Modern Market thinks farm to table fast food has national franchising potentialModern Market thinks farm to table fast food has national franchising potential

Joanna Fantozzi

Modern Market – the 28-unit, Boulder, Colo.-based fast-casual chain — announced in July the next phase of franchising growth for the better-for-you brand. Following month-to-month sales growth with 25% same-store sales increase in the latest quarter of 2021, Modern Market is looking to expand its concept to umid-sized metropolitan markets like Columbus and Phoenix, as well as grow the Texas markets they’re already in like Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston.

Renee Israel, Modern Market’s chief franchise officer, said that the brand began considering franchising just before the pandemic began. Following their growth during the pandemic, they’re doubling down on franchising growth. Modern Market, Israel said, is attractive to “community-minded” potential franchisees that want to grow with the brand to become multi-unit operators and believe in their message of better-for-you food, done quickly.

“Our uniqueness is in the diversity of our menu and the type of food that we provide — It's really like a farm to table meets fast food,” Israel said. “There are not a lot of opportunities in the franchising space with a menu like ours. And I think that that's really one of our strong points.”

Israel pointed out that even though several growing brands are focusing on better-for-you, vegetable-focused fast-casual meals, that many of them, including Dig (formerly known as Dig Inn) and Sweetgreen, do not franchise. Therefore, their concept — which touts a diverse menu of breakfast all day, salads, grain bowls and protein plates, along with pizzas sold from their new ghost kitchen concept, Honest Pizza Company — is fulfilling a need in the franchising market.

“We take in scratch-made techniques from fine dining and have translated them into a fast-casual format,” Israel said. “There’s something for everyone. My father can go there and get his steak and potatoes and I can have my salad and my kids can even have mac and cheese, but that mac and cheese is made with a homemade, wholesome cheese sauce.” 

When Modern Market opens new franchised stores, Israel said to not expect locations to pop up in the largest metropolitan markets like New York or Los Angeles, but they aim to become a nationally recognized brand by penetrating underserved, mid-sized metropolitan areas. They also plan to focus on nontraditional development by opening more locations on college campuses and in airports this year and beyond.

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