Tropical Smoothie Cafe — Restaurant in Greenville

0 stars is my honest rating!!! I usually don’t EVER do reviews however I can NOT LET THIS SLIDE‼️ My son (18 AFRICAN AMERICAN) WAS an employee here until yesterday! Last week he was working (here) and not one but TWO employees decided it would be okay to use the N WORD WHILE MY SON WORKED NEXT TO THEM‼️‼️ One happened to be 15 and was pressured by the other to “say it” my son being the oldest worker there told the 15yr old No don’t say that because it’s not a good thing! Do not say it. He ended up saying it anyway….. my son explained to the manager he felt validated and disrespected!!! On yesterday my son had a meeting with the “manager/owner” and had me in speaker phone to discuss what would be done!!!! Let’s just say the ONLY thing the manager was concerned about was if my son could just work to help them out because they need help! Mind you my son told them I won’t work another shift with them two because it’s an uncomfortable situation!! (Both parties were working as well) My son asked what will be the consequences for them. The “manager/owner” kept talking around the question basically saying okay I’ll talk to them but can you stay at work today because we really need you!!! At that moment I spoke up and told him we need to know what you’re going to do about the situation because saying the N WORD in YOUR work place for one is NOT OKAY‼️‼️‼️ Secondly you should’ve handled the situation IMMEDIATELY when you FIRST heard about it‼️‼️‼️ The manager got VERY MAD AND UPSET THAT HE DIDNT KNOW I WAS ON THE PHONE AND ASKED MY SON DID HE WANT TO QUIT ‼️‼️‼️‼️MY SON SAID WELL YEAH I DO BECAUSE ITS NOT RIGHT OR OKAY‼️‼️‼️‼️ This is the same child you was just begging to stay and work with NO UNIFORM ON!! But now because his parent stepped in to let you know you’re not just going to overlook this you’re upset and angry?!?!?!? YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN ANGRY AND UPSET THAT YOU HAVE PPL WORKING FOR YOUR BUSINESS WHO USES THE “N” WORD‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ WE ASKED FOR HUMAN RESOURCES NUMBER OR A CORPORATE OFFICE NUMBER THEY GAVE US ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ‼️‼️‼️‼️ I will not stop until this matter is HEARD‼️‼️‼️‼️ Being AFRICAN AMERICAN isn’t our choice it’s the choice of the Lord Jesus Christ HIMSELF ‼️‼️ You all lost a GREAT worker!!! But working for a place that allows someone to say or use racial slurs/words IS NOT OKAY SHUT THIS PLACE DOWN FOR...

I was excited to support Tropical Smoothie and take advantage of the app promo—buy a food item, get a smoothie free. This was my first time using the app, and unfortunately, the discount didn’t apply to my order due to user error. When I arrived to pick up my order—for myself and a hospital executive—I immediately explained the mistake and asked if they could either credit my smoothie back to my account or issue a refund.

The manager, Jennifer, was working behind the counter with multiple team members and was fully visible through the cubby system. I asked to speak with her directly—but she refused. Instead, she continuously sent a kind staff member named Renata to tell me she “can’t give a refund,” “can’t credit the smoothie,” and then finally, that she was “too busy” to speak with me at all. Jennifer never turned around, never acknowledged me, and continued to prepare food with her back to me.

I wasn’t being rude or demanding. Even after she denied the refund, I still would have appreciated a moment of guidance or courtesy—just a quick explanation, especially as a first-time app user. But I was completely ignored and dismissed, while poor Renata was left to go back and forth delivering messages. It was embarrassing, unnecessary, and completely unprofessional.

Jennifer’s refusal to even face me—let alone speak with me—and telling me to “look up corporate online” instead of helping resolve the situation is unacceptable. I left feeling disrespected as both a paying customer and a working professional. I hope corporate takes this seriously because no one deserves to be...

If I could give zero stars, I would.

Let me start by saying I love Tropical Smoothie and visit regularly. So this experience wasn’t just frustrating — it was incredibly disappointing, especially considering how excited I was for the new location.

First, I waited in the drive-thru for about 15 minutes, with only four cars ahead of me. That was frustrating but tolerable. What really upset me was that I specifically requested my smoothie be made thick because I’ve had issues in the past with it coming out more like juice. Unfortunately, I didn’t taste it before driving home, but when I did, it was practically just ice. No fruit flavor, just icy slush.

I tried calling the store before getting my baby out of the car and going inside — no answer. I called four times initially. Understanding they might be busy, I waited and tried again an hour later — still had to call three times before someone finally answered.

When someone did pick up, she was rude and completely unwilling to help unless I physically came back to the store. Even when I offered my receipt number and all necessary details, she refused. I asked to speak to the team lead — she refused to come to the phone. When I said I’d be filing a formal complaint, the employee hung up on me.

This has easily been the worst experience I’ve ever had at any Tropical Smoothie location. It’s incredibly disappointing that the new location is already falling short of the friendly, high-quality service and “tiny vaca” vibe that Tropical Smoothie is...