Chris Gannon, Co-Founder & CEO of Bolay, joins the Delivered Podcast to share the story behind one of the fastest-growing fast casual brands in America.From his New Orleans upbringing — where food and hospitality were a way of life — to building Bolay into a flavor-forward, community-driven brand, Chris breaks down the real playbook for scaling restaurants without losing authenticity.

In this episode, we cover:

00:00 – Chris Gannon’s early hospitality roots in New Orleans04:55 – What hospitality means to Chris
08:05 – Polo and business leadership
09:43 – What it takes to build a brand like Bolay
13:16 – Finding the right vendors
14:20 – How Chris created the menu concept
17:30 – Tips from Outback Steakhouse
19:50 – Supply chain, and early scaling challenges
24:46 – Local sourcing in Florida
27:02 – Early stage guest assumptions
29:06 – How to maintain demand and compete in the market
33:48 – Past, present, and future of Bolay
39:29 – Why Bolay’s menu travels well
41:41 – What sustainability means to Bolay
47:11 – The role of off-premise
49:48 – Bolay's magic concept
51:55 – The gluten-free cookie story that changed everything

If you're building a restaurant brand, scaling fast casual, or passionate about hospitality and operations, this conversation is full of insights you can use today.

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