Steve Kuhnau, Co-Founder, President, CEO

Steve Kuhnau’s fascination with nutrition started when he was a teenager back in the 1960s. Kuhnau struggled with food allergies. Not only was he allergic to dairy, chocolate, peanut butter, and wheat, Steve was also hypoglycemic. He was focused on finding a high-protein drink that was fruit-based, not dairy. To that end, Kuhnau began blending fresh fruits, proteins, vitamins, and mineral supplements, eventually developing the first nutritional smoothie in 1967.

Steve learned more about nutrition and the effect of diet on body tissue while stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he was a nurse at Brooks General Hospital. Later in 1973, Steve opened Town & Country Health Foods in Kenner, La., where he sold what was to be the first Smoothie King smoothie. It didn’t take long for Steve, and his wife and business partner Cindy, to realize how popular their smoothies were.

The Kuhnaus incorporated the smoothie into the company name, and on May 5, 1987, Smoothie King was trademarked and incorporated. Sixteen years after Steve sold his first smoothie, he began to franchise Smoothie King and opened the first Smoothie King franchise on Baronne Street in New Orleans. Over 30 years and more than 500 Smoothie King stores later, Steve has accomplished his mission to bring healthful products to mainstream America. His passion for healthy living has evolved into one of the fastest growing franchises in America.

Cindy Kuhnau, Co-Founder, Vice President

Cindy Kuhnau made her entry into the health foods industry because her son had many food allergies. Her frustration with the medication he was taking led her to experiment with vitamins, which improved his condition. Because of this experience, Cindy became dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle, and worked at a health foods store for more than a decade before joining Steve Kuhnau at Town & Country Health Foods selling smoothies and health products. The two shared a similar passion for healthy living and married in 1991.

Recognizing the mass appeal of smoothies, Cindy had the idea to turn their one store into a franchise. Cindy built Smoothie King’s operations and training systems from the ground up and continues to stay active in operations and training today.