In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Justin Rosenberg, the founder and CEO of Philadelphia-based Honeygrow, which has 31 locations in 7 markets on the east coast. The fast casual was a hot commodity after launching in 2012, but by 2018 the business had become bloated, forcing Honeygrow to close some locations. Justin joins the podcast to talk about some of the mistakes that were made, how he’s refined the brand by learning from those mistakes, and what other restaurant entrepreneurs should know before they scale their concept.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why: 

• You should minimize your G&A expenses and focus on great people instead
• Sometimes you need a moment to catch your breath and refine your model
• There is untapped potential in smaller markets
• Don’t get too bogged down in complex technologies
• If you’re starting a concept from scratch, don’t just clone what’s popular
• Mistakes can be awesome — so long as you don’t make them again
• Don’t let your ego get in the way of your brand’s potential

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].