Smoothie King will come to Abilene with Jan Ford as the owner.

Ford previously owned a cupcake shop for four years called Sweet Life Cupcakes. She closed the shop last March so she could help her aging parents and move them to Abilene from Hamlin.

After settling her parents for nursing care, Ford decided to open another business. She wanted to go on a “healthier route” this time.

“My son and his wife used to live in Lubbock and Dallas while they were doing their school,” Ford said. “And they kept saying, ‘Get us Smoothie King! Check into that! Check into that!’ which I knew there had been one before, and I’m not for sure why it closed.” The home office could not give her an offhand answer, Ford said.

Ford went through the orientation in New Orleans, Louisiana. When she learned more about Smoothie King, Ford knew she wanted to bring this franchise to Abilene.

“Because there’s so many people that seem to be geared towards healthier lifestyles now,” Ford said. “And I wanted to be part of that.”

The location of Smoothie King will be at 3115 S 14th street. Ford said she chose the location because it’s is a good and busy thoroughfare to get from west to east Abilene and has many businesses going in, Ford said.

“So that’s gonna be a really busy intersection right there,” Ford said. “Lots of traffic.”

Ford said she hopes to open the business by August or September. Her next steps are to get a projected date, obtain inside drawings for the renderings, hire contractors and have people apply for employment.

Once she finishes the tasks and her nine-day training, Smoothie King will be ready for business.