Interview between Craveworthy CEO Gregg Majewski and Wow Bao President and CEO Geoff Alexander about the ups and downs of rapid growth, maintaining quality through scaling, and the importance of molding future leaders.
Key Takeaways
The Importance of Teaching and Molding Future Leaders
For Gregg Majewski, being a leader in the restaurant industry is an extremely important title and goes beyond the walls of the restaurants. With many being employed for the first time, Majewski understands the vital role the job will play in those employees’ future.
The Ups and Downs of Rapid Growth
Craveworthy grew quickly! With such fast paced growth, though, comes challenges. For Gregg Majewski, he has been able to navigate the issues, and remain appreciative of the unprecedented growth.
Maintaining Quality While Scaling
Quality is important to Gregg Majewski. As Craveworthy continues to expand, his biggest sticking point is to maintain the food quality and hospitality above all. If those two elements disappear, Majewski believes the customers will as well.
Prioritize Consistent Quality
Gregg Majewski embodies leadership that extends far beyond the confines of his establishments under the Craveworthy umbrella. Majewski is passionate about growing his brand and equally as passionate about nurturing and empowering his team.
He recognizes the profound impact a first job can have on an individual's future trajectory. For Majewski, each new employee represents an opportunity to mold future leaders. Because of that, he emphasizes the importance of teaching foundational skills, such as punctuality, respect for colleagues and customers, and resilience in challenging situations.
"We mold the next generation of leaders.” says Majewski of the importance of molding employees. “The next president or the next Steve Jobs might be coming into our restaurant."
Rapid Growth Doesn't Have to Sacrifice Quality
This approach to employment has caused Craveworthy to experience rapid growth that has presented both opportunities and challenges. Majewski has managed to navigate economic fluctuations and operational hurdles while remaining appreciative of the journey. For instance, despite facing underperforming stores in struggling communities, Majewski's commitment to integrity and consistency garnered recognition from industry giants.
“It has been a truly amazing ride in a short amount of time,” said Majewski. “If you treat people right and you stay on mission and you always do what you say you're going to do, you're eventually going to come out as the big winner.”
And that he has.
Through Craveworthy’s rapid expansion, maintaining food quality and hospitality remains paramount for Majewski. He understands that consistency is key to retaining customer loyalty, and remains vigilant against trading product quality for scalability.
Simply put, “If your food is inconsistent, your consumers won't come back.”
In this conversation with Wow Bao President and CEO Geoff Alexander, Majewski's visionary leadership in the restaurant industry is showcased through his intentional empowerment of employees, and navigating growth challenges while prioritizing quality. Majewski's commitment to excellence and integrity sets Craveworthy apart.
In Majewski's own words, "Consumers notice when you cheapen the product. We have to make sure that the product and its quality can be maintained consistently."
About Wow Bao
"Wow Bao offers fast Asian street food—bao, pan-seared potstickers, steamed dumplings, rice & noodle bowls, hearty soups, fresh salads, and specialty drinks such as our fresh ginger ale.
We believe that life’s too short for uninspired food. We’re here to transform the fast-casual experience from everyday and expected to extraordinary and inventive.
We promise to put a “wow” in our guests’ day with an incomparable food experience that engages, excites, and exceeds expectations." (courtesy of Wow Bao)
Episode Links:
- Wow Bao Online
- Wow Bao Dark Kitchens
- Wow Bao Instagram
- Geoff Alexander LinkedIn
- Geoff Alexander Medium Article
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.
- Gregg Majewski Instagram
- Craveworthy Brands Instagram
- Craveworthy Online
- Gregg Majewski LinkedIn
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