Profitable Business Investments Coming in 2026

Thank you. And we likewise have Clinton Anderson, the CEO of Fourth, who will be moderating the discussion with Jason. Jason, how about I let you provide the audience some information about your background and you can also tell them a little bit about Chop Shop. And then I'll let you take it from there, Clinton.

Thanks Christina. My name is Jason Morgan, CEO of Original Chop Store. I've been doing this for about nine years now. We bought the brand in 2016three unitsand I've grown it to 26. Prior to this, I've invested the majority of my career in hospitality in some shape or kind. After a short stint of trying to be an accounting professional for about a year and a half, I transitioned into casino home and operated in business finance.

I was the first staff member there after personal equity purchased the company. Helped grow that from 20 to 150 locations, took it public in 2014, and then left about a year and a half after going public to do this at Chop Store. My hope is that we can duplicate the success we had at Zos, and we're off to a really great start.

We're at the counter, we bring the food to the table. It is primarily protein bowlsabout 40 percent of the mix. We also do salads, sandwiches. The secret to the program is we have a drink part too with fresh-squeezed juices and protein shakes. We do all stables, we do breakfast all the time.

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

Corporate Growth Milestones in 2026

I've been in this function for about 6 years. 4th, as many of you know, is a leading company of software application options to the dining establishment and hospitality market. Our objective is to assist our customers be effective in driving success and being efficientmanaging labor, handling stock, and generally offering them with tools they need to provide their vision.

It's rare to have companies that are precious and growing quickly, that can duplicate that success year after year. Jason, among the reasons I was so excited to have you join our session is the success at Zos was amazing. I've just met a handful of brands where there was such a strong consumer affinity for the brand name.

When you talk to clients about Chop Shop, they enjoy the place. And to be able to take what is a fairly complicated principle in terms of delivering an excellent experience for the client, and be able to grow that from a couple of stores to now north of 30 stores next yearit's remarkable.

We're going to discuss how to scale a restaurant company. Every restaurateur I ever talk with has imagine taking one store, 2 shops, 5 stores, and turning it into something much biggerexpanding across the city, across the state, into several states, and eventually national, even worldwide reach. It's not simple, especially in today's environment.

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

Significant Market Milestones for 2026 Growth

The first concern I have for you, Jasonlook, you have actually done this twice now in the dining establishment market. What are some of the lessons you've found out? What has your experience remained in terms of what it requires to truly drive success in broadening restaurants? Inform me a little about your path, what you experienced along the method, and perhaps some of the more difficult lessons you found out.

We talked a bit before we began about LinkedIn, and I've got a post teed approximately follow this next week about what the playbook is likepoint by pointfor growing an organization. To me, one of the essential things, and I feel extremely fortunate, is that both brand names I've been included with are unique.

And there's nothing precisely like Chop Store in regards to what we're finishing with a big, varied menu. The majority of brands today are extremely singularly focused in regards to what they're using from a food. I seem like we began at a benefit with both brand names by having something special that filled a niche no one else was doing.

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

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

They do not know their breakeven sales. They don't comprehend how margin enhances as sales increase. They do not understand cash-on-cash returns. I have actually seen a lot of companies where the numbers just don't work. And yet individuals say: let's open 10 more. And I'll state: why? It does not earn money. Stop. You require to find a principle that is special.

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If you don't have those two things, you should not be constructing shops. Because as I hear your description, you've highlighted three things: execution, brand name distinction, and monetary practicality.

Comparing Franchise ROI Against Market Trends

Second, you require an engaging brand name or distinct concept that resonates with clients. And third, the math needs to work. If you do not comprehend your unit economics, your repaired and variable expenses, you might be expanding blind and losing money. Precisely. And another crucial lesson is about going into new markets.

When we expanded to Dallas, I anticipated new shops to do 5070% of Phoenix sales in the first year. Too many operators presume new markets will open at complete volume day one.