Service and Dedication to His Community Leads to a Delicious New Business
Gwen Akers
The Ashland Beacon
What started as a dream soon became reality for entrepreneur Andre Jackson, who just opened his Tropical Smoothie Bar Cafe in Ashland, Ky.
Born and raised in Ashland, Jackson has always had strong roots to his hometown. Graduating from Paul G. Blazer in 2005, Jackson joined the military immediately after. Five years later, he worked as a police officer and homicide detective in Huntington, WV, and while he loved both—his heart truly lied in running a restaurant dedicated to the health and happiness of his community.
It was his work in Huntington as a homicide detective that truly lead him to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
“The group of guys from their local police department went to go eat at a Tropical Smoothie Cafe, which I had never heard of at the time. This was probably about two years ago. In my mind, I'm thinking, ‘I'm hungry. I don't want a smoothie, I want food.’ I was surprised when we got inside, and they have obviously a large menu for smoothies but also a pretty large menu as well for food,” explained Jackson.
After this, Jackson was hooked. He ate there daily when he was in Huntington that weekend—and even after moving back home to Ashland, he couldn’t get the image of a Tropical Smoothie Bar Cafe out of his head.
From here, Jackson began his two year project of researching the franchising process and getting certified to start his new business.
“Every night, I couldn't sleep. It wast on my mind— the possibilities if we did have one here. How well it could do—how beneficial it could be for the community,” detailed Jackson.
Jackson worked hard to convince the franchise of both our community and himself. Eventually, Jackson was able to fulfill his dream of opening a Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Ashland.
“It's been a process, but it's also been very fun. I am really excited about the support from the customers and from the individuals here in Ashland and not just Ashland, there's been several people from Ironton and South Point and Huntington as well,” expressed Jackson.
Jackson could not have opened without the help and support of those around him, but specifically he wanted to thank his coaches from Paul G. Blazer High School, as they always encouraged him to be the best version of himself.
All these guys were always, always there. I would say Coach Dowdy, Coach Love, Coach Hart, Coach Wilcox,” expressed Jackson. “A lot of these guys are big reasons for why I have done so much this far in life, in my opinion.”
Whenever you get a chance, make sure to head down and check out the Tropical Smoothie Cafe—as it will be an experience you won’t forget. Jackson suggested that if it’s your first time, you should try the kiwi quencher! Tropical Smoothie Cafe is conviently located at 711 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Unit 150, Ashland Ky 41101.