Quick Service Market Share Trends

Thank you. And we likewise have Clinton Anderson, the CEO of Fourth, who will be moderating the conversation with Jason. Jason, how about I let you provide the audience some details 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 Shop. I've been doing this for about nine years now. We purchased the brand name in 2016three unitsand I have actually grown it to 26. Prior to this, I've invested the majority of my profession in hospitality in some shape or type. After a brief stint of attempting to be an accounting professional for about a year and a half, I transitioned into casino home and operated in business finance.

I was the very first staff member there after personal equity purchased business. Helped grow that from 20 to 150 areas, 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 primarily protein bowlsabout 40 percent of the mix. We likewise do salads, sandwiches. The key to the program is we have a beverage component 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 complicated than some of the walk-the-line principles that are out there, however we believe we have actually got something pretty unique. We're going to include another store this year and a minimum of four stores next year. So we will be 31 or two stores by the end of next year.

Expansion Updates: Regional Milestones for 2026

Hey, everybody. It's excellent 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 six years. Fourth, as many of you know, is a leading company of software application solutions to the restaurant and hospitality industry. Our objective is to help our clients achieve success in driving success and being efficientmanaging labor, managing stock, and basically supplying them with tools they need to deliver their vision.

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

When you talk to consumers about Chop Shop, they enjoy the location. And to be able to take what is a reasonably complex concept in terms of delivering a terrific experience for the customer, and be able to grow that from a couple of shops to now north of 30 shops next yearit's amazing.

We're going to speak about how to scale a dining establishment company. Every restaurateur I ever talk with has dreams of taking one shop, two shops, 5 stores, and turning it into something much biggerexpanding throughout the city, across the state, into several states, and ultimately nationwide, even global reach. It's not easy, especially in today's environment.

It's not a simple time to drive profitability and development at the very same time. How do you scale it and make it effective? Second, beyond technology, how do you scale great groups?

Quick Service Market Share Trends for 2026

The first question I have for you, Jasonlook, you have actually done this two times now in the restaurant industry. What are a few of the lessons you've found out? What has your experience remained in regards to what it requires to actually drive success in expanding restaurants? Tell me a little about your course, what you experienced along the method, and perhaps a few of the more difficult lessons you learned.

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

And there's absolutely nothing exactly like Chop Shop in regards to what we're finishing with a big, varied menu. The majority of brands today are really singularly focused in regards to what they're offering from a food product. I feel like we began at an advantage with both brands by having something unique that filled a niche no one else was doing.

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

Top Benefits of Restaurant Franchising in 2026

The 2nd thingI came from a financing background, so a lot of my learnings are more finance and data-driven versus a lot of early start-up restaurateurs who are imaginative types. They enjoy the food, they constructed the menu, they constructed the brand.

They don't understand their breakeven sales. They don't comprehend how margin improves as sales increase. They don't comprehend cash-on-cash returns. I've seen numerous companies where the numbers simply do not work. And yet individuals state: let's open 10 more. And I'll state: why? It doesn't generate income. Stop. You need to discover a concept that is special.

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If you don't have those two things, you shouldn't be building shops. Yeah, maybe both? Due to the fact that as I hear your description, you've highlighted 3 things: execution, brand distinction, and monetary viability. You've got to start with execution. If you do not have an operating design that works, expanding it just increases issues.

Why Is Fast Casual the Wise Move?

Second, you require an engaging brand or special principle that resonates with clients. And 3rd, the math has to work. If you do not comprehend your unit economics, your fixed and variable expenses, you might be broadening blind and losing cash. Exactly. And another crucial lesson is about entering brand-new markets.

When we broadened to Dallas, I expected brand-new shops to do 5070% of Phoenix sales in the first year. A lot of operators presume new markets will open at full volume the first day. That nearly never happens. And when the shops open sluggish, but you've signed leases and developed a monetary design based on greater volumes, you get overextended.