Is Fast Casual a Best Move?

Thank you. And we also have Clinton Anderson, the CEO of 4th, who will be moderating the conversation with Jason. So Jason, how about I let you offer the audience some info about your background and you can also inform them a little 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 Store. I've been doing this for about nine years now. We bought the brand name in 2016three unitsand I have actually grown it to 26. Prior to this, I have actually spent most of my profession in hospitality in some shape or type. After a short stint of attempting to be an accountant for about a year and a half, I transitioned into gambling establishment property and worked in corporate finance.

I was the very first worker there after private equity purchased the service. Helped grow that from 20 to 150 places, took it public in 2014, and then 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 excellent start.

We're at the counter, we bring the food to the table. It is mostly protein bowlsabout 40 percent of the mix. We also do salads, sandwiches. The key to the program is we have a beverage component as well with fresh-squeezed juices and protein shakes. We do all stables, we do breakfast all the time.

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A little more complex than some of the walk-the-line ideas that are out there, but we think we have actually got something pretty special. We're going to add another store this year and a minimum of four shops next year. We will be 31 or so shops by the end of next year.

Regional Milestones in Brand Expansion

Hey, everyone. It's terrific to be with you once again. My name is Clinton Anderson. I'm the CEO here at Fourth. I've remained in this function for about 6 years. Fourth, as numerous of you know, is a leading supplier of software application services to the restaurant and hospitality market. Our goal is to help our consumers achieve success in driving success and being efficientmanaging labor, managing stock, and basically offering them with tools they need to provide their vision.

It's uncommon to have business that are precious and growing rapidly, that can repeat that success year after year. Jason, among the reasons I was so ecstatic to have you join our session is the success at Zos was amazing. I've just fulfilled a handful of brands 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 to clients about Chop Store, they love the location. They discuss its distinction. And to be able to take what is a reasonably complicated concept in regards to delivering an excellent experience for the customer, and have the ability to grow that from a few shops to now north of 30 shops next yearit's remarkable.

We're going to discuss how to scale a restaurant service. Every restaurateur I ever speak to has dreams of taking one shop, 2 shops, five stores, and turning it into something much biggerexpanding throughout the city, across the state, into multiple states, and ultimately nationwide, even international reach. It's not simple, particularly in today's environment.

Labor is difficult. Inventory expenses remain high. It's not an easy time to drive profitability and development at the very same time. However we're glad to have you here today, Jason, due to the fact that we're going to go into that subject. The concerns are going to be truly around: how do you grow a company? How do you scale it and make it effective? How do you duplicate early success? And from there, after we speak about your experience and the lessons you've discovered, we 'd love to then say: well, look, how could innovation assist? How can you use innovation as a multiplier to duplicate early success to significant success? Second, beyond innovation, how do you scale fantastic groups? And finally, AI.

Expansion Updates: New Developments in 2026

The first concern I have for you, Jasonlook, you have actually done this two times now in the dining establishment industry. What has your experience been in terms of what it takes to really drive success in expanding restaurants?

We talked a bit before we started about LinkedIn, and I've got a post teed as much as follow this next week about what the playbook is likepoint by pointfor growing a business. To me, among the crucial things, and I feel extremely lucky, is that both brand names I've been included with are unique.

And there's nothing exactly like Chop Shop in terms of what we're making with a large, varied menu. Most brands today are very singularly focused in regards to what they're using from a foodstuff. I feel like we began at a benefit with both brand names by having something distinct that filled a niche nobody else was doing.

Since it's simply more difficult to stand apart when there are 10, 20, 50 principles within a 2- or three-mile radius trying to do the precise very same thing. A lot of it starts with the brand name. Does your brand have something distinct that no one else is doing? That's rare.

Hospitality Industry Trends Redefining 2026

The 2nd thingI originated from a financing background, so a lot of my knowings are more financing and data-driven versus a great deal of early startup restaurateurs who are creative types. They like the food, they constructed the menu, they constructed the brand. I most likely could not do that from scratch. If you gave me something that has all those elements in place, I can take it from there and put the playbook in location.

They do not know their breakeven sales. They do not understand how margin improves as sales boost. I've seen so many companies where the numbers simply don't work.

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If you do not have those 2 things, you should not be developing shops. Since as I hear your description, you've highlighted 3 things: execution, brand differentiation, and financial viability.

Analyzing Investment Models Against Market Data

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

When we broadened to Dallas, I anticipated new stores to do 5070% of Phoenix sales in the very first year. Too many operators presume brand-new markets will open at complete volume day one. That nearly never happens. And when the shops open sluggish, but you've signed leases and built a monetary design based upon higher volumes, you get overextended.