Meet the Franchise

Meet The Franchise | Brian Simowitz | Houston TX Hot Chicken |

17 min · 1. maj 2026
episode Meet The Franchise | Brian Simowitz | Houston TX Hot Chicken | cover

Description

Meet Brian Simowitz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-simowitz-a51a476/], President at Houston TX Hot Chicken [https://www.hhc.ooo/franchise]. What is Houston TX Hot Chicken? Houston TX Hot Chicken (AKA - HHC) is a fast-casual restaurant offering delicious Nashville Hot Chicken sandwiches and other southern-inspired favorites. Opening their first location in 2021 as a small passion project, Founders Houston Crosta and Swedish race-car driver Edmond Barseghian have made a big splash as rising stars in the “hot chicken” phenomenon. With 30+ open locations and 150+ in development, HHC is bridging the gap between social media influence and rigorous operational discipline. In 2023, HHC won a strategic investment from the prestigious private equity firm "The Savory Fund". Brian Simowitz has spent 25+ years growing franchise brands in executive positions across the industry, with stints at Applebee's and Slim Chickens. With his leadership, he plans to focus on the brand's ultimate goal of opening 50 to 60 restaurants per year, and possibly expanding outside the country. Need help finding a franchise to own? Join the Growth Club [https://bit.ly/4rgUwRV] now!

Comments

0

Be the first to comment

Sign up now and become a member of the Meet the Franchise community!

Get Started

1 month for 9 kr.

Then 99 kr. / month · Cancel anytime.

  • Podcasts kun på Podimo
  • 20 lydbogstimer pr. måned
  • Gratis podcasts

All episodes

61 episodes

episode Meet The Franchise | Don Varady | Clean Eatz artwork

Meet The Franchise | Don Varady | Clean Eatz

Are you looking to invest in a health and wellness franchise? Discover how Clean Eatz [https://cleaneatzfranchising.com/] maximizes profitability and mitigates market risk through five diversified revenue streams, a low initial investment, and a streamlined operational model that caters perfectly to the surging consumer demand for convenient, macro-balanced nutrition. On this episode of Meet The Franchise, 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills sits down with Don Varady [https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-varady-450896145/], Co-founder and CEO of Clean Eatz, to discuss how the brand successfully engineered a $1.1 million Average Unit Volume (AUV) by establishing a highly sustainable, ethical franchise model that provides Meal Plans, Grab and Go Meals, In-Store Cafes, Catering, and Retail options. Currently scaled to over 120 locations across 23 states, Clean Eatz is executing an aggressive national expansion strategy targeting key high-growth markets including Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Charleston. Over the next 3 to 5 years, the brand is positioned to multiply its footprint and market share by capitalizing on the rapid consolidation of the healthy fast-casual sector. With over 13 years of executive experience in the franchise industry, Co-founder and CEO Don Varady has dedicated his career to fostering strategic planning, effective leadership, and exceptional operational integrity. His deep expertise in building a sustainable and credible franchise model bridges directly with Clean Eatz' aggressive 3-to-5-year scaling goals. Need help finding a franchise to own? Join the Growth Club [https://bit.ly/4rgUwRV] now!

Yesterday27 min
episode Meet The Franchise | Erica Tarnowski | Aroma Joe's artwork

Meet The Franchise | Erica Tarnowski | Aroma Joe's

While major corporate chains rely on impersonal, transactional service, Aroma Joe's [https://franchising.aromajoes.com/] has emerged as a powerhouse industry disruptor by combining an insanely loyal cult following, ethically sourced craft coffees, and their proprietary AJ's Rush® Energy drink line to capture a massive share of the booming $80 billion U.S. coffee market. On this episode of Meet The Franchise, 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills sits down with Erika Tarnowski [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-tarnowski], Franchise Development Director at Aroma Joe's, to discuss how the brand has successfully weaponized an unmatched, franchisee-first support culture to achieve 25 years of sustained operational excellence and rapid multi-unit expansion. Celebrating over a quarter-century of fueling communities, the Aroma Joe's franchise system has grown to over 125 open shops spanning eight states. With consumer demand shifting aggressively away from legacy chains and toward premium, sustainable brands, Aroma Joe's is executing an aggressive 3-to-5-year growth mission to expand its footprint nationally. Need help finding a franchise to own? Join the Growth Club [https://bit.ly/4rgUwRV] now!

Yesterday29 min
episode Meet The Franchise | Seth Larsen | Cheba Hut artwork

Meet The Franchise | Seth Larsen | Cheba Hut

Are you looking to invest in a sub sandwich franchise? While traditional fast-casual brands rely on cookie-cutter, corporate-mandated blueprints, Cheba Hut [https://chebahut.com/franchise/] has broken the industry mold by pairing industry-leading $2.3M+ AUVs with a high-margin, cannabis-themed experiential restaurant model that features a full-service bar and no expensive, complicated fryers or grills. On this episode of Meet The Franchise, 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills sits down with Seth Larsen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-larsen-a922877/], Chief Development Officer of Cheba Hut, to discuss how the brand secured a landmark intellectual property and trademark securitization deal with Diversified Royalty Corp, a massive validation of the franchise's proprietary value that allowed the brand to accelerate growth without sacrificing equity. Larsen has been a leader in driving Cheba Hut to maintain steady, disciplined system-wide growth, reaching over 75 active locations across the United States. Need help finding a franchise to own? Join the Growth Club [https://bit.ly/4rgUwRV] now!

Yesterday19 min
episode Meet The Franchise | Andrew Gibson | Tide Services artwork

Meet The Franchise | Andrew Gibson | Tide Services

Meet Andrew Gibson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amarkgibson/], President and CEO of Tide Services at Procter & Gamble [https://tidefranchise.com/]. While the $115 billion laundry and dry cleaning sector has spent decades defined by fragmented, outdated, local mom-and-pop operators, Tide Services delivers on two tech-enabled, premium models from the unmatched corporate infrastructure and brand equity of Procter & Gamble. On this episode of Meet The Franchise, 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills sits down with Andrew Gibson to discuss Tide Services' strategic transition from a rigid single-store design into two highly scalable, multi-format national out-of-home laundry and dry cleaning platforms - Tide Cleaners & Tide Laundromat. Tide Services has expanded past 225 locations across more than 30 markets, capturing massive market share in this essential service category. With a 3–5 year mission focused heavily on market consolidation, corporate conversions, and geographic expansion into hot multi-unit markets like California, Texas, and New York, the brand is targeting multi-unit operators looking to diversify away from high labor demands. Need help finding a franchise to own? Join the Growth Club [https://bit.ly/4rgUwRV] now!

Yesterday34 min
episode How Busy Bee Jumpers Franchisees Are Leaping Into A $6 Billion Event Services Industry artwork

How Busy Bee Jumpers Franchisees Are Leaping Into A $6 Billion Event Services Industry

While many industries are seeing a reason to scale back right now, the event rental and outdoor entertainment industry is thriving. Busy Bee Jumpers [https://1851franchise.com/busy-bee-ju...] has spent 25 years capitalizing on this need, completing more than 13,000 events each year and earning a status as an industry leader in reliability, safety, and service. The brand is now expanding nationally, fueled by strong roots in Massachusetts and New England. Nick Powills sits down with Gina Payzant, the brand's CFO turned first-ever franchisee, and Sal Longo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sal-longo-701150134/], CEO, as they share how they transitioned a successful 15-year independent operation into a high-growth franchise system built on proprietary technology and "stress-free" logistics that consumers love. The brand is now focused on aggressive system-wide expansion, with a mission to scale 5x by 2027. Hands-on operators who want to run a meaningful, community-oriented business with strong growth potential are encouraged to reach out! Need help finding a franchise to own? Join the Growth Club [https://bit.ly/4rgUwRV] now!

1. juni 202625 min