenwood Village-based Squeeze, founded by former Quiznos Seattle-area director Richard Dean, is one of a growing number of companies that are franchising for faster growth.
Most recently, the company signed deals to open 75 more of the smoothie shops in Arizona and California over the next seven years.
Nationally, 767,483 franchises have created more than 18 million jobs, nearly 14 percent of the country’s private-sector employment, according to the most recent figures from the International Franchise Association.
Those businesses generated $506.6 billion in payroll in 2003, the most recent IFA numbers available.
In Colorado, franchises employ 181,415 and generate payroll of about $4.6 million, IFA figures show. Numbers include Colorado-based franchisers and those from other states that have sold franchises here.
Anecdotal evidence - including frequent announcements from out-of-state franchisers planning to enter the market - indicates those numbers are growing fast.
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