Is Fast Casual the Best Move?

Thank you. And we also have Clinton Anderson, the CEO of 4th, who will be moderating the discussion with Jason. So Jason, how about I let you offer the audience some info about your background and you can likewise tell them a bit about Chop Store. And then 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 nine years now. We purchased the brand in 2016three unitsand I've grown it to 26. Prior to this, I have actually invested many of my career in hospitality in some shape or form. After a short stint of trying to be an accounting professional for about a year and a half, I transitioned into gambling establishment property and operated in corporate finance.

I was the very first worker there after private equity bought the organization. Helped 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 Shop. My hope is that we can replicate the success we had at Zos, and we're off to an actually great start.

We're at the counter, we bring the food to the table. The key to the program is we have a beverage component as well with fresh-squeezed juices and protein shakes.

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A little more complicated than a few of the walk-the-line principles that are out there, but we believe we've got something quite special. We're going to add another shop this year and a minimum of four shops next year. We will be 31 or so stores by the end of next year.

How to Expand Your Restaurant Concept

I've been in this function for about 6 years. Fourth, as numerous of you understand, is a leading company of software application solutions to the dining establishment and hospitality market. Our goal is to assist our consumers be effective in driving profitability and being efficientmanaging labor, managing inventory, and essentially offering them with tools they need to deliver their vision.

It's rare to have companies that are beloved and growing quickly, that can repeat that success every year. Jason, among the reasons I was so fired up to have you join our session is the success at Zos was remarkable. I've just fulfilled a handful of brand names where there was such a strong client affinity for the brand.

And now you're doing the very same thing at Chop Shop. When you speak with clients about Chop Store, they love the place. They speak about its distinction. And to be able to take what is a reasonably complicated principle in terms of delivering a great experience for the client, and be able to grow that from a few shops to now north of 30 stores next yearit's remarkable.

We're going to discuss how to scale a dining establishment organization. Every restaurateur I ever talk with has dreams of taking one store, two shops, five stores, and turning it into something much biggerexpanding across the city, across the state, into numerous states, and eventually nationwide, even worldwide reach. It's not simple, specifically in today's environment.

Labor is tough. Stock expenses remain high. It's not an easy time to drive profitability and growth at the same time. We're glad to have you here today, Jason, due to the fact that we're going to dig into that topic. The questions are going to be actually around: how do you grow a business? How do you scale it and make it effective? How do you duplicate early success? And from there, after we discuss your experience and the lessons you've discovered, we 'd enjoy to then state: well, look, how could technology assist? How can you use technology as a multiplier to replicate early success to significant success? Second, beyond technology, how do you scale excellent groups? And lastly, AI.

Restaurant Industry Trends Redefining 2026

The first concern I have for you, Jasonlook, you have actually done this twice now in the restaurant industry. What are a few of the lessons you've discovered? What has your experience been in regards to what it requires to really drive success in expanding restaurants? Inform me a little about your path, what you experienced along the way, and maybe some of the more difficult lessons you discovered.

We talked a bit before we began about LinkedIn, and I've got a post teed approximately follow this next week about what the playbook is likepoint by pointfor growing a company. To me, one of the crucial things, and I feel extremely lucky, is that both brand names I have actually been included with are unique.

And there's nothing exactly like Chop Shop in regards to what we're doing with a big, diverse menu. A lot of brands today are extremely singularly focused in regards to what they're offering from a food item. I feel like we began at a benefit with both brand names by having something special that filled a niche nobody else was doing.

Because it's just more difficult to stand out when there are 10, 20, 50 concepts within a two- or three-mile radius attempting to do the precise very same thing. So a lot of it starts with the brand. Does your brand name have something distinct that nobody else is doing? That's uncommon.

How to Expand a Dining Brand

The second thingI originated from a financing background, so a lot of my knowings are more finance and data-driven versus a lot of early startup restaurateurs who are imaginative types. They enjoy the food, they built the menu, they constructed the brand. I most likely couldn't do that from scratch. However if you offered me something that has all those components in place, I can take it from there and put the playbook in place.

They do not know their breakeven sales. They don't comprehend how margin enhances as sales boost. I've seen so numerous business where the numbers just don't work.

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If you don't have those 2 things, you shouldn't be building shops. Yeah, perhaps both? Because as I hear your description, you've highlighted three things: execution, brand name distinction, and monetary practicality. You've got to begin with execution. If you do not have an operating design that works, expanding it simply multiplies problems.

Strategic Growth Targets for 2026

Second, you require an engaging brand name or special principle that resonates with consumers. And another essential lesson is about getting in new markets.

When we broadened to Dallas, I anticipated new shops to do 5070% of Phoenix sales in the very first year. Too many operators assume new markets will open at complete volume day one.