How can entrepreneurs take a local culinary concept and scale it nationally while maintaining authenticity and quality?

In this episode, Greg Willman, Chairman and CEO of NafNaf, shares his journey of growing a fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant chain across the United States. With over 25 years of experience investing and operating in quick-service restaurants, real estate development, and early-stage tech-enabled startups, Greg offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of scaling a unique culinary concept.

Greg discusses the importance of remaining authentic to the founder's vision while adapting the delivery model to enable growth. He shares how NafNaf's commitment to cooking food from scratch in each restaurant every day sets them apart from competitors and resonates with customers seeking fresh, flavorful cuisine.

Throughout the conversation, Greg emphasizes the need for measured growth, building the right infrastructure, and maintaining a strong company culture. He also delves into the challenges of franchising, including finding the right partners, providing adequate support, and ensuring consistency across locations.

Greg opens up about his experience navigating the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic as a newly appointed CEO, and how focusing on what the company could control helped them survive and ultimately thrive.

Mentors that Inspired Greg:

The founder of NafNaf, Sahar Sander, whose passion for bringing authentic Middle Eastern food and hospitality to the United States inspired Greg to get involved with the brand

Gary Beisler, former Chairman of NafNaf and CEO of Qdoba, who encouraged Greg to take on the leadership role at NafNaf and has been a long-time mentor in the restaurant industry

References:

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-willman-23123813

Website - https://www.nafnafgrill.com/

Anthony Codispoti, AddBack Benefits Agency

https://www.addbackbenefitsagency.com/

Transcript | Staying True to Culinary Roots While Scaling a Restaurant Concept with Naf Naf's Greg Willman

Youtube - Inspired Stories Podcast by AddBack Benefits Agency

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Staying True to Culinary Roots While Scaling a Restaurant Concept with Naf Naf's Greg Willman

The Inspired Stories Podcast