Welcome to this very special edition of Buzzworthy Brands, in which we talk with leaders from three of the country’s fastest growing small restaurant concepts. You’ll hear from founders of Main Squeeze Juice Company, Clean Eatz and Rush Bowls. All three are health-focused fast-casual concepts. But they’ve had different approaches to growth and different ways of navigating the pandemic.
We’ll start with a portion of our conversation with Thomas Nieto, CEO of Main Squeeze Juice Company a 23-unit chain from Lake Charles, Louisiana. Nieto was introduced to the concept by the founders shortly before the first location even opened. Right away, he knew it would be a good brand for growth.
Next, we’ll hear from Don Varady, who founded the Clean Eatz chain with his wife Evonne Varady. The 63-unit concept sells well-balanced meals for those seeking a healthy lifestyle. In addition to the restaurants, the Varadys run a wholly separate business, Clean Eatz Kitchen, which produces and distributes prepared meals to military bases, schools and direct to consumers.
Finally, we’ll hear from Andrew Pudalov, a former global head of derivative trading in New York City, who became the founder and CEO of Rush Bowls. Pudalov’s concept, which he launched 17 years ago, focuses on smoothie bowls served quickly from small-footprint locations with very little waste. Rush Bowls currently has 35 units across the country.
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