Aaron Anderson’s restaurant career began as a five-unit franchisee of The Hot Dog Factory in Philadelphia prior to creating his own concept. "I felt there was a void in the casual breakfast-brunch market segment in the Northeast and decided to jump in with both feet," says Anderson, who was inspired by the success of his two favorite restaurants, Waffle House and Raising Cane's.

He opened the first Sunrise Social unit in 2023. The 2,500 sq. ft. casual full-service concept quickly became successful,  serving chicken and waffles and other breakfast and lunch items.

Sunrise Social operates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. Anderson creates variety and value via ingredient cross-utilization. "Simplicity and consistency has always been the objective and continues to be my main concern as we plan our growth," says Anderson.

Anderson explains how he develops the systems leadership for growth. "The recipe for a successful franchise program consists of three main ingredients: the proper selection of franchise partners, a complete initial training program and continued support.”

Despite the current challenges of high occupancy costs, increased opening budgets, and a tight labor market, Anderson is optimistic about continued franchise growth and looks forward to Sunrise Social’s first 24-hour location in late 2025 in Katy, Texas.