CHOP5, a fast-casual salad chain that specializes in customizable bowls, is setting its sights on Indiana for its next wave of franchise expansion.
Co-founder Brian Mills said the potential for the Ohio-based chain to expand to Indy is significant, and that their research shows Midwesterners are looking for healthy alternatives to traditional fast-casual food.
Founded in 2016, CHOP5 has two restaurants in Ohio. The name comes from the unique style of the salads they serve — chopped directly in front of the customer.
Mills was always interested in the fast-casual industry. As a child, he was fascinated by McDonald’s and their signs that read “1 billion hamburgers sold.” Years later, Mills became involved with the Domino’s franchise and set a course towards CHOP5.
“(Domino’s) was kind of my first entry into being a franchisee and looking at a model and trying to take some of the risk out of truly being an entrepreneur and starting something with just an idea,” Mills said.
From there, Mills dominated the franchisee pizza industry in the Colorado and Minnesota market, learning along the way what makes a good fast-casual restaurant great.
Mills and his partner would attend events and talk and always think about what would make a franchise better. He began to understand the scale and the nitty-gritty of running a large organization, but he wanted something of his own.
He sold his franchise locations, partnered with like-minded individuals, and hunted for the next big thing.
Mills and one of his partners, Alan Hertzman, went around the country looking at different concepts. They had already done burgers, pizza, sandwiches and chicken, so what was left?
“We thought, you know, we should find something that’s kind of the next trend of where things are going. We’d like to do something more in the healthy space,” Mills said.
Mills and his partner landed on chopped salads. Something that is healthy, flavorful and can be difficult and expensive to make at home. CHOP5 was born.
“The transparency is very evident about how fresh the product is because we are doing it right in front of (the customers),” Mills said. “It’s not just food; there’s a unique process that goes along with it.”
CHOP5 rooted itself in Columbus and established itself as one of the healthy options in a sea of greasy fast-casual joints.
“The store has gone off like a rocket ship,” Mills said. “We understand now there’s a client base in the Midwest that is truly trying to eat better for themselves.”
Now, after opening, CHOP5 is eyeing Indy for their next franchise owners. While the company is hoping to branch out, Mills maintains that the groundwork is important, and it is just getting started. The first franchise could be in Indy as early as 2025.
“We’re laying the foundation,” Mills said. “It’s really finding the right person that’s going to start the process. We are doing this to build something that can last.”
For more information about CHOP5, visit chop5.com.
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
