Naked® Smoothies is expanding its refrigerated RTD lineup with two protein-forward SKUs timed to National Smoothie Day (June 8, 2026): Chocolate Banana Protein and Blueberry Cheesecake Protein. Both products are formulated with real fruit, plant-based protein, and no added sugar — a combination the brand says responds directly to consumer demand for functional, on-the-go nutrition.
For foodservice operators and convenience-channel buyers, the additions represent incremental SKU pressure on cold-grab merchandising real estate. Operators running grab-and-go programs — from campus dining to fast-casual — will need to evaluate whether existing reach-in or glass-door merchandiser capacity can absorb additional facings in the RTD smoothie set. Dealers specifying new refrigeration equipment for convenience and foodservice accounts should note that protein-forward RTD beverages have been among the fastest-growing cold-grab categories over the past two years, driving demand for higher-capacity, better-lit glass-door coolers.
Naked has operated in the smoothie category for more than 40 years, giving the brand established distribution leverage across grocery, convenience, and noncommercial foodservice channels. The plant-based protein positioning aligns with broader better-for-you beverage trends that operators are increasingly being asked to support in college, healthcare, and corporate dining segments.
On the equipment side, operators adding RTD protein smoothies to their cold-grab programs should audit door swing clearance, shelf pitch, and lighting uniformity in existing merchandisers — factors that directly affect product visibility and sell-through. For those building new stations from scratch, consultants specifying beverage-forward grab-and-go kiosks may want to revisit glass-door reach-in configurations that prioritize front-facing label visibility. Coverage of ice-and-beverage program buildouts on FSENews offers additional context for operators expanding cold beverage sets.
The two new flavors are available now at retail. Foodservice and noncommercial operators interested in stocking the SKUs should contact their broadline or specialty beverage distributor for availability and case-pack configurations. For broader beverage industry context, Food & Beverage Magazine has additional coverage of the RTD protein smoothie segment.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
