Expansion Updates: New Milestones in 2026

Thank you. And we also have Clinton Anderson, the CEO of Fourth, who will be moderating the conversation with Jason. So Jason, how about I let you provide the audience some details about your background and you can likewise tell 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 Store. 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 have actually invested the majority of my profession in hospitality in some shape or form. After a quick stint of trying to be an accounting professional for about a year and a half, I transitioned into casino property and worked in corporate finance.

I was the very first worker there after private equity purchased business. Assisted 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 Shop. My hope is that we can duplicate the success we had at Zos, and we're off to a truly good 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.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

A little more complex than some of the walk-the-line concepts that are out there, but we think we've got something quite special. We're going to add another store this year and a minimum of 4 stores next year. We will be 31 or so shops by the end of next year.

Quick Service Market Share Growth for 2026

Hey, everybody. It's fantastic to be with you once again. My name is Clinton Anderson. I'm the CEO here at Fourth. I have actually been in this role for about 6 years. Fourth, as much of you understand, is a leading provider of software application options to the dining establishment and hospitality market. Our objective is to help our clients succeed in driving success and being efficientmanaging labor, handling stock, and basically supplying them with tools they need to provide their vision.

It's uncommon to have companies that are cherished and growing rapidly, that can duplicate that success every year. Jason, one of the factors I was so ecstatic to have you join our session is the success at Zos was incredible. I have actually only satisfied a handful of brand names where there was such a strong consumer affinity for the brand name.

And now you're doing the same thing at Chop Shop. When you talk with consumers about Chop Store, they love the place. They speak about its differentiation. And to be able to take what is a reasonably complicated principle in regards to delivering a fantastic experience for the client, and be able to grow that from a couple of shops to now north of 30 stores next yearit's amazing.

We're going to talk about how to scale a dining establishment business. Every restaurateur I ever speak with has imagine taking one shop, 2 stores, 5 stores, and turning it into something much biggerexpanding across the city, throughout 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 stay high. It's not a simple time to drive success and development at the same time. However we're pleased to have you here today, Jason, because we're going to dig into that topic. The questions are going to be actually around: how do you grow a company? How do you scale it and make it effective? How do you reproduce early success? And from there, after we speak about your experience and the lessons you've found out, we 'd like to then state: well, appearance, how could technology help? How can you use technology as a multiplier to reproduce early success to significant success? Second, beyond technology, how do you scale terrific teams? And last but not least, AI.

Strategic Expansion Milestones in 2026

The very first question I have for you, Jasonlook, you've done this two times now in the restaurant industry. What are some of the lessons you've learned? What has your experience remained in regards to what it takes to really drive success in expanding dining establishments? Tell me a little about your course, what you experienced along the method, and perhaps some of the harder lessons you discovered.

We talked a little 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, among the crucial things, and I feel very fortunate, is that both brands I've been involved with are unique.

And there's absolutely nothing precisely like Chop Store in terms of what we're making with a large, varied menu. The majority of brands today are extremely singularly focused in regards to what they're offering from a foodstuff. I seem like we began at an advantage with both brand names by having something unique that filled a specific niche no one else was doing.

Since it's just harder to stick out when there are 10, 20, 50 ideas within a 2- or three-mile radius attempting to do the exact same thing. So a great deal of it begins with the brand name. Does your brand have something distinct that no one else is doing? That's rare.

How to Scale Your Dining Concept

The second thingI came from a finance 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 like the food, they built the menu, they built the brand.

They don't understand their breakeven sales. They don't comprehend how margin enhances as sales increase. I have actually seen so lots of business where the numbers just do not work.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

If you do not have those two things, you shouldn't be developing shops. Yeah, maybe both? Due to the fact that as I hear your description, you have actually highlighted three things: execution, brand name differentiation, and financial practicality. You have actually got to begin with execution. If you don't have an operating model that works, broadening it just multiplies problems.

Profitable Business Ventures Coming in 2026

Second, you need a compelling brand or unique principle that resonates with clients. And third, the mathematics needs to work. If you don't comprehend your unit economics, your fixed and variable costs, you may be broadening blind and losing money. Exactly. And another essential 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 first year. Too many operators presume brand-new markets will open at full volume day one.