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Founders Table Restaurant Group, parent company of Dos Toros and Chopt Creative Salad Co., announced the acquisition of Protein Bar & Kitchen (PBK) Thursday. Fast-casual PBK currently operates 15 corporate locations and four licensed units. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Founders Table was formed in January 2020, after Chopt acquired Dos Toros Taqueria with the mission to scale founder-led concepts. This new acquisition expands the company’s fast-casual portfolio with a concept that actually has “protein” in its name, positioning it well for today’s hottest health and fitness trend. PBK’s menu features protein-packed bowls, salads, wraps, shakes and smoothies.
The first Protein Bar & Kitchen opened in Chicago in 2009, and since 2017, has been led by CEO Jeff Drake and COO Jared Cohen. With its flexible model, the brand has expanded to airports, colleges and hospitals and recently launched a franchising program. Drake and Cohen will join Founders Table.
“We are thrilled to join the Founders Table family alongside Chopt and Dos Toros,” said Drake in a statement. “All three brands have proven success not only in traditional street locations, but also in non-traditional settings. With an established platform and 30 franchised and licensed locations already in development, we believe the support of the Founders Table platform will allow us to successfully accelerate our growth.”
Nick Marsh, CEO of Chopt, said, “we see enormous opportunity in premium and blended beverages, and have been following PBK’s success over the past several years. We’re excited to welcome Jeff and the PBK team to Founders Table.”
The brand partnership has proven successful at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal C, where Protein Bar & Kitchen, Dos Toros and Chopt are co-tenants. Founders Table will continue to target non-traditional venues, including healthcare, education and transportation centers, and grow PBK’s company-owned locations into new markets.
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