2023 fast casual Innovative restaurant brands and executives shaping the fast casual segment sponsored by OUR PLATFORM. YOUR FOUNDATION. You strive to deliver amazing every day. So do we. We embrace new challenges, whether developing new solutions in partnership with clients or providing ongoing assistance. Givex is entrusted by some of the world’s leading international brands, with approximately 122,000+ active locations, across more than 100 countries. If you’re focused on success, we’ll show you how to accelerate customer acquisition, retention and operational efficiency from a single platform. • Fully Integrated POS • Gift Loyalty • Payment Processing • Kiosks and Unattended Payment • Open API • Kitchen Display System • E-Commerce and Mobile App • Analytics and Reporting Prove it to yourself. Book a one-hour, no-commitment demo now. Learn more at www.givex.com 2023 Every few years, a new food category emerges as the leader in the fast casual industry. Tom Harper Executive chairman tomh@networldmediagroup.com Kathy Doyle CEO kathyd@networldmediagroup.com First, it was better burgers. Then came pizza followed by fro-yo and breakfast foods, which brings us to 2023 and the better-chicken brands are at the top of the pecking order. That’s why it’s no surprise that our judges chose chicken concepts to fill the top three spots in this year’s Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Cherryh Cansler VP of events, editor of FastCasual cherryhc@networldmediagroup.com A few things every brand on this list, chickenfocused or not, have in common, however, is a dedication to innovation, nimbleness and creativity. Mandy Detwiler Managing editor mandyd@networldmediagroup.com Those three attributes were top of mind as judges sifted through the hundreds of nominations. After hours of deliberation, the panel settled on 75 brands and 25 executives to round out this year’s Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list. Christen Everett Contributing writer, FastCasual christene@networldmediagroup.com We are honored to feature their stories. Kimberly Wright Digital client services director kimw@networldmediagroup.com Congratulations to all our winners. Cheers, Cherryh Cansler sponsored by Editor, FastCasual VP of events Networld Media Group ABOUT THE SPONSOR The 2023 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers. ©2023 Networld Media Group LLC. 13100 East Point Park Blvd., Louisville, KY 40223. (502) 241-7545. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written approval of the publisher. Viewpoints of the columnists and editors are their own and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the publisher. Givex Corp. (TSX: GIVX; OTCQX: GIVXF) provides merchants with customer engagement, point of sale and payment solutions, all in a single platform. We are integrated with 1000+ technology partners, creating a fully end-to-end solution that delivers powerful customer insights. Our platform is used by some of the world's largest brands across the globe, comprising approximately 122,000+ active locations across more than 100 countries. Learn more at www.givex.com. 3 Top 75 Brands #1 DAVE'S HOT CHICKEN Dave’s Hot Chicken may have gotten its start in 2018 as a parking lot pop-up in Hollywood, but those days are long gone. It celebrated its 100th opening in 2022 and has commitments to open 742 stores, of which 75 will come by year’s end. Such fast growth isn’t possible, however, without a lot of operational support, which is why Dave’s implemented a cloud-based technology stack using Revel for POS, kitchen display systems and credit card processing. Olo aggregates third-party delivery companies and online ordering, Givex handles gift-card processing, and Restaurant365 supports back-office and accounting. Harri allows for applicant tracking, onboarding employees, scheduling and timeclock/payroll compliance, while Restaurant Analytics Delivered is the company’s data warehouse and business Intelligence tool, which consolidates 13 data sources. Lastly, Dave's uses Tattle for Guest Feedback. “Dave’s Hot Chicken has become a phenomenon thanks to the company’s hot-and-juicy chicken, fun and inviting restaurants and our best-in-class franchise partners, all of which deliver a tremendous experience for our guests,” CEO Bill Phelps said. “We recognize that to maintain our growth trajectory, we need to continue to deliver an experience that blows our guests’ minds across flavor, product quality and overall enjoyment.” The five-year-old chain, which is backed by celebrities, including singer Drake and actor Samuel L. Jackson, is attracting a lot of industry and media attention. A story about Dave’s expansion, for example, was FastCasual’s most read story of 2022, and Drake fans took notice when Dave’s released its first advertising campaign in late 2022 featuring Instagram posts by Drake offering a free slider or tender on his 36th birthday. From there, Dave’s started pushing ads with the slogan, “Don’t Die Before You Try.” 4 Top 75 Brands #2 CHICKEN SALAD CHICK Chicken Salad Chick has remained true to its roots while thriving amidst the changes across the dining landscape over the last several years. With system-wide sales growing 20% from 2021 to 2022, finishing at over $306 million, CSC has had positive comps in 24 of the last 28 quarters, including the last eight straight quarters. The average unit volume was over $1.4 million in 2022 – a record for the company. Focused on made-from-scratch ingredients and service from the heart, unit count grew 10% over the past year with a total of 225 restaurants in 17 states at the end of 2022. Throughout the past year, CSC opened 24 locations, including market debuts in Indiana and Chicago. Additionally, it signed 24 franchise agreements to develop 38 restaurants in the coming years. Delivery and online orders now account for between 15 and 20% of sales. Rather than cramming a shelf with to-go bags, the restaurants have designated pickup areas and train workers to ensure accuracy. The growth in digital channels (marketing helped take delivery from 0 to 8% in just over a year) has been transformative in driving up AUV. CSC plans to add over 40 units this year across the Southeast and Midwest regions. “There is always pressure in the industry to grow and be large, but Chicken Salad Chick continues to be smart and disciplined about our growth,” CEO Scott Deviney said. “We know we have a great company, and we focus on keeping it great and growing in a measured way that doesn’t stretch the boundaries of supply chain or marketing reach. I’m really proud of our team for their continued focus on the core Chick experience. They deliver excellence every day in our restaurants, making everything from scratch with fresh ingredients.” #3 BIG CHICKEN It’s no surprise that Big Chicken is set up to be the next big thing, considering it was founded by Shaquille O’Neal, is run by a pair of powerful ownership group partners, Authentic Brands and JRS Hospitality, and serves food inspired by O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites crafted by Las Vegas chefs Matt Silverman and Matt Piekarski. Although it’s barely five years old, Big Chicken has nearly 20 locations open and over 200 locations in development, with stores open in Los Angeles; Las Vegas; Austin; Kansas City; New York City; Dayton, Ohio; Renton; Seattle; and on three Carnival Cruise ships. Although Big Chicken will add 20 locations by year’s end, serving food in space is its ultimate goal. It recently signed an agreement with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to open a restaurant in space, making it the first restaurant to have an intergalactic deal in the works. To pull off its lofty goals, Big Chicken has tapped several technology partners, including PAR Technology, to streamline its digital platforms, as well as OneTouchPoint’s marketing and brand management platform, U.Connect, which gives franchises access to marketing promotions, point of sale assets and branded templates. The chain has also launched Olo to streamline third-party operations and piloted Ovation, a guest feedback platform. Big Chicken recently launched a proprietary loyalty program with the goal to allow different consumer types and generations to “choose their own adventure” in how they collect and redeem loyalty points, while creating a frictionless guest experience. Lastly, it opened its first drive-thru location and added a breakfast menu. 5 Top 75 Brands #4 WOW BAO Wow Bao, which was The Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers No. 1 brand in 2022, is the only brand to have taken the honor more than once. It also won in 2019 and has spent the past year proving its worthiness. The Chicago-based chain, available in 700 locations, not only launched e-commerce via walmart. com and rolled out hot food vending machines last year but also joined the metaverse a few months ago by creating an NFT-based extension of its Bao Bucks rewards program and launching metaverse vending machines. “Wow Bao has been innovating and evolving for over a decade,” CEO and President Geoff Alexander said. “We have always been a leader in restaurant technology, a maverick in social media, a pioneer in the virtual/ dark kitchen space; and now we are leading the way in web3 with our enhanced NFT loyalty program, and vending machines in the metaverse.” The chain will open within two airports by the end of 2023 and will also add 250 virtual locations using its dark kitchen strategy developed two years ago by Alexander, which allows nearly any restaurant brand to add Wow Bao menu items to its offerings. It’s also expanding its retail presence as its bao, potstickers, egg rolls and rangoons are available from 1,000 sushi counters at national grocers, with additional regional locations opening this summer. #5 FAZOLI'S Since being acquired last year by FAT Brands, Fazoli’s has inked 18 agreements to open 61 restaurants across the U.S., and the Kentucky-based chain is planning to add 300 to 500 locations over the next five to 10 years. Even with the aggressive expansion plans, the executive team continues to make its people a priority. Franchisees, for example, have access to programs to make orientation and training seamless, from full IT support to extensive operations training and ongoing marketing assistance. The chain also applies a similar focus when it comes to fighting the labor crisis. Last summer, for example, it hired a staffing specialist, who has been hiring 16 to 18 team members per week, a rate that would equate to nearly 35% of the company’s total hourly hires each year. For recruitment, the chain uses mass media, social media, job boards and guest loyalty databases. Applicant flow has been year-over-year positive for nine consecutive months and up 8.4% year-to-date. An online application process is no longer optional, and to cut dropout rates, the chain implemented chatbot technology to incorporate a brand-engagement touchpoint during the completion stage, which has led to a 55% reduction in dropouts. Nearly 20% of all job applicants are interviewed the same day they apply for employment. 6 Top 75 Brands #6 BONCHON South Korea-born Bonchon, which translates as “my hometown,” has seen tremendous growth in sales and locations over the past year. Its AUV, for example, has increased by 24.7% to $1.57 million, and it has a five-year restaurant growth rate of 21%. This doesn’t even include a pipeline of over 120 future restaurants. Over the past 12 months, it hit several other achievements, including opening its first delivery and carryout-only concept, giving operators four restaurant formats from which to choose. The brand, which has over 400 locations, is also launching a partnership with Future Kitchens, a Korean startup focused on developing unmanned automated kitchen platforms to allow food orders to be taken automatically. The production of food may also be completed through this automated chicken-cooking system that can do everything from selecting broiler parts to coating chicken batter and frying the chicken. “Maintaining brand relevance, interest and growth especially internationally and throughout the U.S. for that many years is not an easy feat,” said Flynn Dekker, CEO of Bonchon. “As we look to the future, we are focused on staying at the forefront when it comes to technology and innovation. We know that sticking to this strategy is what will continue to fuel our growth. Everything we do is working towards being known as the best Korean fried chicken brand in the U.S.” #7 DICKEY'S BARBECUE PIT While 2022 was marked for many as a year of recession, Texas-based Dickey’s Barbecue Pit surpassed the previous year’s sales and set records in catering (15%+), app-based purchases (7%+), and international store sales growth (increased 7 times over the previous year). In addition, the brand focused on profit building and launched a branded cookbook, an inventory technology tool, menu enhancements, and the WD Provisions Sausage Plant to head off supply chain issues. The changes are paying off as digital sales are exceeding pre-COVID performance by over 99%, and restaurant sales for the entire system were same-store sales positive for the year. Dickey’s also created Boost Restaurant Concepts, made up of its four virtual brands licensed as a virtual package to existing restaurateurs outside of Dickey’s. By July 2022, the brand had nearly 170 Boost locations and is on track to double that by year’s end. In addition to domestic growth, Dickey’s has its eye on international expansion, including Canada, Singapore and Pakistan. Projections for future growth by the end of 2023 will see 40 additional international stores, and over 800 total stores in the footprint. 7 Top 75 Brands #8 BURGERFI INTERNATIONAL Florida-based BurgerFi International Inc., which owns BurgerFi and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings, has always been a leader when it comes to technology. Sure, it has a mobile app, selfordering kiosks, QR codes and several virtual kitchens, but it also began testing Patty, the kitchen robot, late last year in Jupiter, Florida. Patty delivers food to tables and returns trays. BurgerFi is also measuring the success of in-car ordering, thanks to a partnership with MAVI.io’s OnMyWay Mobile Retail Network, which brings shopping options to the dashboards of customer vehicles. Lastly, it has tapped Radius Networks to deploy Flybuy Pickup, which triggers notifications to app users when they are nearby or at a point of interest inside the restaurant. “BurgerFi has been leveraging and testing technologies to keep up with evolving customer demands and remains at the forefront of innovation as part of its commitment to provide the best restaurant experience, while continuing its aggressive expansion along the Eastern seaboard,” said Karl Goodhew, chief technology officer of BurgerFi. Customers seem to dig the technology as BurgerFi recently reported that 2022 Q4 revenue was up 29%, to $45.2 million, surpassing the consensus of $44.9 million. #9 THE HALAL GUYS The Halal Guys, which started as a food cart in NYC, has opened 100 locations and has over 400 global franchises in development, with 20 opening by year’s end. The chain, which has a mobile app with over 50,000 lifetime downloads, recently won over the New York Yankees, signing a deal with the professional baseball team to give fans the opportunity to order The Halal Guys’ chicken and beef gyros and platters while watching games at Yankee Stadium in NYC. It also ended 2022 by landing a title sponsorship of The Clash, a college basketball event, where it aired its first national commercials on Fox in primetime. The strategy has been instrumental in engaging college-age fans as it continues to open locations near college campuses across the country. “We’re committed to providing a unique brand of delicious Halal food that no one else can compete with, and we’re poised to continue to dominate this space as we work towards opening the more than 400 locations we have in development,” CEO Ahmed Abouelenein said. “2022 was our biggest year yet, one that saw us grow our national profile like we’ve never done before. 2023 will be the year Halal Guys truly becomes a household name.” 8 Top 75 Brands #10 CAPRIOTTI'S/WING ZONE Since Capriotti’s acquired Wing Zone in 2021, it has continued to set growth, revenue and profitability records throughout the pandemic. The sister brands have over 250 locations, and this year are adding 50 Capriotti’s and 25 Wing Zones domestically and 15 Capriotti’s and 25 Wing Zones internationally. Growth without buttoning up labor issues isn’t possible, however, which is why the company rolled out software that helps franchisees sponsor posts, drive traffic, implement assessments and more. It also created a cooking methodology, dubbed Capriotti’s 3.0, to cut cooking time of cheesesteaks in half, tripling the number of orders restaurants can fulfill. This past year was also a trailblazing one as far as technology goes. The company launched a SOCi and Olo integration, combining its marketing and POS platforms, partnered with Epsilon to gain brand-specific consumer profiles and insights, set up Olo Wisely to enable personalized marketing and tracking, and launched an all-new website. Capriotti’s and Wing Zone have also established a reliable supply chain with integrated inventory management systems like ArrowStream, giving franchisees visibility into their product spend and inventory levels. Plus, the team is exploring ways to add more convenience for customers, such as testing voice artificial intelligence ordering and installing order kiosks. #11 SLIM CHICKENS Offering high-quality food with a focus on fresh, delicious ingredients, Slim Chickens prides itself on its southern flair and commitment to hospitality. Food is cooked to order, and the differentiated menu features chicken tenders, fresh salads, sandwiches, chicken and waffles, chicken wings and unique side items, alongside 17 house-made dipping sauces. Placing adaptability at its very core, Slim Chickens was able to flip distribution models during COVID-19. Through its drive-thru, delivery, curbside, pickup and catering options, the brand became nimble and was able to accommodate 100% off-premise sales. Its ability to quickly maneuver its systems and operations enabled it to achieve over 40% positive comp store sales growth in the last three years and systemwide revenue growth of over 35%. This momentum secured in 2022 helped Slim Chickens achieve several milestones, including the opening of its 200th store, opening more stores than any other year, and entering 15 new markets. With the lucrative year on its ledger, the brand created new history with 150 development deals in the United States and more than 150 internationally. By year’s end, Slim Chickens is slated to sign over 200 unit restaurant deals and open 70 plus locations, with more than 55 locations domestically and over 15 internationally. As it continues its burgeoning momentum and upward trajectory, it’s looking to extend its southern hospitality and fuel the demand for its hand-breaded, cooked-to-order tenders across the United States as well as both sides of the Atlantic in countries such as France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Turkey, and the GCC. 9 Top 75 Brands #12 POKEWORKS Pokeworks is the undisputed leader in the poke category. With the highest AUVs ($900,000+), most units (70 operating units), and uncompromising food quality top down, Pokeworks is the gold standard in the poke space, which is expected to double over the next five years. In 2022, same-store sales comps continued in a positive direction and have surpassed pre-COVID sales. The brand plans to open at least 20 units in 2023 and expects its AUVs to exceed $1 million. In 2022, Pokeworks launched a state-of-the-art tech stack featuring a new website and integrated with Olo & Punchh, enhancing the guest experience. “From a quality, consistency, AUV and leadership perspective it is very easy to see why Pokeworks is the undisputed category leader,” CEO Steve Heeley said. “We continually invest in people, technology and innovation.” In 2023, the brand plans to continue to strengthen its leadership team with the best and brightest as well as continually sourcing the best people at all levels of the organization. The new tech stack launched in February will continue to evolve, all while product innovation will stay at the top of the priority list. #13 CRAVE HOT DOGS & BBQ With a record-breaking number of franchise agreements in 2022 (35 agreements sold), Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ expects to more than double that in 2023. Crave assists its franchisees with real estate and acquiring SBA loans, and oversees the development of the locations. It has an in-house general contractor to help with a quick and efficient opening as well as multiple trainers and operations individuals on staff for 24/7 assistance. Crave, based in New York, also adds the latest technology each year and continues to implement trends onto its menu to stay relevant. Its self-pour beer wall with RFID technology, which allows customers to sample craft beers and pay by the ounce, is a customer favorite. “At Crave we always strive to be the best and give the best,” said Co-founder and CEO Samantha Rincione. “We will push ourselves to have the hottest food and technology trends, follow customer trends and keep up with the changing world we live in. Our support staff is 24/7, and is always available to our franchisees. We assist with many things that other franchises want, but that’s what makes us great. We will take risks and push hard for the success of the brand and the success of our franchisees, or as we call them, our Crave Family.” With 42 locations in development, the brand is definitely growing but is also passionate about its non-profit, Crave-Saves, which works to combat child trafficking in the United States by focusing on awareness through local restaurants as well as nationwide. 10 Top 75 Brands #14 TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE Tropical Smoothie Cafe rounded out another year of impressive growth in 2022 with 158 cafe openings, the most the brand has opened in a single year, as well as 258 executed franchise agreements. The brand also achieved its 11th consecutive year of positive same-store salesgrowth and over the past five years, 70% of new locations came from existing Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchisees. Additionally, Florida-based Tropical Smoothie Cafe strengthened its non-traditional growth with a new airport location and locations on five military bases. The brand also debuted a new prototype, with its double drive-thru location in Oklahoma City. Finally, to increase engagement and the guest digital experience, Tropical Smoothie Cafe redesigned its app and launched the improved Tropic Rewards program. Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s strategic growth plan includes expanding in key territories, including the Midwest, Northwest and South, with quality franchisees that are aligned with the brand’s culture and values. #15 SALADWORKS Founded in 1986, Saladworks has grown from its original location in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, to over 160 locations in 25 states and Canada. It encourages guests to be original, giving them the option to choose from salads, soups, warm grain bowls, wraps and sandwiches or paninis. The brand offers 60-plus ingredients including fresh vegetables, fruits, proteins and dressings, making its menus customizable to any diet or lifestyle choice. The chain’s parent company, WOWorks, was formed in 2020 with a mission to help guests pursue their passions and live their best lives by serving a variety of healthy, nutritious and flavorful meals. The company has grown into a multi-brand powerhouse in the better-for-you restaurant category and includes Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina, and Zoup Eatery. The brand’s growth numbers continue to reflect the robust demand for fresh, flavorful and healthy fast casual dining options. In 2022, Saladworks had a same-store comp sales growth of 2.3% and opened seven ghost kitchen locations through its partnership with Combo Kitchen. It announced its menu is now available for on-the-go meals, takeout and delivery through partnerships with two new Kitchen United Mix Food Hall locations in Columbus, Ohio. 11 Top 75 Brands “With all the waves of inflation hitting the restaurant industry, our unique concept has proven that it can withstand even the toughest of times,” CEO Nour Rabai said. “Our brand continues to stay energetic, humble, hardworking, and nimble enough to pivot to our customers’ needs and demands.” 16. Smashburger Colorado-based Smashburger’s menu innovations and adaptations of customers’ service and culinary desires led to an increase of same-store sales by 19% vs. prepandemic, and over 4.7% 2022 vs. 2021. The main goal for the brand was to meet their customers’ needs through innovative menu offerings, expanding access and occasions, and creating an enhanced dining experience. Throughout 2022, the chain launched several dishes that went beyond what the brand is most known for -- burgers. Some of these innovations included the rollout of non-dairy shakes made with Eclipse plantbased ice cream, chicken tenders and bone-in wings in four flavors. Within the first eight weeks of the wing launch, wing sales generated over $758,000 in revenue. Wing purchases were largely incremental to the business and increased the samestore sales trend by over 5.5 percentage points. Additionally, the wings didn’t affect burger sales, as most guests simply added the wings to their orders rather than replacing their go-to burgers. In 2023, Smashburger is looking into smaller locations where customers can pick up their food and go and also plans to increase the number of locations across the country, while rolling out more drivethrus. By year’s end, the brand will have added 10 to 15 locations. 17. PITA Mediterranean Street Food A favorite for fresh, made-to-order Mediterranean cuisine, PITA Mediterranean Street Food welcomes guests to an open kitchen boasting rotisseries full of gyro, kabobs flaming on the grill, and the aromas of cumin and olive oil wafting through the air. Founder Nour Rabai has created a hospitable dining experience where guests can feel at home while enjoying authentic, freshly prepared Mediterranean cuisine with friends and family. The secret to PITA’s success is that each order is freshly made in front of the guest, as pitas are warmed, olive oil-drizzled hummus is scooped, and sizzling rotisserie meats are hand-carved. Georgia-based PITA Mediterranean Street Food currently has numerous locations in the greater metro Atlanta area; in other Georgia cities including Augusta, Warner Robins and Columbus; and out-of-state locations in Montgomery, Alabama and Greenville, South Carolina. In 2022, the brand Integrated more digital innovations with an app and new POS provider, which have helped battle the cost of labor inflation by running a leaner operation at the store levels. 18. Jersey Mike's Subs Jersey Mike’s, headquartered in Manasquan, New Jersey, remains one of the leaders in technology for the restaurant business. Its recent upgrades of the POS system and app have allowed employees to move seamlessly to accommodate more online orders and third-party delivery. The chain also combined all legacy systems into a unified platform with the ability to follow a customer’s journey, with all information connected and in one place (online ordering, loyalty points, etc.). From the marketing side, this helps provide customers with personalized offers targeted to their likes and needs. This also provides an easier experience for store employees. Growth is the byproduct of Jersey Mike’s culture of taking care of franchisees, crew members and its communities. In 2022, the brand hit a milestone 2,400 locations nationwide in 49 states and $2.68 billion in systemwide sales. It also opened a record-breaking 308 locations, up from 252 stores in 2021. 12 Top 75 Brands Founder and CEO Peter Cancro said the brand is driven by the mission of making a difference in someone’s life. Last year, Jersey Mike’s raised $20 million for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games and Special Olympics State Programs during the company’s 12th annual Month of Giving fundraising campaign in March. And in one weekend in November, it raised $3.6 million for Feeding America. Finally, the brand introduced a new leader, William Armstrong, as chief brand officer. Armstrong comes to Schlotzsky’s with extensive restaurant operations and a strong vision leading the brand into the future. This year, the company expects to open 300 locations. menu items available only on the loyalty app, The Velvet Room. The taco brand collaborated with Thanx, a provider of guest engagement technology, to offer non-traditional perks in hopes of enticing guests to order directly, rather than from third-party delivery channels. Velvet Taco projects that growth in direct ordering versus third-party would mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings from commission fees. 20. Velvet Taco 19. Schlotzsky’s In 2022, Schlotzsky’s launched a new menu platform - Calzones - and created Bare Naked Pizza, whose innovative campaign made headlines and turned heads with its OnlyFans page featuring videos of the menu items as well as coupons. It also created a lot of buzz when it teamed up with NSYNC’s Joey Fatone to launch the Fatone Calzone, an Italian-inspired calzone with ham, salami, cheese and marinara dipping sauce. From an operations standpoint, Schlotzsky’s opened the first location of its 1,000-square-foot prototype in Oklahoma City. The smaller store can fit on .69 acres of land and is strategically designed without indoor seating but with two drive-thrus on each side of the restaurant. It allows franchisees the flexibility to develop with competitive real estate in urban areas as well as prioritize the shift in consumer demand from in-restaurant dining to off-premise business. Velvet Taco has stayed true to expansion plans, attributing its ability to grow outside of Dallas to its innovative leadership team. In 2023, the brand, which has more than doubled its footprint over the past two years, plans to open over 10 locations with one or two new market entries, totaling more than 40 locations by the end of the year. “The success of our brand, centering on factors beyond profitability, can be attributed to our leadership and creativity,” CEO Clay Dover said. “Since Velvet Taco’s beginning in 2011, we’ve worked hard to continuously seek new opportunities for menu innovation and culinary achievements through our weekly taco specials, and supply chain management. The embodiment of a Fast Casual Top 100 Mover & Shaker can be found in Velvet Taco not only due to our brand’s impressive growth plan execution but also because we value innovation above all else.” In 2022, Velvet Taco launched the “Hidden Menu’’ featuring six secret 21. Dog Haus California-based Dog Haus expects 2023 to be the biggest year in company history and has launched “Absolute Würst” plans for significant expansion across the nation. The gourmet hot dog, sausage and burger concept is coming off a jam-packed year in which it collaborated with a half-dozen renowned chefs on creative menu innovations, donated to No Kid Hungry, opened six restaurants, and earned no fewer than 15 industry awards and recognitions. The chain, which launched The Absolute Brands in 2020, composed of several virtual brands including Jailbird, Bad-Ass Breakfast Burritos and Bad Mutha Clucka, is working to establish partnerships with existing restaurant brands to license and sell the popular products under other concepts beyond Dog Haus. It’s also exploring brick-and-mortar restaurants for Bad-Ass Breakfast Burritos. 13 Top 75 Brands Dog Haus is bringing the hottest links in 2023 with its Absolute Würst Sausage Series. Creating a string of innovative sausages all year long, Dog Haus’ Würstmacher Adam Gertler is putting his freshest and wildest culinary ideas to the test. From sushi to beef and broccoli to al pastor sausages, small batches will be showing up at your local Dog Haus in the form of a different perfectly grilled sausage each month. ordering, third-party delivery and Google Food Ordering & POS integration. Finally, the brand has continued to grow in dual brand venues alongside sister brand Auntie Anne’s. In 2022, for example, eight of Jamba’s store openings were co-branded with an Auntie Anne’s branded unit, bringing a thoughtfully paired, convenient format to consumers looking for a snack break with options for everyone. In 2023, Dog Haus is adding 20 locations as well as several restaurants via ghost kitchens and nontraditional sites. of the country’s provinces over the next several years. The brand’s non-traditional footprint continues to expand with its latest addition in Friant, California’s Table Mountain Casino, and its second walk-up and drive-thru only location opened in Tucson, Arizona. Freddy’s has technology incorporated within all locations, and in 2022, launched an improved and updated app that includes a digital loyalty program and mobile ordering. Online ordering through the website also became available. Freddy’s has nearly 20 restaurants slated to open in the first quarter of 2023 and plans to open over 60 locations nationwide throughout the year. 23. Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers 22. Jamba Since joining Focus Brands in 2018, Jamba has evolved by investing in menu innovation and continuing to prioritize accessibility and convenience. Last year, it opened 29 locations in the United States, including new venues like hospitals and travel plazas, and is continuing to test Jamba by Blendid, making it the first smoothie brand to introduce robotic kiosks. UCLA became the third college campus to welcome the restaurant. Additionally, Jamba launched a collaboration with Revive Superfoods to ship smoothie kits directly to customers’ front doors. The chain also boasts a best-in-class loyalty program with over 3 million members, featuring online Wichita, Kansas-based Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is a rapidly growing franchise that continues to enter markets, implement technology systemwide and serve high-quality menu items. Its commitment to providing highquality, cooked-to-order menu items with genuine hospitality has helped the company maintain consistent growth and hit over 458 locations in 36 states across the nation. Over the past year, Freddy’s added 32 restaurants, including its first locations in North and South Dakota, and signed multi-unit agreements with new and existing franchisees, adding 140 units to its pipeline. As a result of the brand’s 2022 agreement signings, Freddy’s will make its entrance to Canada, with plans to open restaurants across nine 24. Shake Shack NYC-based Shake Shack’s purpose is to “Stand for Something Good,” which it manifests with its premium ingredients, employee development, inspiring designs and deep community investment. Today, these core values are more important than ever as consumers increasingly make purchasing decisions based on how much a brand reflects their interests and supports causes they care about. With nearly 450 locations around the world, Shake Shack’s global expansion is just heating up. It’s targeting 40 Shacks in 2023, which includes 25 to 30 new licensed Shacks and 10 to 15 drive-thrus. 14 Top 75 Brands In 2022, Shake Shack continued to seek out fun and unexpected ways to push the envelope on what a modern-day “roadside” burger stand can look like. It launched nationwide LTOs that drove foot traffic, app downloads and sales, including a Buffalo Chicken menu, a sweet and savory Bourbon Bacon Cheddar menu made in partnership with Maker’s Mark, and a spicy Hot Ones menu made with First We Feast’s viral YouTube series, Hot Ones. Shake Shack also launched its first brand campaign underlined by fans’ love of premium ingredients and uplifting experiences and a test market run. offers assistance identifying optimal store locations and robust consumer marketing and advertising programs. successful business model, in-depth franchisee support and expert leadership team. The chain’s adaptability has helped it maintain an aggressive growth trajectory throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and today’s economic uncertainty. Gong cha shops require low capital investment, minimal buildout, low equipment costs, a small labor footprint, and limited food preparation, and virtually all ingredients have a long shelf life, producing very little waste. Gong cha’s sealed-top packaging also lends itself exceedingly well to takeout and delivery. One way Teriyaki Madness has supported its franchisees is through an employee training program called Mad University, powered by PlayerLync, a mobile digital workplace. Each training module on the platform contains a video, a specs page and a quiz. The courses are broken up into sections, and once new employees complete the Mad U modules, the classes are still available for them to review at any time. Everyone has a login and can access Mad U at all times from their phone or any other device. Lastly, Shake Shack opened nine drive-thrus in 2022 to expand upon convenience and enhanced guest experience, and is on pace to double its drive-thru count in 2023. 25. Gong Cha With its premium product, simple and scalable operational model, innovative franchise program and strong corporate support, Taiwanbased Gong cha is one of the fastestgrowing bubble tea brands, with 190 stores in the United States and over 1,900 locations in the world. It plans to hit 2,000 locations by year’s end, with 270 being in the U.S. Gong cha’s commitment to quality starts with its name, “Gong cha,” meaning to offer the best tea to the emperor from all of one’s possessions. Gong cha sources teas from the finest estates across Asia and ships its products directly from Taiwan, ensuring consistency. It also 26. Teriyaki Madness Colorado-based Teriyaki Madness has been making some pretty big moves in recent years by creating value for franchisees, guests and employees alike. With over 125 shops across three countries, the numbers don’t lie. 27. Blaze Pizza Last year, TMAD grew its footprint by an impressive 21%, with over 100 units awarded to franchisees. With the vast majority of current franchisees expanding into additional units, TMAD expects nearly 50% systemwide growth again this year, opening 59 units in 2023. Blaze Pizza, which opened 10 years ago, has over 330 restaurants across 38 states and six countries. The brand saw steady growth throughout 2022 in key target markets across the country, opening 13 restaurants and signing seven development agreements. These deals will add 27 restaurants across Maryland, Georgia and Tennessee, positioning the brand for continued nationwide expansion in 2023 and beyond. Despite the obvious challenges of COVID, supply chain, and rising inflation that everyone experienced over the last few years, Teriyaki Madness has continued to thrive due to its simple, proven and To meet consumers where and how they want, Blaze Pizza has also been seeking opportunities to expand with non-traditional restaurants. In 2022, for example, it debuted on the campus of 15 Top 75 Brands Tarleton State University in Texas, and this year, it’s expanding across airports and other non-traditional venues as it explores smaller restaurant prototypes. Additionally, the company has prioritized meeting the evolving demands of today’s consumers – from dietary preferences to ordering habits and more. Over the past 12 months, for example, Blaze has rolled out keto and gluten-free crust as well as non-dairy dressings and vegan meats. The chain has also broadened its digital and technology capabilities as offpremise dining and mobile ordering have become the standard and has learned to gather data to help it cater to its audience in a more effective and efficient manner across social media and the Blaze app. In 2023, Blaze Pizza plans to open 15 locations across the U.S., including in Texas, Colorado, Virginia and key regions throughout the Northeast. including SSS and TSS increases of approximately 25% since 2020. The chain also reported that AUV of its top 25% of locations reached over $1.3 million, with the top 50% of locations reporting an AUV higher than $1.15 million. Robust digital sales via online orders, the WaBa Rewards App, and third-party delivery continue to rise and represent over 25% of total sales. WaBa Grill’s entire menu of fire-grilled options became even more accessible last year as the brand’s digital channels continued to thrive. In 2022, the brand unveiled the WaBa Text Club, which directly engages with a new host of WaBa fans, tailoring how they prefer to receive their news and offers. The brand’s promise of “Always Low-Cost Delivery” continued to drive positive guest feedback scores. Franchise momentum and expansion also helped to fuel WaBa Grill’s phenomenal year. The brand opened four locations in 2022 and is expected to hit its 200-restaurant milestone in 2023. WaBa Grill has 61 restaurants in development, having cemented major multi-unit development deals in 2022, including an agreement to open 20 stores throughout Northern California. niche in a saturated segment with its almond-wood smoked chicken and wings, chef-crafted sandwiches and golden fried tenders. In its first full year of franchising, Chick N Max had a momentous year highlighted by three franchise development deals that will expand the next-generation fast casual chicken franchise concept in Kansas, South Dakota and Texas. The deals will introduce 53 restaurants to these markets, including 25 across the state of Kansas, three in Sioux Falls, and 25 throughout the Houston area. With this momentum, Chick N Max is well on its way to achieving its goal of opening five to seven restaurants in 2023 and at least that many each year thereafter. Max Sheets, founder and CEO of Chick N Max, said the chicken segment is no doubt crowded, but Chick N Max has perfected a niche that truly differentiates it from the competition. “Our signature smoked chicken, which is smoked over almond wood from California, takes center stage at Chick N Max and provides a healthier take on chicken,” he said. “It’s unlike anything else in the segment.” 28. WaBa Grill Since 2006, WaBa Grill has experienced steady momentum and is one of the nation’s leading healthy rice bowl chains. 2022 brought with it another year of growth for the brand, which reported a 2.3% increase in same-store sales and a 3.8% increase in total system sales over the prior year, and built upon recordsetting numbers from 2021. Last year also marked the continuation of WaBa Grill’s 24-month gains across the sales spectrum, 29. Chick N Max Founded in 2017 and franchising since 2021, Wichita, Kansas-based Chick N Max is carving out a unique 30. Fatburger For over 70 years, Los Angeles-based Fatburger has stayed true to its burgers and fries roots while also pushing the envelope to enhance 16 Top 75 Brands the guest experience — whether that is through a new menu item such as the Impossible Chicken Nuggets or playing into its audience with an edgy 4/20 campaign. Looking back 20 years ago, Fatburger was only a 40-unit brand, primarily located in California; it recently hit its 200th location. Now across 15 states and 14 countries, Fatburger is committed to changing the narrative from being a West Coast burger chain to a leading international burger player. In 2022, the brand debuted in France, Mexico, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Marrakesh, Morocco, along with leaning into another one of its key growth pillars — expanding into nontraditional venues, opening in Las Vegas casinos, The Venetian and The Excalibur, in addition to opening at Six Flags Great Adventure. The pipeline for Fatburger has never been stronger. Out of parent company’s FAT Brands’ 17-concept portfolio, the brand leads the way from a development perspective. In 2022, for example, it added 86 stores to the development pipeline, many of which will introduce it to new markets, including Florida and Puerto Rico. 31. Torchy's Tacos Torchy’s Tacos strives to be “Damn Good” in everything it does, from scratch-made recipes to its culture and people. In 2022, Torchy’s focused on the customer experience and guest service to elevate Torchy’s to the next level. The brand engaged customers through surveys, guest touches and rewards, which led to its making operational changes to drive a more consistent pickup experience. “We have remained intensely focused on innovation, serving up the best Damn Good Tacos you’ve ever tasted, while continuing to elevate the guest experience through initiatives like handmade tortillas, made-to-order, piping hot tacos, optimized kitchen designs, and delivering exceptional hospitality every time you visit,” said Founder and CEO Mike Rypka. Rypka said having the right people in the right place at the right time is necessary to deliver on the Torchy’s commitment to its guests. In this difficult hiring landscape, Torchy’s has innovated to utilize technologies like programmatic job distribution to hit maximum ROI and reach as broad an audience as possible. Because of this, most restaurants have achieved staffing levels similar to prepandemic. 32. Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe In the face of heated competition for the consumer’s restaurant spending in 2022, Birmingham, Alabama-based Taziki’s began a comprehensive review of its menu and brand positioning. The first element in the exercise was developing and adopting a new mission statement and purpose. Using this as a guiding force, Taziki’s started testing new menu items, including Spicy Harissa Hummus and Spicy Harissa Chicken, Baklava Cheesecake and the Athens Cobb Salad. Test results were positive and the Harissa Chicken Gyro became the second-most popular gyro sold in test locations, bringing in 78% of what the regular chicken gyro sold. Plus, all Harissa test items accounted for 22% of the sales in comparable items. Results were so positive that the chain is rolling out the offerings to all stores by year’s end. Taziki’s opened two locations in January 2023 and has 10 additional restaurants scheduled to open soon, which will expand its footprint to New Orleans; St. Louis; and Jackson, Tennessee. Plus, it will continue expansion in existing markets like Atlanta; Birmingham; Nashville; Dallas; and Raleigh, North Carolina. Taziki’s implemented daily pay for employees, greatly increasing employee retention, with 46% of its employees adopting it. 33. Clean Juice Recently expanding to its 203rd unit in 33 states in less than seven years, Charlotte-based Clean Juice continues to focus on the personal guest experience while offering a line-up of certified organic superfood-ingredient 17 Top 75 Brands smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, salads, juices, acai bowls and more. Year over year, Clean Juice continues to demonstrate strong growth, while exceeding expectations across the franchise’s key performance indicators. Last year, for example, it reinvigorated and simplified its operations by moving from in-house bottled cold-pressed juice production to the latest innovation in centralized high-pressure processing on an organic farm that is distributed across all stores. The move to HPP processing provided an impact on several levels. First, it brought Clean Juice closer to the farms where the brand’s all-natural, certified-organic ingredients are nurtured, grown and harvested to ensure the freshest ingredients. Secondly, the move simplifies its operations, enabling franchise partners to focus less on supply chain, labor and production and more on serving the guest with a premium experience. Lastly, it reduced the price by nearly 20% of one of the brand’s most popular products, while enhancing its nutritional value by reducing the sugar content by 25% and reducing the calorie intake by 34%. 34. Ike's Love and Sandwiches Ike’s Love and Sandwiches is well differentiated in the sandwich category with its always-warm sandwiches that have funky, fun names and combinations of ingredients that you won’t find anywhere else. Previously an institutional San Francisco-Bay Area brand, Ike’s is now exploding throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Texas and beyond. These communities are responding strongly to the brand’s amazing food, super fun restaurant design, and genuine love and service. Vice President of Real Estate and Development Adam Rinella said Ike’s plans to open 20 to 25 new corporate stores in 2023. “Ike’s belongs on the Top 100 because we are revolutionizing the sandwich category and communities are responding all over the West,” RInella said. The brand targeted 30% growth last year, adding 30 locations in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Northern California and Phoenix. thanks to the leadership of Chief Brand Officer Tory Bartlett. After launching a comprehensive program to review everything from restaurant operations to menu offerings, Moe’s is now testing improvements in markets across the country. For example, it enhanced its catering program in order to drive growth and doubled down on its loyalty program, leading to a 680,000 increase in members of the Moe Rewards program. In 2023, Moe’s Southwest Grill is launching a new prototype with digital menu boards and has a number of remodels and renovations in the works. The chain has nearly 650 locations. “Our rapid expansion is fueled by our loyal Ikesters who love our world-famous dirty sauce and huge variety of meat, vegan and vegetarian sandwiches,” CEO Michael Goldberg said. “We have put in place an energetic and seasoned executive team that has enabled successful growth even in these trying economic times.” 35. Moe's Southwest Grill Moe’s Southwest Grill, owned by Focus Brands and headquartered in Atlanta, spent the past year refreshing the look and feel of its branding through the customer journey, 36. Brooklyn Dumpling Shop New York’s Brooklyn Dumpling Shop and its unique approach to service and innovative technology has pioneered a “zero human interaction” option that appeals to the newer generations and creates an even faster 18 Top 75 Brands process than your typical fast casual restaurant. This approach is not only convenient for customers but also follows the current trend of contactless service. Texas, four in California, and one in New York City. More openings are on the horizon, with 10 to 12 stores opening in 2023. The menu features an extensive selection of hot and cold, sweet and savory dumplings, as well as a new Asian Chop Chop bowl. The ordering process is straightforward: Customers place their orders using their phones or a touchscreen kiosk and receive a text message with a QR code once the food is ready. This code unlocks a special heated or cooled locker in the automat, where the customer can retrieve their food and be on their way. This process reduces waiting time and makes it easy for customers to pick up their food. “We are the biggest and baddest Indian Fast/Fine Casual brand in the United States with presence in five states. We are growing rapidly and are creating the Indian segment in the Casual dining space, ” said CEO Akash Kapoor. Brooklyn Dumpling Shop has rapidly expanded its presence with three existing locations and over 70 in development. In the near future, it plans to open seven more locations, with an ambitious goal of opening over 25 locations in 2023. The company has recently secured its first international expansion deal in Canada and aims to continue this rapid growth trajectory in 2023, with goals to expand further internationally and along the west coast. 37. Curry Up Now Curry Up Now, known as one of the fastest-growing Indian fast casuals in the U.S., opened eight stores in 2022, including three in In 2022, Curry Up Now launched Attentive and started to work with a new agency for social media and marketing. It is continuing its partnership with Local Kitchens to launch outposts around California and also has opened two ghost kitchens with Kitchen United. Kapoor has led Curry Up Now since he founded the brand in 2009 with his wife and personally leads Curry Up Now’s bar program called Mortar & Pestle. He has been able to create a very classic Americana bar alongside a fast casual restaurant that has its own following while completing the Curry Up Now restaurant. 38. Panera Bread Panera has long been an industry trailblazer in guest experience, consistently pushing boundaries and using technology to lead the restaurant industry forward. This past year was no different as the brand created new menu offerings including pizza and baguettes, and launched new designs to stay hyper-focused on a personalized and convenient guest experience. For example, urban store formats, off-premise dining options, drive-thru service, and experimenting with cuttingedge technologies – like AI - give customers access to service however they want it. In August, Panera began testing AI technology in drive-thru lanes via a partnership with OpenCity’s proprietary voice AI ordering technology, called “Tori.” Guests pull up to their Panera drive-thru, place their order as usual with assistance from Tori, and pay the Panera associate at the window. The addition of this technology will help to cut down wait times, improve order accuracy, and allow associates to focus on freshly preparing guests’ orders. The chain also allows MyPanera members to order via Alexa on Echo Show devices and is testing Amazon One, a palm identity and payments technology, at select bakery-cafes in its hometown of St. Louis and plans to expand the deployment in the coming months. 39. Nekter Juice Bar Founded in 2010, Nekter Juice Bar has been on a mission to nourish America’s increasing appetite for plant-based, healthy food options. With a steady eye 19 Top 75 Brands on innovation, the health and wellness brand offers a menu of freshly made, clean and nutrient-rich juices, superfood smoothies, acai bowls, wellness shots, cold-pressed “Grab N’ Go” juices, healthy snacks, and several natural cleanse options to help guests “Keep It Real.” At its core, Nekter believes that healthy food can taste great, be easily accessible, and be affordable. Now, with 330 locations open or in development, Nekter is seeking franchise partners, including single-unit, multi-unit and multi-brand operators, to help it expand. CEO Steve Schulze said the chain’s low initial investment, competitive franchise fees, exceptional support from an experienced team and robust loyalty program, which has over 1 million guests, make it easy for franchisees to partner with the California-based brand. Veterans will also benefit from a 10% reduction in franchise fees among other incentives. 40. ClusterTruck ClusterTruck, a ghost kitchen concept based in Indianapolis, has delivered over 3,500,000 orders since it first opened its kitchen in April of 2016 and is now negotiating franchise agreements to expand its footprint. The five-unit brand is focusing on digital marketing for customer acquisition and is working toward the long-term goal of improving efficiencies to enable the sustained profitability of its current kitchens and company. The brand’s kitchens are vertically integrated using Empower Delivery’s proprietary software, which enables customer orders to flow into kitchens. Meals are routed automatically to necessary cook stations, while drivers are queued and ready for the immediate transport of orders upon packaging. On the back end, employees are able to track inventory, cost recipes, monitor product mix and more with the data captured from every transaction flowing through this system. President Janet Monroe said ClusterTruck is truly unique. “Delivering fresh food fast is a seemingly easy task that has proven to be an insurmountable hurdle for nearly every player in the industry of prepared food delivery, but ClusterTruck,” she said. “Our success is born on the foundation created by brilliant minds who completely rethought how delivering meals ondemand should work - inventing a new way, the right way, in which consumer orders, delivery drivers and kitchen operations seamlessly synchronize through vertical integration.” 41 . Starbird Forged with an industry disruptor mentality, Starbird has embarked on a journey to define a completely new segment within the industry since CEO Aaron Noveshen founded it in 2016. The 12-unit chain, backed by restaurant consultants from The Culinary Edge, is reimagining America’s fastfood experience and has reinvented the traditional crispy chicken concept. It has continued to tout same-store sales comps above 25% for the past four years in a row, and came in right at 25% in 2022. For the California-based chain, 2022 proved to be a year of strong restaurant growth, with two restaurant openings including Southern California’s first streetside location in Hermosa Beach. Starbird also operated two pop-up kitchens in Los Angeles to seed the market for its expansion over the next few years. In 2023, the brand has plans to open five to six more locations. Fueled by its financial success, Starbird has also made strides on the development front and launched its franchise development program in 2022. The development team is in discussion with multiple applicants for regions across the country, primarily focusing on the West Coast to start. To support the brand’s continuous growth, Starbird was fortunate enough to bring on 13 corporate employees in 2022 in marketing, technology, culinary, operations, construction, HR and development – more than doubling its size. 42. Juice It Up For the past 27 years, Juice It Up has been an innovator in the booming raw juice bar, smoothie and superfruit bowl category 20 Top 75 Brands the company succeed,” said Ampex Brands CEO Tabbassum Mumtaz. “After acquiring the brand, we recommitted to our franchisees with infrastructure and resources to support growth. Then we recommitted to guests with our ‘Cafe of the Future,’ built with a deep understanding of customer’s needs and preferences to provide exceptional guest experiences.” and has maintained its momentum in 2022 following a record-breaking sales year in 2021. In 2022, total system sales jumped nearly 6.2% from the previous year – surging past $41 million for the second consecutive year. Since being acquired by SJB Brands LLC in early 2018, the brand has experienced record sales, momentous growth and major milestones under the leadership of President and CEO Susan Taylor along with owners and co-chairmen Chris Britt and Ed St. Geme. Helping franchisees grow AUV has been a top priority since the acquisition, and the efforts continue to pay off; 2022 AUV grew 2% over 2021 and AUV has grown over 50% since 2019. Juice It Up, based in Irvine, California, is on track to open 10 franchised locations in 2023 and will continue its remodel program to update existing stores to its refreshed store design. The brand will also open its first two Arizona locations in 2023, marking the brand’s entry into the Grand Canyon State. With over 100 locations open or in different stages of development across California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas, Juice It Up is strategically awarding franchise opportunities that include area development, single-unit, and nontraditional storefronts in markets primed for its healthy fast casual concept. 43. Au Bon Pain Boston’s Au Bon Pain is paving the way toward a bright future with fresh ways to enhance customer experiences and grow the business. Since Ampex Family of Brands acquired it in 2021, its leaders have added stability and set the restaurant chain up for success. Au Bon Pain recognized substantial revenues in its first year under Ampex ownership, with 300% growth in catering and 15 locations in its first 18 months. In Q3 2022, it unveiled its Cafe of the Future store design and a modernized kiosk to accommodate growth in universities and hospitals, a target opportunity for the brand. It also signed several agreements in 2022, including a 10-unit deal with existing franchisee Sid Sohail for continued development in the Northeast. Key growth initiatives for 2023 include introducing a mobile app and adding delivery partners to reach new customers, and it will focus on future openings in its most profitable segments of hospitals and universities while conducting strategic, intentional store closings to enable healthy growth. “Au Bon Pain’s incredible culture and people bring energy and want to see 44. McAlister's Deli McAlister’s Deli, owned by Focus Brands and based in Athens, Georgia, is continuing to prioritize system size growth and overall performance in 2023 across its customer engagement channels, including in-restaurant dining, tableside dining, To-Go, curbside pickup and drive-thru. It recently introduced new prototypes, each of which is built for ultimate guest convenience and staff efficiency, that will allow it to open in unique formats across new communities in 2023. In 2022, the brand opened 27 locations and continued to build its catering platform. It also relaunched breakfast catering, which has led to a steady lift in catering sales for this daypart. With the brand’s prioritization of digital technology and building a competitive loyalty program, McAlister’s Deli gained over 1 million loyalty members in 2022, 21 Top 75 Brands The chain, which opened 12 stores last year, is planning to add 14 locations by year’s end across Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Utah, Texas and Las Vegas. bringing the total number of loyalty members to over 3.6 million. The chain known for its genuine hospitality, sandwiches, spuds, soups and McAlister’s Deli Famous Sweet Tea is on track to be a billion-dollar brand by 2024. It has over 530 locations. 46. Mo'Bettahs 45. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill Although The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has a fast casual service model, it uses real plates, cutlery and fresh, high-quality food that is made to order and served as a staged meal like at a full-service restaurant. The chain, which has 48 locations in development, is accelerating its franchise plans after signing 24 franchise agreements and 16 multi-unit development agreements in 2022. It will have 282 locations open over the next few years, with 35 to 45 restaurants opening by year’s end. This past year, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill rolled out its “Nice & Easy” initiative, which integrated technologies to improve the brand’s speed of service and labor efficiencies for its operators. This initiative is still ongoing as The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is looking to ensure a best-in-class mobile and online customer experience journey for both new and loyal customers. Mo’Bettahs opened its first location in Utah in 2008, thanks to brothers Kimo and Kalani Mack’s dream of sharing their strong Hawaiian culture of aloha (love) rooted in ohana (family) with people all over the U.S. Fast forward 15 years, and the brothers are on their way to doing just that. With over 40 locations, the menu offers Teriyaki Chicken or Steak, Kalua Pig, Pulehu Chicken, Katsu Chicken, and Shrimp Tempura served with white rice and macaroni salad, along with a range of delicious sauces. To continue to innovate, Mo’Bettahs recently embarked on a redesign to deliver a taste of home. “From the décor to the colors to the fonts, every element pays homage to the founders’ roots and aunties who were incredible cooks,’” Kimo said. “There is often a misunderstanding about Hawaiian food and culture. Pineapples, tiki torches, hula skirts — that isn’t the real Hawaii that we grew up with. As Mo’Bettahs has grown, we have taken great care to protect the brand identity.” The rebrand strives to offer a modern and fresh feel but with a vintage, nostalgic heart. The brothers worked with the in-house creative and marketing teams at Savory Fund, its primary investor, to create a playful and powerful look that they’ve implemented in all new stores since late 2022. 47. Mici Handcrafted Italian Since being named to Fast Casual’s Top 100 Mover & Shaker list in 2022, Mici Handcrafted Italian continued its momentum and innovation by increasing its store count 36% in 2022. It recently completed a rebranding that included an upgrade to its entire tech stack to improve digital storefronts, POS, and loyalty programs. The Colorado-based brand began 2023 by opening its second Arizona location, and has more units planned across multiple states, anticipating a possible doubling of its unit count in 2023. President Jeff Miceli said Mici Italian has always held a lot of promise but is starting to realize its full potential as it expands across the United States. “By successfully launching the brand in three new regions this year, we’ve taken the first steps on an exciting journey of growth,” Miceli said. “Growth isn’t just about new units, however, it is also about making early investments to set the brand up for continued success. We’ve successfully completed initiatives around technology, design and training that will help our restaurants succeed and thrive in the changing restaurant environment.” 22 Top 75 Brands 49. Wing Snob Wing Snob, based in Sterling Heights, Michigan, celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2022 with 40 locations either open or under construction. About 20 will open by year’s end, and the chain is using its mobile app, digital LMS training system, and a cloud-based POS to spearhead growth. 48. Island Fin Poke Company Island Fin Poke Company, headquartered in Orlando, offers fresh, healthy food in a cool casual environment, offering 25-plus ingredients and 10 house-made sauces. The brand has 25 locations in 2023 and has 60 locations sold. “The entire experience from when customers walk into the building is curated music, surf videos, a warm welcome, an engaging team to walk you through the line and we run your food to your table,” said CEO Mark T. Setterington. “We are an experience from the time you enter until you leave and get a fond farewell. Never a transaction, never a customer, a guest in our home.” In 2022, the brand rolled out its app featuring loyalty increases and third-party delivery decreases, while sales ultimately went up. Additionally, franchise profitability went up, allowing Island Fin Poke Company to hire a branding agency, InnoVision Marketing out of San Diego, to help it make an even bigger impact in 2023. “As Wing Snob enters its sixth year, the momentum has not slowed down,” said Co-Founder Jack Mashini. “We are building locations across the country and even in Canada bringing better wings to communities everywhere. Our brand is positioned to be a leader in this sector and we are excited to see what comes next.” Fortunately, Wing Snob’s focus has always been carryout and delivery, so once the pandemic hit, it simply enhanced its partnerships with third-party delivery companies and upgraded technologies to support the influx of online orders and deliveries that it was starting to receive. In 2022, Wing Snob rolled out a new rewards program named Snob Perks, which thanks its loyal customer base by allowing them to earn points to redeem for free food. Snob Perks has nearly 150,000 enrolled users and has been a huge factor in increasing reorder rates. 50. Condado Tacos Columbus, Ohiobased Condado Tacos, which serves GMO-free tacos, dips and margaritas, is on pace to open 12 to 13 locations in 2023 and 100 by 2026. Customers enjoy the full-service meets fast casual service model, where they order from their tables via mobile devices to improve the speed and accuracy of food and drink orders. “We are thrilled to add new locations as we grow this exciting, innovative taco brand,” said Chris Artinian, Condado Tacos president and CEO. “At Condado Tacos, we offer a craveable, fun and one of a kind full service dining experience that matches your speed, at a great value, under $20 per person. We welcome all and we are proud of our “Come As You Are” atmosphere and culture that is embedded in our brand since Day One.” 51. Salata Salad Kitchen Houston-based Salata set record sales figures in 2022, delivering 9.25% year-over-year same-store sales growth and building on a robust sales surge in 2021 when average unit volume hit $1.3 million. 23 Top 75 Brands Because the 92-unit chain is continually looking for innovative ways to meet the needs of its guests, it recently launched a redesign featuring a separate online order station and easy pickup locations. Additionally, the modular design is simple to install, as the front-of-house can be refreshed in nine days, reducing the loss of sales franchisees typically experience during remodeling. In addition to design updates, Salata focused heavily on product innovation in 2022, launching seasonal toppings, recipe options online, Certified Angus Beef Steak, a Pumpkin Puff Cookie and Chicken Tortilla Soup. On top of operational advancements, Salata expanded upon its tech suite upgrade to cater to the modern consumer by hiring a VP of Information Technology, who will optimize POS systems and create an internal system with added security and convenient access to business resources for franchisees. This puts the building blocks in place to allow Salata’s technology to scale with the growth of the brand, which hopes to open 16 by the end of the year. 52. HCKHOTCHICKEN HCKHOTCHICKEN, founded in 2020 and serving Nashvillestyle food kicked up with signature premium sauces, is focusing on major expansion with multi-unit operators who are opening 15 to 20 locations in 2023. The Woodbridge, Virginia-based concept is known for its sandwiches and tenders prepared with made-to-order spices and began franchising in 2022. Its goal is to help franchisees deliver on the brand’s commitment to “Unity Through Food’’ in cities across the country. Chief Strategy Officer Dave Wood said HCK was born during the pandemic and built to bring the community together. “We quickly realized we had lightning in a bottle - an easy to execute menu with simple operations and a small footprint,” he said. “2021 was all about setting HCK up for growth by investing in technology and systems. 2022 saw us grow from one to five locations. So in 2023...the sky’s the limit for the brand.” 53. Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken Durham, North Carolinabased Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken, which has 18 locations, is continuing to spread its brand of Southern hospitality across the country with nine stores opening this year. Its commitment to serving craveworthy chicken sandwiches, biscuits and donut offerings earned it the honor of being named one of the “Best Biscuits in the U.S.” by Food & Wine Magazine, and the brand has managed to increase revenue while decreasing store hours. In 2022, Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken continued to enhance its technology stack by adding a new loyalty program (Como), as well as a digital reputation management system (Ovation). These integrated tech systems have had immediate positive impacts. Brand reviews have shot up to 4.0 and higher by reaching out to the customers 30 minutes after their order to solicit feedback. If the customer is satisfied, the system asks them to post a review. If there was a problem, their response is immediately directed to the store for resolution. This, coupled with the value of earning free food through their loyalty program, has increased sales and customer retention across the brand. 54. Penn Station East Coast Subs Ohio-based Penn Station continues to be one of the leaders in the competitive sandwich category throughout the midwest. As it embarks on its 38th year in business, the 300-unit brand is poised for further growth and expansion 24 Top 75 Brands within its 15-state area, with a plan to open 25-plus units in 2023. Understanding that rapid growth takes a solid leadership team, Penn hired a director of Franchise Services to help create a new tech stack to help franchisees enhance the ordering process and dining experience. It also hired a financial analyst to help ensure franchisees’ return on investment is maximized. system-wide revenues increase 8.2% to $13 million, with strong year-over-year same-store sales growth. In keeping with its core value that Community Matters, it donated over 13,000 meals to various non-profits throughout Fairfield, Westchester and New Haven counties, and received the Community Award from the Boys & Girls Club for its commitment to giving back. 56. Cheba Hut Cheba Hut is celebrating its 25th anniversary by continuing to innovate. The 55. Garden Catering At Garden Catering, people are the main focus, which is one reason the company gave all employees a raise last year, making its starting minimum wage $15.50 per hour. “I believe that my most important job is to make the communities in which we operate better places to live,” CEO Frank Carpenteri said. “What better way to put our money where our mouth is than to start within our stores by making the lives of our team members, who are active community members, just a bit better? The raise, in addition to our 401K, full medical benefits, rideshare discounts and free meals for all members on every shift, is our way of thanking our teams for the hard work and dedication they display on every shift.” Last year, the Old Greenwich, Connecticut-based brand opened eight stores and will add one this year. It saw has been a great way of ensuring that Cheba Hut is known not only as a great place to grab a sandwich but also as a community hangout spot and event venue. As a result, we’ve seen store-level sales continue to increase.” cannabis-themed sandwich brand hit its 50-unit milestone last July with the opening of restaurants in Texas and Washington and is planning to open an additional 16 locations this year as well as signing six franchisee deals. Cheba Hut CEO Marc Torres said the brand is in a fantastic position for widespread growth. “We have the infrastructure, operational support and brand awareness to get new franchise owners up and running faster than ever before,” he said. “We never want to grow for growth’s sake alone, and right now, the demand is there, and we’re prepared to meet it.” Cheba Hut’s growth isn’t limited to development efforts as the brand continues to find increased sales across its franchise system. “In 2020 and 2021, our team did an incredible job rolling with an unpredictable landscape in the restaurant industry, and we kept sales up primarily through digital efforts. This year, as dine-in service picked up, we saw an incredible surge,” Torres said. “Each of our restaurants features a full bar, which 57. Fresh Baguette Maryland-based Fresh Baguette has pushed boundaries on what a modern french bakery could be. With french classics like croissants and baguettes coupled with crogel sandwiches (a croissant in the shape of a bagel), the five-unit brand continues to innovate the menu and reported a 40% increase in overall revenue in 2022. And that is largely due to the huge wholesale operation that supplies coffee shops, other restaurants and hotels with delicious french products. Its biggest undertaking, however, was a redesign that puts the products front and center like one would see in a jewelry shop. Guests may see and smell bread baking in the rotating oven, and the design reinforces all of the quality and 25 Top 75 Brands care the bakery puts into every product created. therefore capitalizing on its menu options for guests under one virtual umbrella. In 2023, Fresh Baguette will open a large commercial bakery to scale for more locations and additional wholesale customers. It recently added a catering component and is launching a monthly coffee subscription. Smokey Bones, based in Plantation, Florida, is expanding its off-premises customer base and using technology to increase flow through and profitability within the restaurants. It works with OneDine, which has improved the brand’s technology space by introducing comprehensive, cost-effective and contactless solutions. By using OneDine, Smokey Bones supercharges existing POS systems to quickly enable contactless ordering and payment. It also optimizes labor, eliminates fraudulent chargebacks and creates an effective system for employees and guests. Founder and CEO Florent de Felcourt said where there is passion and love, anything is possible. “Our dedication to our roots in French baking and to the creation of a new modern experience of a French bakery, have propelled the Fresh Baguette brand to a level of success and growth rarely seen in the restaurant industry,” he said. VP of franchise development at the end of 2022. The chain is also attracting attention with its design, which combines street art/graffiti and hip hop culture. “I’m thrilled to join a company that is in the early stages of its growth trajectory and am excited to feel that hustle and energy again,” Sabatasso said. “Of course, once I tried the cookies, I was 100% hooked. I knew I could stand behind a brand with delicious and fresh products that has all the makings of a great franchise offering.” “Our team is always willing to push the bar with innovative concepts and we pride ourselves in setting trends in the industry,” said James O’Reilly, CEO of Smokey Bones. 60. Shipley Do-Nuts 58. Smokey Bones Smokey Bones, a once full-service brand that officially joined the fast casual industry when it launched a virtual kitchen during the pandemic, is always on the move to bring new things to the table. In 2022, the self-proclaimed “Masters of Meat” opened the first drive-thru and launched a virtual food hall brand, BiteHall.com. The e-commerce site unites four virtual brands, The Wing Experience, Bowl Market, Tender Box and Burger Experience, and allows guests to order from “all the bites in one site.” BiteHall also allows guests to order from Smokey Bones, 59. Cookie Plug Cookie Plug is on a mission to win the cookie wars, opening 23 corporate and 10 franchise locations since opening three years ago, with 152 franchise units under development. Experienced franchisees from around the country are joining Cookie Plug, based in Riverside, California, because of its low cost to open, high margin potential and easy-to-run concept, according to Spencer Sabatasso, who was hired as Houston-based Shipley Do-Nuts may be 85 years old, but it’s just getting started with its growth spurt, opening 14 locations last year and signing 11 multiunit franchise deals that will add a total of nearly 100 shops to its pipeline. The agreements will bring the brand to Maryland, Georgia and Virginia, and also expand its footprint in Colorado, Florida and Texas. The first Maryland location opened in January 2023, and the first Georgia location was slated for a late Q1 2023 opening. The company is forecasting double unit growth from 2022 to 2023. CMO Donna Josephson said Shipley Do-Nuts has achieved incredible growth in several areas over the past few years, ranging from increased unit count and 26 Top 75 Brands new franchisee signings to initiatives to improve guests’ experiences. “We have put impactful systems and processes into place to unify and modernize the brand and help our franchisees meet consumers’ needs,” she said. “The launch of online ordering led to double-digit average check increases for digital orders. We have entered new markets and cities and successfully introduced them to the ‘World’s Greatest Do-Nut,’ and we now offer a cohesive proprietary blend of coffee across the entire system. We are on a fast-paced upward trajectory, which should lead to greater profitability for our franchisees.” service and jobs to their communities. “Slice House by Tony Gemignani is the only pizza franchise helmed by a world champion pizzaiolo / celebrity chef: Tony Gemignani,” said Trevor Hewitt, managing member. Slice House has pizza units in Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas Raiders), Chase Arena (Golden State Warriors), Levi Stadium (SF 49ers), and Oracle Park (SF Giants). Photo Credit: Tim Furlong Jr 63. Chipotle 62. Cowboy Chicken 61. Slice House Slice House, which is known for serving authentic, New York-style thin crust pizza by the slice, sold 19 units in its first year, and is projected to sell another 26 this year. The brand’s focus on slices as opposed to whole pizzas allows it to keep the slice counter supplied with enough oven space to accommodate orders. With a goal of becoming the largest franchisor in the U.S. of award-winning pizza while maintaining the highest levels of quality that he is known for, partner and celebrity pizza chef Tony Gemignani is excited to provide an opportunity to business owners interested in the pizza industry and bringing high-quality pizza, guests have fewer clicks to order, and their purchases can be tied directly into the loyalty program. Cowboy is also integrated with EZCater, DoorDash and UberEats. For over 40 years, Dallasbased Cowboy Chicken has been serving allnatural, hormone-free rotisserie chickens, hand-seasoned, marinated for 24 hours and then slowly roasted for two hours over a real woodburning fire. What began in 1981 as a single restaurant in Dallas has now grown into 17 company-owned and franchised restaurants located throughout Texas as well as Louisiana, Georgia and Oklahoma. The chain is soon opening in Orlando with a new prototype and also designed a ghost kitchen called Smackbird, specializing in Nashville Hot Chicken sandwiches and tenders. It also upgraded its mobile app, giving guests a better customer-facing experience and allowing them to earn loyalty points for online purchases. The website incorporates a custom menu page and online ordering; Throughout 2022, Chipotle continued to drive the company's purpose to “Cultivate a Better World” to new heights by increasing visibility, expanding access, fostering innovation, and encouraging engagement with employees and customers. It’s also continued to prioritize supporting young farmers, including its partnership with The National Young Farmers Coalition and support of the Farm Bill. Additionally, Chipotle has seen significant advancement in digital innovation and emerging technologies, including AI, machine learning, and the metaverse. In 2022, Chipotle opened its 3,000th restaurant location and continued international expansion in Europe and Canada, as well as increased its total number of Chipotle Rewards Members to over 31 million users. Chipotle will open between 255 and 285 restaurants in 2023 and has expanded internationally, particularly in Canada, where it has 32 restaurants. It also increased its footprint in Europe and has over 20 locations in England, France, and Germany. In 2022, Chipotle prioritized ongoing menu innovation, debuting Pollo Asado, Chipotle’s first chicken menu innovation 27 Top 75 Brands in its 29-year history. Additional menu additions included garlic Guajillo steak, plant-based chorizo, Mexican cauliflower rice and watermelon lemonade. 64. Cornbread Since its Maplewood, New Jersey, debut in 2017, Cornbread locations can now be found in Newark, Brooklyn and soon Montclair, bringing not only good, wholesome soul food to neighborhoods that lack the option, but more importantly bringing jobs to the communities it serves. Co-founder Adenah Bayoh said 87% of Cornbread’s employees are from vulnerable and underserved neighborhoods. “We also hire a number of people who were formerly incarcerated, offering them an opportunity for a fresh start instead of being constantly overlooked,” she said. Bayoh is invested in helping people in and around the company, and that rolls over to how she feels about her employees. She won’t hesitate to call in a favor or use some of her influence to help out in a time of need. Cornbread is well known for hosting influencer events and musical performances and updating its social media pages often, but the occasions that bring the brand the most joy are its turkey giveaways, or when employees serve holiday meals at local shelters and churches. “The joy we feel in giving back to the communities we serve is why we should be amongst the Top 100 Movers & Shakers,” Bayoh said. “Cornbread feeds the stomach, but more importantly, we feed the soul.” the average wage over $20 per hour. The increased compensation through the new tip model raised retention and helped attract a more talented workforce. 65. Zunzi's + Zunzibar 66. Hawaiian Bros Island Grill Zunzi’s + Zunzibar is poised for record growth over the next few years, starting in 2023 with the continued growth of company locations in Georgia, a jointventure with the former largest Five Guys franchisee in South Florida, and franchising in the Southeast. That growth is fueled by two models focused on the specific needs of the guest, convenience and experience. Zunzi’s, the convenience-focused model, is an 18-year-old takeout, delivery and catering restaurant known for its awardwinning sandwiches. Zunzibar takes that streamlined model and leads with an elevated beach bar experience. Kansas City, Missouribased Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, known for its island-inspired offerings, is dedicated to optimizing speed, drive-thru efficiencies and consistency, but also believes in spreading positivity through the Aloha Spirit. From generous rewards to the members of its One Ohana loyalty program to recognition for all employees that put in dedicated effort, Hawaiian Bros is all about doing well to do good for members of The Ohana (family). The brand is growing with three growth vehicles: corporate locations in Georgia, joint ventures in Florida, and franchising in the Southeast. It has three locations slated to open this year and franchising sales have started in the Southeast. Hawaiian Bros also prioritizes giving back to the local communities of the culture it is inspired by. In October, it took over 200 employees and partners to the islands to connect with the culture and honor the land and agriculture. The team restored taro with a local agricultural nonprofit that dedicates its time and efforts to further cultivating the native plant by redeveloping farmland. In 2022, Zunzi’s implemented a tip sharing model that aligned all team members to focus on the guest experience. In the process, the brand was able to drive tips over $8 per hour, and In 2023, Hawaiian Bros is aiming to open 10 stores, bringing its total locations to 47. The concept’s net sales growth, yearover-year, is 80%, according to President Scott Ford, who said operational 28 Top 75 Brands efficiencies, unique offerings and an unparalleled, industry-leading team have allowed Hawaiian Bros to become one of the fastest-growing chains in the country. 67. Crazy Pita Throughout its 16 years of operations, Las Vegas-based Crazy Pita has withstood the test of time by being consistent and persistent with both its products and services. In 2022, sales were up by 20%, with an AVU of $1.2 million per store at a total of $3.2 million. Crazy Pita is a brand that prides itself as a people-driven business that promotes kindness and progression, while at the same time focusing on the mental and physical wellness of its team and customers. To ensure its competitive edge, the brand has made improvements within operations such as a virtual cashier, one of the first in the United States. Being a proud, environmentally responsible company, all aspects of operations are eco-friendly and paper/recycle products replace all plastic ones. The chain expects to end the year by adding 20 franchise units, with the first 10 already inked in the Houston area. Additionally, it plans to open another corporate store in Las Vegas. Crazy Pita prides itself on being a pioneer in the use of many technological developments. It currently uses the Info Genesis POS system, which allows it to track multiple indicators such as sales, product waste, efficiency and inventory, and it is one of the first businesses in the United States to introduce the use of virtual cashiers. This is an immediate solution to the current labor shortage while at the same time bringing customers something new and unexpected. hood, allowing average unit volume to be $922,603 in 2022. In 2022, the concept implemented its own branded mobile app that allows it to track loyalty, offer a coffee subscription program, and allow for money movement between stores for use and sales of gift cards. This also gives valuable insights on sale trends and helps employees better understand clientele and the frequency with which clients dine with it. Furthermore, Crazy Pita has focused on improving the online order system and recently started to partner with different delivery carriers such as easycater.com. 69. Balance Pan-Asian Grille 68. Toastique Since its inception in 2018, Toastique has grown to 13 units, including six corporate stores and seven franchise locations operating in six states. With 18 leases signed and construction under way to open in 2023, the brand will bring its store count to 31 by year’s end and has signed 46 additional franchise locations. In addition to more than doubling its location count, Toastique has doubled its marketing budget and plans to sell an additional 50 franchise locations this year. The Washington DC-based concept is redefining the typical fast casual juice bar by implementing a micro cafe into the same footprint of a juice bar without a Balance Pan-Asian Grille Co-founders HoChan “CJ” Jang and Prakash Karamchandani (PK), shared the same simple dream: to serve happiness through food. After opening their first location in 2010 in Ohio, the duo’s inventive spin on the fast casual concept hit the spot for foodies and families alike. The fresh possibilities of their pan-Asian cuisine soon put Northwest Ohio on the map — and them at the culinary cutting edge. Since then, Balance has kept things fresh in every way possible, turning a desire for transparency, a need for integrated technology solutions, and mounting labor pressures into key brand differentiators. The menu features unique flavor profiles and food pairings made with farm fresh ingredients and is focused on achieving overall balance and wellness, much like 29 Top 75 Brands the Asian diet. The menu is clean eating in its purest form and delivered through a Pan-Asian menu focused on a fusion of flavors and ingredients from all across Asia. Balance now owns and operates four corporate locations across Northwest and Northeast Ohio, in addition to its first franchise location, which opened in the summer of 2022 in Arvada, Colorado. Balance’s second franchise location is expected to open in Dallas by year end 2023. Balance also plans to continue its national expansion efforts through a targeted franchising strategy focused on highly qualified multi-unit operators within select markets across the United States after having joined forces with the industry-experienced leadership at Pivotal Growth Partners, a growth and development organization focused on accelerating small, emerging brands to scale. With its new growth and development plan in place, the brand is targeting approximately 40+ locations over a five-year period in select markets, partnering with highly qualified multi-unit operators through five-store minimum area development commitments in order to position the brand as the preeminent Asian Fast Casual concept nationwide. 70. Duck Donuts Duck Donuts, one of the industry’s well known sweet treat brands, viewed 2022 as its transformational year. Following the 2021 acquisition with NewSpring Capital, Duck Donuts strengthened its goals and strategic initiatives by bringing in industry veterans to round out the leadership team, laying the domestic and international growth pipeline and identifying new tools, resources and support to ensure franchisee satisfaction and profitability. The company also proactively limited its seasonal promotions calendar, knowing that the year would bring supply chain disruptions and instead focused on its everyday available flavors and promoting its core products - delicious donuts, freshly brewed coffee, and additional items such as milkshakes, donut breakfast sandwiches and donut sundaes. In 2022, Duck put more emphasis on its digital presence and piloted self-ordering kiosks through a partnership with Samsung and GRUBBRR, which allowed it to improve the guest experience by decreasing wait times, enhancing convenience and improving order accuracies. create a place where chefs gather fresh ingredients to create bold food. Also, it has a large focus on technology, using Brink POS, Olo, Paytronix loyalty and app and is in the middle of updating its tech stack and exploring an LMS system to support growth. “More and more entrants are coming into the vegan space,” CEO Carin Stutz said. “All are chasing the opportunity to be the next vegan Shake Shack. We are in our own lane with vegan comfort foods with a twist. We use clean ingredients and are chef crafted. We see the opportunity to encourage guests to look at plant-based meals as additive to their dining routine, not taking something away. The future of plant-based dining is ahead of us and we want to be a leader in this field.” The chain, based in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, will open 35 domestic and eight international locations this year, launch its shop of the future, and continue introducing an added layer of convenience for its guests such as food ordering kiosks. 72. Qdoba 71 . Native Foods Native Foods is on a mission to show that a plant-based diet is better for the environment and to Qdoba continues to prioritize its guests and make the world a more flavorful place through constant menu innovation, flavorful quality food and ultimate convenience. It uses ingredients freshly prepared in-house 30 Top 75 Brands by hand throughout the day to create a variety of flavorful and customizable menu options at an unbeatable value. Notable recent menu innovations include the Brisket Birria, made with tender, shredded beef brisket, slow-cooked for 10 hours in chiles and garlic infused authentic Mexican flavors, as well as Citrus Lime Shrimp, sustainably sourced and freshly sautéed in-house in a tangy citrus lime sauce. Qdoba understands that ease of ordering is also important to guests and allows them to order ahead online and on the mobile app for pickup, delivery and catering. The chain also recently updated the rewards program to make the redemption process easy for customers, so guests can earn free food faster. After conducting research around loyalty programs, the chain found that easy redemption and relevant, compelling rewards were key to strong member engagement. With a simpler format and two-tier loyalty system, rewards members are able enjoy the flavors they crave for free after fewer restaurant visits. partnership with Impossible Foods to launch the brand’s first-ever plant-based chicken dish, and debuted a proprietary noodle, LEANguini, which was created and made in-house by a world-class culinary team. LEANguini defies all pasta logic: It’s lower in carbs and calories, while higher in protein and fiber than a traditional pasta noodle. This noodle looks and tastes like a traditional noodle, meaning it offers the same satisfying flavor, texture, and satiating qualities, but with added health benefits. Additionally, it invested more than $7.5 million into expanding its team-member benefits, including more mental health resources for team members, additional financial assistance programs, a unique immigration reimbursement benefit, and a one-of-a-kind GM equity program. This year, company-operated restaurants will receive a refresh with digital and interior features, including debut digital menu boards to highlight the variety, customization and freshness of its menu. In 2023, Noodles & Co plans to expand its growing rewards program, which recently reached 4.5 million members, by offering more uncommonly good deals and promotions, and has a strategy in place to continue partnering with like-minded brands to expand audience reach. 74. Playa Bowls 73. Noodles & Co Colorado-based Noodles & Co is constantly finding new ways to inspire its team members and guests. In 2022, it expanded its menu innovations to introduce three salads, spearheaded a With a mission to bring superfruit bowl options to the masses that use only the freshest, highest quality ingredients while providing an amazing in-store brand experience, Playa Bowls has quickly emerged as a leader in the national superfruit bowl shop segment. Known as New Jersey’s original acai bowl shop, Playa Bowls serves a menu of over 40 items including acai bowls, green bowls, pitaya bowls, coconut bowls, oatmeal bowls, juices, smoothies, coffee and more made with the freshest, highquality ingredients. In 2022, Playa Bowls opened 36 stores and signed 77 agreements. Since its inception in 2014, operating from a small cart with a blender at the Jersey Shore, the chain has over 170 locations systemwide, operating in 22 states, with plans to expand domestically and globally. The brand has received numerous accolades, including Forbes 30 Under 30 and finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. 75. Grainmaker Boston-based Grainmaker is a Southeast Asian street food fast casual brand that recently opened its third location. Voted “Best of Boston 2021” by Boston Magazine for its entirely gluten-free fare, Grainmaker has also been featured nationwide for its progressive ideas that are challenging the food industry. In 2019, for example, it became the first fast casual concept 31 Top 75 Brands to launch a zero-waste program for its reusable packaging program, which has saved 21,000 pounds of packaging waste every year. Grainmaker is undergoing a series A capital raise of $10 million to expand to 15 locations in the next three years and will open three locations in 2023. CEO Chris Freeman said Grainmaker is a brand that challenges the entire food industry. find ourselves consulting large chains on how to scale the ideas we have already implemented (clean eating, reusable packaging / zero waste program, mobile application and technology efficiencies, etc.),” he said. “We take pride in what we do and are excited to come up with the next big idea that addresses an industry thinking of ‘this is how we have always done it.’” “The type of culture and progressive thinking it has established is something that is difficult to replicate and yet we 32 Top 25 Executives Geoff Alexander, President & CEO, Wow Bao Geoff Alexander, who joined Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises in 1993, took over the company’s Asian concept, Wow Bao, in 2009. A pioneer in both technology and social media, he has redefined the fast casual space by implementing mobile ordering, self-ordering kiosks, bicycle delivery and nationwide shipping. Alexander has overseen Wow Bao’s inclusion into airports, major sports stadiums, university campuses, music venues, and into grocers around the country. Late last year, Alexander partnered with Automated Retail Technologies’ Just Baked Hot Food kiosks to allow 24 cities in food deserts access to popular menu items, such as Teriyaki Bao, Mongolian Beef Bao, Chicken Dumplings and Coconut Custard Bao. If that weren’t enough, he changed the game in the restaurant industry when he created Wow Bao Now, which gives restaurants the opportunity to serve the Wow Bao menu from their own kitchens. The program has brought the menu to over 700 virtual kitchens in over 400 cities in less than 18 months. Alexander’s latest venture, however, is the metaverse, where the Chicago-based chain is offering an NFT-based extension of its Bao Bucks rewards program as well as launching “metaverse vending machines.” Dave Mikita, president, International and Retail Channels Focus Brands As president of International and Retail Channels for Focus Brands, Dave Mikita leads two unique business units that enable Focus Brands to grow its brands in new ways and new markets. Under his leadership, the Retail Channels Division keeps the company’s brands top-of-mind for consumers using a multi-channel approach through licensing of craveable food and beverage products intended for the foodservice and consumer packaged goods retail markets. A “force of nature” in the space, Mikita has led the group to double-digit growth since assuming responsibility for all functions of the channels business unit in 2017. With a focus on strategic leadership, team development, and a process-driven approach, he has enabled Focus Brands to execute its multi-channel strategy and expand the reach of its iconic brands to consumers and fans worldwide. Additionally, the Retail Channels Division launched 31 products in nine categories across multiple brands under the Focus Brands umbrella this year, not only driving revenue for the company’s bottom line but also driving access and awareness for Focus Brands through innovative formats that directly reach consumers. Recently, Mikita was appointed president of Focus Brands International, working with the team to grow the company’s brands in markets outside of the U.S. and Canada. Coming off a successful 2022, the company ended the year with over 6,600 units in all 50 states and in 60 countries and territories, including over 1,900 units outside of the U.S. and Canada. 33 Top 25 Executives Stacey Kane, fractional CMO, Fresh Baguette, Hot Chikn Kitchn, California Tortilla, Garden Catering Stacey Kane serves as a fractional CM0 of multiple emerging fast casual brands who otherwise would not be able to afford C-level experience. Under her stewardship, nearly all her brands saw double-digit growth, such as Fresh Baguette with a nearly 50% increase and Hot Chikn Kitchn, which hopes to open 200 locations. Known for her creativity, she has helped legacy brands like California Tortilla with ground-breaking initiatives, hiring a “saucemelier,” a professional hot sauce “pairer.” She also had the honor of helping iconic family owned brands Mamoun’s Falafel and Garden Catering ramp up expansion and improve consumer-facing communication. Lastly, Kane is passionate about the industry. After serving as a consultant, she was asked to sit on the board of CORE:Children of Restaurant Employees in 2022. CORE’s mission is to provide short-term financial relief to food and beverage service employees with children when navigating a qualifying circumstance. Kane also believes in the power of networking and bringing people together so she facilitates the Interactive Customer Experience Restaurant Peer Group Networking Meeting. In addition, this year she is launching Eat. Drink. Serve. Looks, an initiative to celebrate individuality, style and confidence in restaurant employees. Michelle Bythewood, president, Salata Shortly after being promoted from CMO to president in 2019, Michelle Bythewood launched a restaurant rebrand and a tech suite revamp, which helped keep Salata afloat during the pandemic. To ensure that the brand stays on the cusp of innovation, she recently hired a VP of Development, VP of Operations and a VP of IT, who are helping her execute expansion into new and existing markets. Additionally, Bythewood oversaw the development of a 2022 restaurant refresh program that will bring all existing Salata locations up-to-date with current branding and optimize the online pickup and delivery guest experience. To further support Salata’s franchisees and lessen the loss of sales that comes with closing for a remodel, Bythewood launched the brand’s first Salata Mobile Kitchen, which offers guests the full Salata experience inside of a brightly branded mobile trailer. She also led the development team to bring all restaurant development services in-house in 2022, including site selection and approval, construction management and vendor management. By directly managing services internally, Salata was able to decrease development costs by 20%. 34 Top 25 Executives Josh Halpern, CEO, Big Chicken Josh Halpern is at the helm of the Big Chicken franchising initiative, working closely with founder Shaquille O’Neal and Big Chicken’s ownership group representatives to expand the brand’s presence. Under his leadership and just one year after the announcement of Big Chicken’s franchising strategy, the brand announced in August 2022 that its franchise development pipeline had reached over 200 units signed and that it had sold out the state of Florida. Halpern, who also leads the marketing effort for Big Chicken, which has garnered over 450 million media impressions, was also the architect behind Big Chicken’s partnership with Blue Origin, taking Big Chicken from an international brand to an intergalactic brand. “We’ve always said, ‘Go BIG’ when asked about growth plans for Big Chicken,” Halpern said. “Now, with Blue Origin, we’re going as BIG as we can by advancing the dream of running restaurants in space.” Bill Phelps, CEO, Dave’s Hot Chicken Since taking the lead role at Dave’s Hot Chicken in 2019, Bill Phelps has been on a mission to grow the brand from its parking lot pop-up roots to an industry leader. With over 100 open and 741 units in development, that goal is well under way. Few industry insiders would be surprised, however, considering Phelps was co-founder and CEO of Wetzel’s Pretzels and an early investor in Blaze Pizza, two concepts that he helped grow before sinking his teeth into all things chicken at Dave’s. “Dave’s Hot Chicken will blow your mind! Every Tender is hot, juicy and spicy,” Phelps said. “Our guests across the world have shown the same level of enthusiasm for this company that the founders had five years ago when they were operating a little pop-up in Hollywood.” Katie Fogertey, CFO, Shake Shack Katie Fogertey joined the Shake Shack team two years ago at the height of the pandemic and comes from the sell-side at Goldman Sachs, where she worked for 15 years and was lead analyst covering the restaurant sector. Fogertey’s experience in sell-side research gives her a deeper understanding of how the broader market landscape functions, and her financial experience and capital markets insights have been key to driving the chain’s drive-thru strategy. It will have 25 open by year’s end, making up 20% of new locations in 2023. “We’re building added convenience at touch points where our guests really want that, and we’re also providing them a great in-Shack experience,” she said. “So if you’re with your kids and you’re in a rush, come through our drive-through, get your dinner, get your lunch. But if you want to hang out for a little bit longer with the family or with friends... come into the Shack. Hang out, eat. It’s a great experience.” 35 Top 25 Executives Prakash Karamchandani and HoChan Jang, co-founders, Balance Pan-Asian Grille The remarkable success of the Balance restaurants would not be possible without the founders Prakash Karamchandani, also known as PK, and HoChan Jang, known as CJ. PK adds a forwardthinking spin on technology within the restaurant industry and CJ leads the culinary team. With a technology and software programming background, PK manages all marketing, finance and technology, pioneering a peer management operational model, developing his own proprietary technologies that rival those of some of the industry’s biggest brands, and creating an employee-centric, Balance Family culture rooted in technology and good will. After growing up in his family’s restaurant business, CJ is a self-taught chef and mastermind behind the development and design of the Balance Grille menu, which includes bowls, tacos, snacks and bubble tea. Also, a large part of Balance’s menu influence comes from CJ’s previous career in personal training and education in nutrition and his personal commitment to showing both returning and new guests the impact of a macro-conscious Asian diet, which means each meal is created to be veggie heavy with protein secondary. The PK and CJ duo is also employee-centered, adopting practices and policies that have a positive impact on the diligent workers who make their business run smoothly, and the communities they serve. The Toledo, Ohio-based entrepreneurs have vowed since the inception of their concept in 2010 to pay employees above minimum wage and have created a “managerless” form of restaurant operation. Scott Deviney, president and CEO, Chicken Salad Chick When Scott Deviney joined Chicken Salad Chick as president and CEO in 2015, the chain had 35 locations. By 2019, it had more than tripled in size and was sold to prominent private equity firm Brentwood Associates with Deviney’s guidance. Alongside Deviney and Brentwood Associates, the brand has grown to over 225 restaurants in 17 states today. Deviney attributes much of his success at Chicken Salad Chick to the remarkable team he has built, with the united vision and purpose of spreading joy, enriching lives and serving others. In 2022, the brand opened more than two dozen restaurants. Thanks to a strategic concentric circle growth model that Deviney implemented, Chicken Salad Chick has steadily dominated regions across the Southeast to the Midwest. Beyond the growth strategy, what’s been key to the brand’s success is the balanced mix of opening company stores alongside both new and existing franchise owners and having the right partners in place. Today, approximately 25 to 30% of the 225 restaurants are company-owned and 70 to 80% franchised. “We’ve stayed true to our purpose, handpicking each franchise owner we welcome to the brand, carefully growing in markets that resonate with our core values and serving fresh, delicious food to communities we genuinely care about. We are on our way to becoming America’s favorite place for chicken salad.” 36 Top 25 Executives Chris Baggott, CEO, ClusterTruck Chris Baggott has been an entrepreneur, leader and futurist in data-driven software and data innovation for over 20 years. In the early 2000s, he co-founded ExactTarget, a provider of digital marketing automation and analytics software and service, and in 2012, the company executed an IPO and was later acquired by tech giant Salesforce for $2.7 billion. He later went on to co-found Compendium Software, a pioneer in data-driven content marketing that was later acquired by Oracle. In 2015, Baggott brought his tech background to the on-demand food delivery market as co-founder and CEO of ClusterTruck, a software platform that powers profitable, vertically integrated delivery-only kitchens. ClusterTruck’s proprietary software uses custom algorithms and machine learning to optimize kitchen and delivery operations. After leading technology companies through periods of profitable growth, Baggott applied this experience to reinvent profitable food delivery from an advanced software perspective. Baggott is an avid angel investor and mentor to tech startups that are fueling the next generation of innovation. A native of Pittsburgh, he now resides near Indianapolis in Greenfield, Indiana. Stacey Pool, CMO, Noodles & Co Stacey Pool, CMO of Noodles & Co, has overseen the company’s industry-leading initiatives since January 2020, helping to launch its top-performing campaigns over the last few years, including Cauliflower Gnocchi, Tortelloni, LEANguini and many culinary tests Pool also spearheaded Noodles’ national partnership with Impossible Foods, adding the firstever plant-based protein option to Noodles’ menu in 2022. She’s most proud of the viral launch of TRUFFMac, however, the partnership between Noodles & TRUFF Hot Sauce that garnered over 194 million impressions across Noodles media and influencer relations, making the campaign one of Noodles’ most successful to date. In May 2022, she also led the nationwide launch of Noodles’ brand platform Uncommon Goodness and the “Noodles Biggest Fan” campaign. Both campaigns received nationwide attention for encompassing Noodles’ brand mission and values. The exec is also invested in the well-being of her team and local community and has been integral in championing the expansion of the industry-leading Noodles benefits program. In 2023, she led Noodles’ partnership with BetterHelp, the world’s largest therapy platform, to offer Noodles’ guests $1 million in free online therapy services, furthering the brand’s mission to offer its guests and team members uncommonly good offers and experiences. 37 Top 25 Executives Sam Rothschild, COO, Slim Chickens Since joining the Slim Chickens team in 2013 when the chain had only 13 locations, COO Sam Rothschild has been a champion for the chain’s franchisees. Together, they’ve grown the chain to over 215 locations. “We built Slim Chickens with a well-rounded and resilient backbone for franchisee owners and partners alike to ensure that no stone remains unturned,” Rothschild said. “The success we continue to see despite recent years of industry woes is a clear indication in the way we are able to support both our franchisees and our franchise partners, placing adaptability at our core and keeping our promise to share our southern hospitality and original quality tenders to communities across the globe.” Before joining Slim Chickens, Rothschild held executive operations and franchise development positions with franchise industry leaders including Metromedia Restaurant Group, Romacorp, Inc., Applebee’s International and Hooters of America. Adenah Bayoh, founder, Cornbread “When you have a seat at the table, move over and make room for someone else to sit down as well,” is advice that Cornbread founder Adenah Bayoh freely gives as part of her mission to not only grow her soul food restaurant, but to also bring jobs to the communities it serves. Nearly 87% of Cornbread’s employees are from vulnerable and underserved neighborhoods. Bayoh is also on a mission to create more affordable housing for her Newark, New Jersey community. Last year, she partnered with community organizer Octavia Frazier-Porter to apply for a 9% low income housing tax credit to build Southside View, a 40-unit property that will open soon in Newark’s South Ward. “Affordable housing finance in New Jersey has a blind spot when it comes to race and gender,” said Bayoh, who escaped civil war in Liberia and grew up living in public housing and attended public schools in Newark, before building a real estate development and restaurant portfolio and becoming the second-largest employer in Irvington, New Jersey. “Newark needs projects like Southside View, both to help the city reach its five-year plan of creating 6,660 new affordable housing units and to bridge the disparity, especially the racial disparity, of who gets to decide what gets built in our community and how.” Stratis Morfogen, founder and CEO, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop Stratis Morfogen, with his extensive knowledge and experience in the restaurant industry, and fast casual space, has proven to be a leading figure in the field, owning multiple successful restaurants including Brooklyn Chop House, where he transformed deli and diner sandwiches into dumplings, which led to the creation of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop. The 24-hour automat that uses contactless technology began franchising before its flagship store even opened, in addition to being the first contactless restaurant. Morfogen, who is the author of “Damn Good Dumplings,” and “Be a Disruptor: Streetwise Lessons for Entrepreneurs—from the Mob to Mandates,” was named Reader’s Choice Operator Innovator of the Year at the 2022 Self-Service Innovation Summit. 38 Top 25 Executives Laura Rea Dickey, CEO, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Laura Rea Dickey has been with Dickey’s Barbecue Pit since 2009 and most recently served as Chief Information Officer before transitioning to CEO in 2017. As CIO, she implemented a technology infrastructure for the brand, bringing parity and integration to data reporting, information security and all-digital sales channels. In her time as CEO, Dickey has overseen the expansion of the brand by 28%, opened 15 international locations in seven countries, and experienced the highest sales day in the brand’s 81-year history, with the past three years being same-store sales positive. She has managed the launch of three virtual brands, opened a USDA processing plant to ensure the brand’s signature kielbasa artisan sausages are always available to guests and retailers, and optimized the brand’s menu by 42%. She’s also had a large hand in creating and publishing the brand’s second cookbook, “Behind the BBQ: Recipes, Cocktails & Tall Tales from Dickey’s Barbecue Pit.” Alonso Castañeda, VP of Brand Strategy & Development, Savory Restaurant Fund Since joining Utah-based Savory Restaurant Fund, Alonso Castaneda has led brand campaigns and implementation of customer-facing systems Via 313, The Crack Shack, Mo’Bettahs, R&R BBQ and Swig. He not only streamlined catering systems to generate same-store sales growth but also improved loyalty programs that have helped with customer retention and new customer acquisition. He recently implemented an AI phone system to never miss a call and capture databases, which helped increase same-store sales growth. “Alonso is one of the best talents I’ve ever worked with — and he is pivotal to Savory’s success,” Shauna Smith, CEO of Savory said. “He’s a true value-added executive who expertly moves the needle on a daily basis. Alonso has an in-depth knowledge of sales and marketing, and he is a gifted leader who manages his teams with a heaping dose of managerial courage and unapologetic accountability. Plus, he’s just a good human who’s a delight to be around. It’s an honor to work with him.” Anchal Lamba, president, Gong Cha Tea A 2019 recipient of Forbes Magazine’s prestigious 30 Under 30 accolade, Anchal Lamba grew up in New York and developed a passion for bubble tea at an early age. She opened her first Gong Cha store in 2014 and has led the brand through an explosive era of growth over the past seven years. She now oversees over 120 locations across the northeast and Texas, marking the personal milestone of opening her 100th store just last year, with plans to open more by the end of 2023. 39 Top 25 Executives Kelly Roddy, CEO, WOWorks Since WOWorks launched in 2020 as the parent company of SaladWorks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and The Simple Greek, Kelly Roddy has been at the helm. Last year, the company added Zoup and Barberitos to its portfolio, and Roddy has created a business philosophy called the “One WOW! Way” that permeates the entire organization from operations, guest relations, execution and innovation to franchise owners, vendor partner relationships, cause marketing and sustainability programs. Under Roddy’s leadership in 2022, the company opened 14 locations (four Saladworks, two Frutta Bowls, one Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, three Zoup Eatery, and four co-branded locations) and signed 21 deals to open 21 more locations. Saladworks announced its menu is available for on-the-go meals, takeout, and delivery through partnership with two new Kitchen United Mix Food Hall locations in Columbus, Ohio. WOWorks streamlined its restaurants operations processes and boosted its guest loyalty program through partnerships with QU’s cloud-based POS system, Olo Rails, which allows the management of a centralized menu that automatically pushes to third-party marketplaces; Olo Dispatch, which offers branded delivery directly through each restaurant brand’s sites and apps; Punchh, which sends direct messaging to a guest’s phones and emails, a loyalty program and the ability to run campaigns and restaurant promotions; and World Pay, a merchant services and payment processing provider that offers a payment gateway for online transactions. Roddy also directed the opening of seven ghost kitchen locations through its partnership with Combo Kitchen as well as two Reef hubs via Reef Technology. Lastly, by 2027, the company will source all of its turkey and pork from farms that have earned an independent animal welfare certification recognized by the ASPCA Shop With Your Heart program. Samantha Rincione, co-founder, CEO and COO, Crave Hot Dogs and BBQ Samantha Rincione, the co-founder and CEO of Crave Hot Dogs and BBQ, believes every franchisee is family and is treated as such. She ensures that franchisees have help with real estate, acquiring SBA loans and developing locations, and have access to an in-house general contractor to help with quick and efficient openings. The team also has multiple trainers and operations individuals on staff for 24/7 assistance, which is no surprise considering Rincione knows what it’s like to be a franchisee. She was previously the largest multi-unit franchisee with Red Mango, Smoothie Factory and Red Mango Cafe, owning and operating 10 stores on Long Island, New York. During her tenure as a multi-unit franchisee, her stores were utilized as corporate training stores. Rincione has also been an integral force in the franchising sector for many years, having founded Emerging Franchises, a franchise development firm, which developed and built franchise companies from the ground up, specializing in emerging brands. Emerging Franchises was responsible for creating franchise operations systems and growing brands from one and, in some cases hundreds, of units. Under her leadership, Crave sold 35 franchise agreements in 2022, a record for the brand, and expects to more than double that in 2023. 40 Top 25 Executives Eduardo Luz, chief brand and concept officer, Panera Bread Eduardo Luz came to Panera in May 2020 as chief brand and concept officer, bringing over 25 years of senior leadership experience in brand, concept, marketing and general management. Before joining Panera, he spent six years with The Kraft Heinz Company, including as global brand officer and CMO for the U.S., and president of Grocery, the company’s largest division. Most recently, Luz, who keynoted the Fast Casual Executive Summit in 2021, defined the start-up strategy, brand position, and innovation for 8 Greens, where he served as CEO, setting the business on an explosive growth trajectory. In 2022 under Luz’s direction, the chain launched its first Panera To Go, a digital-only café focused on off-premise dining in Chicago. It’s the first of three test locations opening this year. The upcoming stores will be in California and Washington, D.C., according to a press release. “We strive to make it easy for our guests to access Panera’s chef-curated menu in the most convenient way. Panera To Go creates yet another access point for our guests, via Rapid Pick-Up or delivery in locations where Panera has not historically operated,” Luz said in the release. Tony Gemignani, founder, Slice House It’s been quite a year for Tony Gemignani, who was named as Pizza Marketplace’s Top 100 executive of the year. As the name and face behind Slice House by Tony Gemignani, he is seeking to make slices a top seller on the pizza market. Slice has 50 units in operation or development in its first year of operation, and Gemignani has plans to make Slice House a household name across the country. The former World Pizza Cup Champion and author of the “Pizza Bible” also owns several other pizza concepts, including Pizza Rock in Las Vegas and Tony Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco, which regularly tops “Best Of” lists across the country. 41 Top 25 Executives Aaron Noveshen, CEO, Starbird Starbird has benefited from Aaron Noveshen’s launch of The Culinary Edge in 2002 with the mission to fuse culinary excellence, operational excellence and human-centered design to create a more delicious and prosperous future. Since TCE’s inception, Noveshen and his team have co-created over 25 global and regional restaurant brands. It is this in-depth knowledge and experience that ignited the creation of Starbird. Noveshen has paved the way for restaurants of the future through his passion for virtual brand innovation and tech-driven conveniences. Understanding that the food delivery industry was slated to surpass $200 billion by 2025, he sought to grow Starbird’s footprint outside of its streetside locations by developing a suite of virtual brands to be sold across multiple physical and digital platforms. Noveshen was also responsible for implementing an ethical code of brand values that led to an employee enrichment program offering team members the opportunity to better themselves through education. Through the program, Starbird is committed to contributing tuition reimbursements of $100,000 a year and up to $5,000 per employee each year. This reimbursement can be used toward higher education in any area of study at an accredited institution of choice. The brand also partnered with a comprehensive language learning system to offer free online memberships for all employees. Starbird continues to receive accolades year-after-year recognizing the brand as a “best place to work,” largely due to this program, the people and the brand values. Ahmed Abouelenein, CEO, The Halal Guys Ahmed Abouelenein, CEO of The Halal Guys, has overseen unprecedented growth this past year, including opening 13 units in Q4 of 2022. The Halal Guys may have begun as a hot dog cart on the corner of a busy street in New York City, but Abouelenein has led it to surpass 100 international locations, and the chain has over 400 locations in development. Abouelenein has also developed key marketing campaigns that have driven incredible growth, developed an industry-leading supply chain that allows The Halal Guys to run smoothly from coast to coast, and implemented a state-of-the-art tech stack that’s kept THG customers constantly engaged with the brand. 42 Top 25 Executives Ashley Morris, CEO, Capriotti’s and Wing Zone Ashley Morris, CEO of Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and Wing Zone Franchise, isn’t afraid to dream big. He recently said he hopes to have 3,500 locations and knows that partnering with the right people is key. “We’re a people-first company, a mentality that includes the franchisees we permit to become a part of our brands,” he said. A franchise fee buy-in for a Capriotti’s location is $30,000, and with building space and other factors included, the total tab is usually somewhere between $500,000 and $550,000. “We built an organization that can support a franchise organization. That said, the franchise partner of today is much different than 10 or 20 years ago,” he said. “In many walks of life, people have experienced frustrations in past employment. They may have realized that they were building other people’s dreams. I believe, though, that this world is more entrepreneurial now than it’s ever been.” Chris Smith, CEO, Zunzi’s and Zunzibar While so many restaurants struggle with complex operational structures and tight margins, Chris Smith’s hybrid model of incorporating fast casual service into its full bar, which serves signature cocktails and craft beer, has been a game changer for the brand. By using QR codes and kiosks, the brand minimizes the number of servers needed and allows the “service” team to focus on the guest experience instead of having to take food orders. Since Smith purchased the brand in 2014, he wanted to figure out his life purpose and align it with Zunzi’s mission. In the process, he realized the importance of Zunzi’s controversial “Shit Yeah” motto and made it the promise to the brand’s six stakeholders: TEAM, FRANCHISEES, FANS, COMMUNITY, VENDORS and INVESTORS — in that order. After refining the brand’s South African-inspired menu and defining its culture, Smith opened a second fast casual location in Atlanta in 2018. This process set into motion the third iteration of Zunzi’s model that now includes Zunzibar. 43 INDEX Aaron Noveshen, CEO, Starbird 42 Duck Donuts 30 Adenah Bayoh, founder, Cornbread 38 Eduardo Luz, chief brand and concept officer, Panera Bread 41 Fatburger 16 Ahmed Abouelenein, CEO, The Halal Guys 42 Alonso Castañeda, VP of Brand Strategy & Development, Savory Restaurant Fund 39 Fazoli's 6 Prakash Karamchandani and HoChan Jang, co-founders, Balance Pan-Asian Grille 36 Qdoba 30 Rise Southern 24 Saladworks 11 Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers 14 Salata Salad Kitchen 23 Ashley Morris, CEO, Capriotti’s and Wing Zone 43 Fresh Baguette 25 Sam Rothschild, COO, Slim Chickens 38 Garden Catering 25 Au Bon Pain 21 Geoff Alexander, Samantha Rincione, co-founder and CEO, Crave Hot Dogs and BBQ 40 Balance Pan-Asian Grille 29 president & CEO, Wow Bao 33 Schlotzsky's 13 Gong Cha 15 Scott Deviney, president and CEO, Anchal Lamba, president, Gong Cha Tea 39 Big Chicken 5 Bill Phelps, CEO, Dave’s Hot Chicken 35 Grainmaker 31 Blaze Pizza 15 Hawaiian Bros Island Grill 28 HCKHOTCHICKEN 24 Ike's Love and Sandwiches 18 Bonchon Brooklyn Dumpling Shop 7 18 BurgerFi International 8 Island Fin Poke Company 23 Capriotti's/Wing Zone 9 Jamba 14 Chicken Salad Chick 36 Shake Shack 14 Shipley Do-Nuts 26 Slice House 27 Slim Chickens 9 Smashburger 12 Smokey Bones 26 Cheba Hut 25 Jersey Mike's Subs 12 Chick N Max 16 Josh Halpern, CEO, Big Chicken 35 Juice It Up 20 Baguette, Hot Chikn Kitchn, California Tortilla, Garden Catering 34 Chicken Salad Chick 5 Stacey Kane, fractional CMO, Fresh Chipotle 27 Katie Fogertey, CFO, Shake Shack 35 Stacey Pool, CMO, Noodles & Co 37 Chris Baggott, CEO, ClusterTruck 37 Kelly Roddy, CEO, WOWorks 40 Starbird 20 Chris Smith, CEO, Zunzi's and Zunzibar 43 Clean Juice 17 ClusterTruck 20 Condado Tacos 23 Cookie Plug 26 Cornbread 28 Cowboy Chicken 27 Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ 10 Crazy Pita 29 Curry Up Now 19 Dave Mikita, president, International and Retail Channels Focus Brands 33 Laura Rea Dickey, Stratis Morfogen, founder and CEO, CEO, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit 39 Brooklyn Dumpling Shop 38 McAlister's Deli 24 Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe 17 Michelle Bythewood, president, Salata 34 Teriyaki Madness 15 Mici Handcrafted Italian 22 The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill 22 Mo’Bettahs 22 The Halal Guys Moe's Southwest Grill 18 Toastique Native Foods 30 Tony Gemignani, founder, Slice House 41 Nekter Juice Bar 19 Torchy's Tacos 17 Noodles & Co 31 Tropical Smoothie Cafe 11 Panera Bread 19 Velvet Taco 13 Penn Station East Coast Subs 24 WaBa Grill 16 33 Dave's Hot Chicken 4 PITA Mediterranean Street Food 12 Wing Snob Dickey's Barbecue Pit 7 Playa Bowls 31 Wow Bao Pokeworks 10 Zunzi's + Zunzibar Dog Haus 13 8 29 6 28 44