Tropical Smoothie Cafe will join Waffle House in making its debut in Oxford, as both national chains prepare to open locations in the coming months. These new additions mark the latest chapter in the city’s ongoing economic development.

Waffle House, located on College Corner Pike, began its construction in July and is on track to open sometime this fall. Tropical Smoothie Cafe is leasing a space that was previously occupied by Little Caesars on South Locust Street, and according to a sign posted on its doors is set to open on Oct. 3. 

Both projects are well underway, with significant progress observed in recent weeks. Seth Cropenbaker, economic development specialist for the City of Oxford, said all plans have been approved for both chains.

“I think it would definitely be possible for Waffle House to be up and running before the end of the semester,” said Cropenbaker. “I don’t know how clued in they are with the academic cycles, but being a national brand might help them garner more attention, and the big yellow sign helps too.”

However, while the Waffle House site still needs cleanup and interior furnishing, Tropical Smoothie Cafe got into shape rather quickly and is preparing for its opening next week.

Both brands are opening at locations outside the uptown business district, which Cropenbaker views as advantageous due to the availability of off-street parking.

“It’s pretty hard to replace the foot traffic you get on High Street,” he said. “But if you can’t be on High Street, if you can be somewhere that has a parking lot, well, that can really help.” 

Miami senior Lauren Frey thinks their locations could be a bit of a challenge.

“I think it should be closer to High Street because I think that’s a good place for late-night food,” Frey said. “But I think it’ll still do well because I think it’s a place people will go to at night. I just don’t know how well it’s going to do during the day.”

Although many national chains already exist in Oxford, the introduction of two new ones in one semester may draw initial attention away from established favorites.

While Oxford has multiple breakfast places, like Bob Evans or Patterson’s Cafe, Cropenbaker thinks Waffle House is positioned a little bit differently, mainly because it is open for 24 hours.

Similarly, Tropical Smoothie Cafe will fill a niche in Oxford’s food scene without directly competing with similar businesses. Spots like Uptown Blends and Fridge and Pantry both offer smoothies, but Frey pointed out Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s dedication to smoothies only.

“I think it’s a good healthy option for Oxford because there’s not many places you can go and pick up just a smoothie,” she said.

Nonetheless, Cropenbaker said he believes the addition of these chains will generate excitement initially, as new businesses do. People who might otherwise choose to go to Patterson’s Cafe or Moon Co-op, may choose these new places to fill that breakfast or smoothie need.

While these new businesses may steer people away from local spots for a short time, it actually may help them in the long run, Cropenbaker said.

“I would imagine over time it would kind of level out and Tropical Smoothie Cafe may help draw more attention into that corridor,” he said. “Moon Co-op, I think they’re an excellent, independent local business here, really kind of stitch into the fabric of the community and get a lot of usage by student and non-student residents. Their location is a challenge for them. And Tropical Smoothie Cafe may draw eyeballs over to that corridor.”

As both Waffle House and Tropical Smoothie Cafe prepare to open, Cropenbaker remains optimistic about the city’s future and is encouraged by the growth and investment Oxford is continuing to see. 

“I would love to get into a world where we are actively recruiting businesses into Oxford to kind of almost build the kind of community and the amenities that we would want,” he said.