A vacant storefront on Cleveland's busiest commercial strip is about to become the town's newest smoothie stop. Smoothie King is moving forward with a lease at 517 S. Washington Avenue, with a permit package now being prepared for review through the city's development process.
The announcement came Thursday from the City of Cleveland, which said the Cleveland Economic Development Corporation worked with the property owner and city staff to coordinate permitting and potential property improvements for the project. The city described the plan as part of an effort to return a vacant commercial space to productive use, noting that Smoothie King will occupy the former Victory Lending space, a short-term consumer loan agency that previously operated at the site, according to employment and business directory records reviewed by Hoodline. Architectural plans for the project have also been registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, per the city's post.
The space itself, known as Cleveland Retail Plaza, is an 1,100-square-foot retail unit sitting at a signalized intersection in Cleveland's primary retail corridor, according to a commercial real estate listing from SHOP Companies. It will join a cluster of quick-service dining options already lining South Washington Avenue, including a Dairy Queen at 515 S. Washington Ave and a Sonic Drive-In at 507 S. Washington Ave, per the City of Cleveland's business directory.
A Fast-Growing Town Feeds Retail Demand
The timing lines up with a population boom in Liberty County. Cleveland, Texas has grown to an estimated 10,504 residents in 2026, a 40.17% jump from the 7,494 people counted in the 2020 U.S. Census, according to World Population Review. That kind of growth tends to catch the eye of national retail chains scouting new markets along established corridors.
Texas is already Smoothie King's biggest state, home to 291 locations that make up roughly 23.4% of all its U.S. stores, per data compiled by ScrapeHero. The Coppell/Dallas-headquartered chain opened 74 new locations in 2025 and is projecting more than 90 openings in 2026 nationwide, according to a corporate release from Smoothie King. Opening one of these stores isn't cheap, either — franchise disclosure documents summarized by SharpSheets put the total initial investment between $346,350 for an inline store and as much as $1.28 million for a drive-thru format.
City Incentives and a Site With History
Cleveland has leaned on incentives before to keep commercial space along Washington Avenue viable. The Cleveland Economic Development Corporation runs a Business Improvement Grant program offering property owners up to 50% matching reimbursement for qualified exterior and property upgrades, according to city grant guidelines. The agency is a Type B Economic Development Corporation reporting more than $1.45 million in cash assets earmarked for local job creation and retention, per state economic development records.
The 517 S. Washington Avenue site has needed municipal help staying attractive to tenants in the past. Back in May 2020, the Cleveland Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a 10-foot rear setback variance for the property after owners raised its elevation to address local flood concerns and make it more appealing to commercial tenants, according to official meeting minutes.
It's not yet known who the specific franchise operator will be or when the Cleveland store might open its doors — details the city's announcement didn't address. Whether the project will draw on the EDC's matching grant funds for exterior work also remains unconfirmed. Cleveland's smoothie news follows a similar pattern Hoodline has tracked elsewhere in the state, including a second New Braunfels Smoothie King launch late last year.
