In this repurposed episode of The Builders Podcast,, John Busby speaks with Gregg about his proven strategies for restaurant growth, franchising, and operational excellence.

Key Takeaways

Letting Consumers Pick the Next Big Restaurant Brand
Follow the Playbook to Succeed
Embrace Technology but Don’t Lose Hospitality

In this repurposed episode of The Builders Podcast, John Busby speaks with Gregg Majewski about his proven strategies for restaurant growth, franchising, and operational excellence. When Gregg joined Jimmy John’s, the brand had just 30 locations—under his leadership, it expanded to over 300, revolutionizing fast-casual dining with its freaky fast delivery model and an unshakable commitment to quality, cleanliness, and efficiency. Now, as CEO of ‪Craveworthy Brands, he’s building the next wave of successful restaurant concepts, with a portfolio spanning everything from craft burgers to gourmet cinnamon rolls.

Letting Consumers Pick the Next Big Restaurant Brand

Craveworthy is built on the belief that “the consumer decides what brand is the next IT brand.” While the company applies a structured playbook to help emerging restaurant brands grow, Gregg acknowledges that success isn’t dictated by strategy alone.

“Nobody in their right mind would've said Raising Cane’s would've been the success that it is,” he says, noting that its simple menu didn’t initially stand out. However, the brand’s consistency, speed, and consumer appeal made it a billion-dollar success. Craveworthy takes the same approach, offering a diverse portfolio ranging from “Genghis Grill and Sigri Indian Barbecue” to “Dirty Dough cookies and Budlong Southern Chicken.” Ultimately, the company’s mission is clear: “Let's have our brands let the consumer pick.”

Follow the Playbook to Succeed

For Craveworthy, franchising success comes down to executing a proven system.
“Franchisees want to buy a system that they can replicate with ease as long as they follow the book,” Gregg explains. He emphasizes the importance of consistency, saying great franchisees “believe in 'em, march to those orders, care where a trash can goes.” On the other hand, struggling franchisees often fail because they “aren’t doing everything that they’re supposed to be doing to make it work.” While franchising isn’t a guaranteed success,

Gregg believes that “nine outta ten times” failures are due to a franchisee not following the system or choosing a bad location. In his view, the key to success is simple: trust the process and stick to the playbook.

Embrace Technology but Don’t Lose Hospitality

Technology can improve restaurant efficiency, but Gregg warns against letting it replace hospitality. “Waiting for the check is one of the most annoying things that can happen,” he says, explaining how digital payment solutions enhance the dining experience by allowing guests to pay on their own time. While he supports technology that “speeds up your service,” he draws the line at tech that “takes out hospitality, so you never have to talk to somebody.”

Restaurants provide more than just food; they offer an experience.
“You come in 'cause you want something special. You want that level of hospitality. You want to be taken care of,” Gregg states. Whether it’s a fast-food chain or a Michelin-starred restaurant, he insists that hospitality remains at the heart of the industry: “Don’t take too much out that we're not doing what makes us different because then why are they gonna come in?”

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About John Busby

John Busby serves as Centerfield's Chief Marketing Officer. In addition to corporate marketing, John leads Centerfield's Digital Brands, which help millions of in-market consumers choose and purchase the right product or service through brands like Business.com and BroadbandNow. Prior to joining Centerfield, John was Head of Analytics for Amazon's grocery division. Prior to Amazon, John was Senior Vice President of Analytics and Marketing at Marchex. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Northwestern University.

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About Gregg Majewski

Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands. Craveworthy Media is Majewski’s gift back to the industry that has given him so much. The goal of Craveworthy is to inspire the up and coming industry leaders by providing important information, stories, and insights from titans past and present.

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Room for Seconds is produced and published by Cali BBQ Media on behalf of Craveworthy Brands

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Scaling Craveworthy Brands: Insights from CEO Gregg Majewski