Franchise Focus: Why 1 fast casual didn’t ‘rush’ into franchising

To franchise or not to franchise? For the past 12 years Andrew Pudalov, founder of Rush Bowls, had decided the answer for his healthy food-in-a-bowl brand was a definitive “no.” A chance meeting in 2014 with restaurant entrepreneur Buddy Brown dramatically altered his view on franchising, however.

“I was extremely impressed with Buddy’s experience and accomplishments,” Pudalov recalled. “He has been a successful operator of over 300 stores and is the 27th largest franchisee of any food concept in the U.S. In addition, Buddy and his wife Lisa are incredibly hard working, extremely professional, caring and charitable. After many discussions with them, I knew they were the perfect partners for Rush Bowls.”

Brown saw incredible potential in Pudalov’s concept and knew he had the right foundation for a successful franchise model.

“Even as a restaurant entrepreneur with one location, heapproached things with a much larger mindset — launching a wholesale line, engaging people on a national scale and taking a scalable approach to Rush Bowls’ operations,” Brown told Fast Casual. “Andrew set the stage for things to move to the next level, and I knew with the right guidance, resources and the proper team in place we could move the dial quickly. We’re already seeing a level of excitement that is surpassing our initial expectations.”

More than a decade before, however, Pudalov was fresh off a stock market career with a vision to positively impact the world with  healthful eating and hadn’t even considered franchising.

“My main goal when I left Wall Street was to create a business that offered healthy, delicious meals on-the-go at an affordable price,” Pudalov shared in an interview with FastCasual.  “The past 12 years have been an incredible experience and I’ve learned a lot. Certainly, I’ve had some hiccups along the way but have used these challenges as opportunities to fine tune and improve the business. Also, I love what I do, which is a key ingredient to success.”

Pudalov warmed up to the idea of franchising after meeting Brown.

“Since day 1 of opening RushBowls 12 years ago, I’ve always believed that providing superior, healthy, high-quality food with unparalleled customer service is a winning model,” Pudalov added. “We never sit still, constantly innovate and do not compromise our core beliefs.  We love what we do and the customer always comes first.”

Brown agreed, saying that the team is taking a two-pronged approach to growth, investing in corporate-owned stores and franchisee development.

“[We] launch[ed] a Denver location … and have plans for several more in the coming 24 months. We launched franchise operations [recently] and have already seen tremendous interest from all over the country and Canada.”

Brown knew from over 30 years of restaurant experience that a franchisee’s evaluation of so many different concepts can be overwhelming.

“It’s my goal to help connect RushBowls with the right individuals in the right markets and guide their efforts, so that their locations meet with the level of success I strive for with my own stores,” he said.

Brown originally entered the franchising business for somewhat selfish reasons, he jokingly said.

“I was in the fine dining business early in my career and I always joke I got into franchising to finally make money in the restaurant business.” However, ideally, Brown said, the way to get into franchising is simple. “The advice I would give to potential franchisors and franchisees is to find a concept you truly believe in and be realistic about your financial expectations.”

Alhough Rush Bowls is going through dramatic change, the brand’s core focus will stay the same, Brown said.

“The objective of Rush Bowls has always been to provide healthy meals at an affordable price,” he said. “We are constantly assessing our costs and talking with our vendors to ensure we provide the utmost quality products. Eating well does not have to be a sacrifice. The market of healthy eating is significantly growing and will continue to benefit Rush Bowls and our customers in the future.”