Producer of The Food Service Growth Show︱Content Director at Apicbase︱Writes about operational excellence, sustainability & digital transformation in the restaurant and food service industry.
I have 😊 ➡️ Have you ever wondered what it takes to scale a small family-owned restaurant into a fast-growing chain without losing the heart and soul of the brand? 🍔 Isak Fagerholm has the answers. Friends & Brgrs grew from 1 location to nearly 30. As COO of Friends & Brgrs, Isak’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. From joining just months before the first store opened to steering the business to nearly 30 locations in 10 years, his insights on growth, leadership, and operational excellence are pure gold. "Growing from 7 to 140 people in just 18 months was tough.” ✅ Key Insights: - Early-stage perseverance: “We made mistakes, but we never quit. We learned, adapted, and kept pushing forward.” - SOPs: “Planning is everything. Your processes should be so clear that anyone can step in and take over seamlessly.” - Operational excellence: From sourcing fresh ingredients to making buns in-house, standardisation is key when scaling with quality in mind. - Strategic Partnerships: "NoHo Partners has been a strong partner, helping us improve processes and open new restaurants more efficiently." “The challenge was to make every experience as good as the next one.” 💡 Highlights: -> How Friends & Brgrs opened 15 new locations during the pandemic. -> The shift in workplace culture: “Employees today expect transparency and respect—and it’s changing leadership in the restaurant industry.” -> Their bold vision for the future is 50 locations, all while keeping quality and operational efficiency at the forefront of their minds. This episode of The Food Service Growth Show is packed with actionable insights from one of the most exciting burger brands in Europe. "Employees now expect more from their employers, and that’s a positive shift in the industry." 👉 Ready to dive in? Find the link to the episode in the comments. 🎧 #Leadership #RestaurantGrowth #ScalingUp #CustomerExperience #FastCasualDining #OperationalExcellence
Will definitely give this a listen. Really interested to hear how you managed this growth but kept the heart. I am guessing your values and culture were pivotal, especially when hiring. Thanks for sharing!
Producer of The Food Service Growth Show︱Content Director at Apicbase︱Writes about operational excellence, sustainability & digital transformation in the restaurant and food service industry.
3mo👉 Watch/listen to the episode: https://bit.ly/3XUlti8