Is Scaling the Best Move?

Thank you. And we likewise have Clinton Anderson, the CEO of Fourth, who will be moderating the discussion with Jason. So Jason, how about I let you give the audience some details about your background and you can likewise inform them a bit about Chop Store. And after that I'll let you take it from there, Clinton.

Thanks Christina. My name is Jason Morgan, CEO of Original Chop Shop. I have actually been doing this for about 9 years now. We bought the brand in 2016three unitsand I've grown it to 26. Prior to this, I have actually spent most of my profession in hospitality in some shape or form. After a quick stint of trying to be an accountant for about a year and a half, I transitioned into casino property and worked in corporate financing.

I was the very first worker there after personal equity purchased business. Assisted grow that from 20 to 150 locations, took it public in 2014, and after that left about a year and a half after going public to do this at Chop Store. My hope is that we can replicate the success we had at Zos, and we're off to an actually good start.

We're at the counter, we bring the food to the table. It is mainly protein bowlsabout 40 percent of the mix. We likewise do salads, sandwiches. The key to the program is we have a beverage part too with fresh-squeezed juices and protein shakes. We do all stables, we do breakfast all day.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

A little more complex than a few of the walk-the-line ideas that are out there, but we believe we've got something pretty unique. We're going to include another store this year and at least four shops next year. So we will be 31 or so shops by the end of next year.

Fast Casual Market Share Growth

I have actually been in this role for about six years. 4th, as numerous of you understand, is a leading provider of software solutions to the restaurant and hospitality industry. Our goal is to help our consumers be successful in driving success and being efficientmanaging labor, managing stock, and generally supplying them with tools they require to provide their vision.

It's unusual to have companies that are beloved and growing rapidly, that can duplicate that success every year. Jason, among the factors I was so thrilled to have you join our session is the success at Zos was amazing. I've just satisfied a handful of brand names where there was such a strong client affinity for the brand name.

When you talk to clients about Chop Shop, they love the location. And to be able to take what is a reasonably complicated concept in terms of providing a terrific experience for the customer, and be able to grow that from a couple of stores to now north of 30 stores next yearit's fantastic.

We're going to speak about how to scale a dining establishment business. Every restaurateur I ever talk with has dreams of taking one store, 2 stores, 5 shops, and turning it into something much biggerexpanding throughout the city, across the state, into numerous states, and ultimately nationwide, even international reach. However it's hard, particularly in today's environment.

Labor is hard. Stock costs remain high. It's not a simple time to drive profitability and growth at the same time. We're happy to have you here today, Jason, because we're going to dig into that topic. The concerns are going to be really around: how do you grow a business? How do you scale it and make it successful? How do you duplicate early success? And from there, after we discuss your experience and the lessons you've learned, we 'd enjoy to then say: well, look, how could technology assist? How can you use technology as a multiplier to duplicate early success to far-reaching success? Second, beyond innovation, how do you scale fantastic teams? And last but not least, AI.

Comparing Franchise ROI Against Growth Trends

The very first concern I have for you, Jasonlook, you have actually done this twice now in the restaurant market. What are some of the lessons you've learned? What has your experience been in terms of what it requires to actually drive success in broadening dining establishments? Inform me a little about your course, what you experienced along the way, and perhaps some of the more difficult lessons you discovered.

We talked a bit before we started about LinkedIn, and I've got a post teed approximately follow this next week about what the playbook is likepoint by pointfor growing an organization. To me, one of the crucial things, and I feel extremely fortunate, is that both brands I've been included with are special.

And there's nothing precisely like Chop Shop in regards to what we're finishing with a large, diverse menu. Many brands today are really singularly focused in terms of what they're providing from a foodstuff. I feel like we started at an advantage with both brands by having something special that filled a specific niche no one else was doing.

A lot of it starts with the brand name. Does your brand have something distinct that no one else is doing?

High-ROI Business Ventures Arising in 2026

The 2nd thingI came from a financing background, so a lot of my knowings are more financing and data-driven versus a lot of early startup restaurateurs who are innovative types. They enjoy the food, they constructed the menu, they developed the brand name.

They don't understand their breakeven sales. They don't understand how margin enhances as sales increase. They don't comprehend cash-on-cash returns. I've seen so numerous business where the numbers just don't work. And yet people say: let's open 10 more. And I'll state: why? It does not earn money. Stop. You need to discover a principle that is unique.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

If you don't have those two things, you shouldn't be building shops. Yeah, perhaps both? Due to the fact that as I hear your description, you've highlighted three things: execution, brand differentiation, and monetary viability. You've got to begin with execution. If you don't have an operating model that works, broadening it just increases problems.

Why Is Fast Casual a Best Investment?

Second, you require a compelling brand name or unique concept that resonates with consumers. And third, the mathematics has to work. If you do not comprehend your system economics, your fixed and variable expenses, you may be broadening blind and losing cash. Precisely. And another key lesson is about entering brand-new markets.

When we broadened to Dallas, I expected brand-new stores to do 5070% of Phoenix sales in the very first year. Too many operators presume new markets will open at complete volume day one.