Jamba Juice Lost 130 Franchises in Three Years, Filing Shows

Jamba Juice has warned prospective franchisees in writing that buying into the smoothie chain "could be a higher risk investment than a franchise in a system with a lower turnover rate."

The warning appears in the "special risks" section of the company's 2026 franchise disclosure document. The filing states that 130 Jamba Juice franchise agreements have not survived the past three years.

The unusual part is how those agreements ended. Roughly 116 franchises have been terminated since the beginning of 2023, according to the document. Only 13 were listed as non-renewals, and just one store ceased operations for another reason.

That termination rate stands out in the quick-service segment. Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a rival with a much larger footprint, recorded only 28 terminations over the same three-year period. Planet Smoothie, a smaller competitor, had just four.

Jamba is owned by GoTo Foods, a retail conglomerate backed by private equity firm Roark Capital Group, which also owns Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Carvel and other chains. Neither Jamba nor GoTo Foods has publicly explained the termination spike. The disclosure document states that Jamba may terminate a franchise in default for various reasons, such as failing to pay debts or refusing an inspection. Franchisees, by contrast, cannot terminate except where state-level laws permit.

What happened to the terminated stores

A termination does not necessarily mean a store closed. In quick-service franchising, another franchisee can take over a location, or the franchise owner can buy it. Jamba's disclosure document does not specify which terminated franchises shuttered and which were absorbed. It lists 126 franchise "transfers" over the three-year period, mostly in California, and shows franchisees opened 104 additional locations.

The chain's overall footprint nonetheless contracted. Jamba had 710 locations as of the end of last year, a net decline of 28 stores since the beginning of 2023.

California, home to roughly half of Jamba's stores, posted the biggest drop: 38 fewer stores over the period. New Jersey fell from eight stores in 2023 to one. Illinois, Minnesota, New York and Oregon gained locations. All but one of Jamba's stores were franchise-owned at the end of last year.

Closures continue into 2026

The brand has enjoyed a pop-culture moment this year through HBO's critically acclaimed series DTF St. Louis, where a central plot point hinges on two Jamba drinks, the Go Getter and Watermelon Breeze. Jamba has acknowledged the cameo on social media.

The exposure has not stopped closures. A longtime store in Downtown Disney closed in July after 23 years. Jamba has not released a list of closed locations, but a review of online media reports, review platforms and Jamba's own store locator shows at least eight closures this year, including sites in Sacramento, American Canyon, Anaheim, Union City and El Centro, California; Carson City, Nevada; Irving, Texas; and Tacoma, Washington. That list may not be complete.

Jamba has projected 37 new store openings this year. Whether the chain ends 2026 with a larger or smaller footprint will become clear when it files its next franchise disclosure document.