Top industry trade publication Nation's Restaurant News highlighted CHOP5's growth strategy: Put franchisees first. The journal named CHOP5 a Breakout Brand for 2024.
Nearly 15 years ago, a group of five restaurant franchisees became close after attending the same conferences and serving on various boards and committees. Those franchisees ran multiple restaurants for major brands, from Papa Johns and Qdoba to Rally’s, Long John’s Silvers, and Jersey Mike’s.
Whenever they got together, they ideated about starting their own concept, one that was franchisee-led rather than franchisor. Eventually, Brian Mills and Allen Hertzman decided to stop ideating and start researching, so they spent a year looking at different concepts to pull some learnings, and they landed on salad as their focal point. The two recruited Philip Horn, Patrick Gaunce, and Wade Oney to join them, and the group of business owners — who collectively operate more than 400 restaurants across the country — started a new concept called CHOP5 Salad Kitchen (5 being a nod to the five founders).
Read the full story in Nation's Restaurant News - Breakout Brands