QSR February 2023

to Knuckies, pouring their life sav ings in before raising additional growth capital to expand. Today, the hoagie role is the No. 1 compli ment from consumers. COVID hit Knuckies hard con sidering it had opened the first in late 2019. The following year, the company did under $200,000 but worked to stay af loat. That figure more than doubled to $460,000 in 2021 and that same store, as of November 2022, was up to $600,000 in sales that calendar alone. There are now four corpo rate units, a franchise, and another franchise on deck for Q1. Through launching online ordering and third-party platforms, Knuckies’ model has shifted from 70 percent dine-in to 87 percent takeout, and the brand’s operational design has adjusted in response. The chain plans to continue franchise and cor porate growth going forward, while investing in a custommobile app, new website, and further sales-driv ing tech platforms. Garden Catering In a chicken category dominated by tender and wing brands, Garden Catering has stayed true to the nug get for more than three decades. Debuted by Lou Iandoli as Gar den Poultry in 1978 in Greenwich, Connecticut, Garden Catering starts with all-white breast meat sourced from family farms that is humanely raised with no antibi otics ever. They’re then hand-cut and cooked in small batches each day. The process and product have earned cult raves, including TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio. Garden Catering was purchased by Frank Carpenteri Sr. in 1989 fol lowing Iandoli’s passing. Today, it’s run by Carpenteri Sr.’s son and HEADQUARTERS: OLD GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT UNITS: 8

revamped its rewards offering— called Snob Perks—to coincide with a mobile app. Wing Snob says it is growing in many markets across different states, and hopes to hit 100 locations by 2025. Knuckies Hoagies HEADQUARTERS: ATLANTA, GEORGIA UNITS: 6 The inception of Knuckies stems from award-winning, Bos ton-based pizza concept, Crazy Dough’s Artisan Slice Bar, which was acquired in 2017 by Geor gia Franchise Group. Known for its award-winning dough pro duced by Atlanta-based H&F Bread Company ( eventually bought by Engelman’s Bakery) , Crazy Dough’s won the World Champion Title for “Best of the Best” at the International Pizza Expo in 2014. What ended up being the long-term value play, though, was the dough itself—now central to Knuckies’ hoagie rolls. The brand was created by two restaurant operators who recognized the opportunity. They believed so much they closed two other concepts and converted them

The 40/40 List

INDAY

INDAY

NewYorkCity based INDAY is taking Indian food and bringing it to a fast-casual

HEADQUARTERS: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

UNITS: 7

format. With five restaurants in office buildings at the time, INDAY was significantly affected by the COVID pandemic. To lessen the impact, it streamlined its menu and priori tized popular dishes like chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. INDAY has different iterations of its restaurant work ing for various customer bases; an “Express” concept that operates in commercial or transit areas and “INDAY All Day,” a neighborhood-focused concept that features breakfast, lunch, and dinner offerings where customers “live, work, and play.” The brand has its eyes set on expansion, with plans to grow to 18 restaurants by the end of 2024.

Bango Bowls HEADQUARTERS: BAY SHORE, NEW YORK UNITS: 7 Bango Bowls offers menu items like salads, poke, acai, f latbread pani nis, and smoothies. The brand has simplif ied the processes to execute its menu to f it in its 1,000 square foot stores. Bango Bowls says the onset of COVID accelerated its growth because of this smaller store strategy. Maximizing output and dialing in on a small footprint were key steps. The brand also has a dig ital ordering platform where about 90 percent of its business is takeout. Bango Bowls is in the process of franchising the concept and plans on beginning to sell franchises at

daughter across the eight Connect icut and New York locations. The prominence of the nugget hasn’t wavered, of course—guests still f lock to Garden Catering to buy them by the pound ( The Boss is a pound, extra fries, and two drinks for about $20 ) . Another menu sta ple includes The Hotsy Sandwich, a breakfast offering that’s earned national acclaim. It includes bacon, egg, and cheese, and is topped with Garden Catering’s famed potato cones and Hotsy’s chili. Throughout COVID, Garden Catering built a new tech stack, upgraded employee compensation, and secured new marketing leader ship. It plans to expand into retail with a line of sauces and seasoning and open new stores with a rede signed prototype.

KNUCKIES HOAGIES (2)

24

FEBRUARY 2023 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com