Drew Gressett’s sitting down with the Wolf to discuss his personal journey in the restaurant industry—from his journey founding Hat Creek Burger Company to owning 60+ Zaxby’s.
Hear Hat Creek Burger Company’s humble origin story—from starting as a food truck in 2008 to now having 26 brick-and-mortar locations, Drew shares the challenges and triumphs of scaling his business. He shares how building a strong restaurant management team and securing financing helped fuel his exponential growth.
What are the unique dynamics of running both independent restaurants and franchise locations? And does Drew have plans to expand into other franchise brands or industries in the future?
Tune in now to find out!
 
00:00:23 - From Food Truck to Restaurant Success
00:07:13 - Lessons Learned from Hat Creek's Expansion
00:08:10 - Growing Hat Creek to 26 Locations
00:15:12 - Expanding the Zaxby's Franchise Portfolio
00:18:23 - Scaling Hat Creek 
00:20:37 - Building a Strong Restaurant Management Team
00:24:36 - Leveraging Seller Financing for Growth
00:28:56 - Franchise Friction: Running Own vs. Franchise
00:33:03 - Exploring New Franchise Opportunities and Industries
00:34:37 - New Builds vs. Acquisitions: Pros and Cons
 
Learn More About Zaxby’s:
Website: https://www.zaxbys.com/franchise
 
Learn More About Hat Creek Burger Company:
Website: https://hatcreekburgers.com/who-we-are
 
Follow Drew: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-gressett-96891621a/
 
Follow The Wolf: 
Newsletter: https://workweek.com/brand/the-wolf-of-franchises/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewolfoffranchises
Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
Website: https://www.krokit.com
 
And for exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel.
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