BREAKOUT FACTORS

• Hot culinary niche
• Funding/ownership change

Take a closer look at the factors that make these concepts breakout brands >>

Just as Wendy’s opened its first location in an old car dealership and Papa John’s Pizza started in the closet of a tavern, Tom Chee had humble beginnings, debuting in a tent on Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati.

The fast-casual grilled cheese and soup concept first opened its tent flaps in the winter of 2009, with founders Trew Quackenbush and Corey Ward and their wives juggling shifts at the pop-up restaurant while still working full-time jobs. Throughout the following year, traffic picked up, fueled by Groupon deals and positive word-of-mouth.

In December 2010, 363 days after first pitchin...