HB Protein Smoothies, now expanding internationally, is deepening its roots in Arizona with franchisees who believed in the brand before they ever signed a deal. Gilbert couple Michael and Samantha Marquez were loyal HB customers first. Now they’re bringing the brand to their own backyard. At the same time, the brand is preparing to open its second corporate location in Flagstaff near Northern Arizona University, in a Whole Foods-anchored retail corridor alongside brands including Lululemon, CycleBar, and Dutch Bros.
“I fell in love with the shake,” said Samantha. “I was full for the rest of the day. I was like, ‘Wow, it’s a good shake.’”
The couple brings a complementary set of skills to the table. Michael is a seasoned entrepreneur with multiple businesses under his belt, while Samantha brings nearly a decade of food and beverage experience and a background in accounting. Together, they saw in HB exactly what they’d been looking for: a business that combined operational simplicity with a product they believed in.
“The numbers in the Item 19 were really, really good. Food costs are low, there’s a smaller team to manage, and just the simplicity of it — water, ice, and protein packets. The low entry and high return were very appealing to us,” said Michael. “We’re definitely not afraid to jump into something.”
Samantha, who trained new staff and opened multiple locations during her years in food and beverage, was equally drawn to how straightforward HB’s operations were — a sharp contrast to the complexity of full-service restaurant environments she’d worked in before.
“From a trainer’s perspective, it’s very easy,” said Samantha. “Ice, water, two scoops, blend — that’s easy to train. In a restaurant, if you touch raw meat, you can’t go touch that lettuce and touch that taco. At HB, I was just seeing the simplicity of it.”
For the couple, choosing Gilbert wasn’t just strategic — it was personal. They live in the community, know its residents, and see in Gilbert the same active, family-forward culture that has fueled HB’s success in Scottsdale.
“Gilbert is a very successful city. There are a lot of families, a lot of disposable income,” said Michael. “We want to make a great environment where people come to hang out.”
“It’s like a baby Scottsdale,” said Samantha. “They’re already doing really well in Scottsdale, so why not bring that over here?”
“When your own customers want to become franchisees, that tells you everything,” said Daniel Boone, co-founder of HB Protein Smoothies. “Michael and Sam have lived the product. They believe in it from the inside out. Those are the kinds of partners who don’t just open a location, they build something lasting in a community.”
While Gilbert marks the brand’s latest franchise milestone, HB is also expanding its own corporate footprint northward. The brand’s second corporate location is set to open in Flagstaff inside a Whole Foods-anchored retail center, neighbored by Lululemon, CycleBar, and Dutch Bros. The location sits near Northern Arizona University, surrounded by health-conscious students, faculty, and an active local community.
“Flagstaff checks every box for us,” said Boone. “You have a university community, outdoor enthusiasts, and neighbors like Lululemon and CycleBar who are already speaking to exactly the kind of customer who craves what HB offers. NAU students are about to have a new favorite spot.”
HB Protein Smoothies was built around a simple but powerful idea: a protein shake should taste as good as it performs. Each smoothie delivers 35 grams of protein at around 250 calories and is blended to a consistency that the HB co-founders describe as “like drinking a milkshake” — just ask the Marquezes.
Supported by Fransmart, the franchise development company behind the expansion of Five Guys, QDOBA, and The Halal Guys, HB Protein Smoothies has hundreds of units in development and is actively seeking qualified franchisees across the country.
For franchise opportunities, visit https://fransmart.com/brand/hb-protein-smoothies/.
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