Brian Olson

Vice President of Real Estate

Smoothie King

Brian Olson is Vice President of Real Estate at Smoothie King, where he leads the brand’s national real estate strategy, including site selection, market analytics, deal structuring, and portfolio optimization across diverse markets.

With more than 15 years of experience in restaurant and retail real estate, he has held leadership roles supporting multi-unit growth for brands including Jimmy John’s, Domino’s, Aspen Dental, and CKE Restaurants. In addition to real estate, his background includes franchise development, construction, marketing, and asset management, providing a comprehensive, operator-informed perspective on aligning real estate decisions with unit-level performance.

He has recently completed an Artificial Intelligence certification focused on applying AI to site selection, market analytics, and predictive real estate decision-making. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Illinois University and an MBA from Benedictine University. He has also owned and operated restaurants in the Chicagoland area, giving him firsthand operator insight that informs his real estate strategy.

Based in the Greater Chicago area, Brian is passionate about how data, technology, and real estate strategy intersect to drive smarter, more sustainable restaurant growth.