Just Salad hits unicorn status with $200M raise, $1B valuation

Ready-made food isn’t new. Long before the drive-thru, humans were lining up for quick, affordable meals. In ancient Rome, thermopolia served hot food and drinks to people who didn’t have kitchens at home. Across history, bread, soup, and meat vendors filled busy marketplaces from Athens to Beijing to London. But what we think of today as “fast food” — burgers, fries, shakes, wings — is a uniquely American invention of the 20th century. Why America? Several cultural and economic forces collided: Automobiles + highways → creating the drive-in and drive-thru. Industrialization → consistency, speed, and scale became the expectation. Suburban growth → families wanted convenience at low prices. Franchising → allowed brands like McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC to expand nationally (and globally) with remarkable speed. From novelty to industry What began as a quirky roadside attraction grew into a multibillion-dollar sector — one that now shapes agriculture, logistics, labor markets, health debates, and even international diplomacy (there’s a reason the “McDonald’s Index” exists in economics). At its core, fast food is about systems thinking: Standardized recipes and processes. Supply chain precision at global scale. The psychology of branding, packaging, and experience. Technology adoption — from soda fountains to AI-powered drive-thrus. It’s no surprise that many of the most innovative ideas in food retail — mobile ordering, loyalty programs, robotics, and AI personalization — are being pioneered (or perfected) in fast food before they trickle into broader hospitality. Fast food may have started as a burger-and-fries story, but it has become a mirror of culture and commerce. It reflects: How we balance speed with quality. How we navigate cost vs. health. How global brands adapt to local tastes. How industries reinvent themselves with each new wave of tech. From thermopolia to TikTok-famous menu hacks, fast food has always been more than food. It’s a window into how society organizes itself around time, taste, and technology. 👉 What’s the most fascinating shift you’ve noticed in fast food — tech, menu, or culture?

👉🏻 How Biryani By Kilo Went from a Simple Idea to a Category Leader in Food Delivery The founders of Biryani By Kilo saw something that many others missed — that most delivered biryanis are either pre-cooked and reheated, or they just don’t taste the way homemade biryani should. Instead of trying to be a full-service restaurant or a multi-cuisine delivery platform, they focused on one thing: Making biryani the way it’s meant to be enjoyed — fresh, authentic, and served hot, every time. What sets them apart isn’t just the idea of delivering biryani — it’s the attention to detail. Every biryani is cooked in a traditional handi, portioned individually, and delivered in eco-friendly packaging that keeps it hot without reheating. No compromises. From a small startup in 2015 to over 150 outlets across 20+ cities, their growth is proof that focusing deeply on one product and getting the basics right can work wonders in a crowded market. A couple of key lessons I think any entrepreneur or business leader can take away from their journey: ✔️ Don’t try to do everything. Pick your niche and own it. ✔️ Quality and consistency are not negotiable. ✔️ Solve real problems your customers face – in their case, it was “Why can’t I get fresh biryani delivered like home-cooked?” It’s a classic example of how smart thinking, operational discipline, and customer-first mindset turn a simple food startup into a brand that people trust. 🍽️ Honestly, next time I order biryani, I’m ordering from them 😉 What’s your favorite biryani brand? Let me know 👇 Vishal Jindal Biryani By Kilo

Sustainability is no longer a side project for restaurants - it’s becoming a core business driver. According to Toast’s 2025 research: - 73% of diners say a restaurant’s approach to sustainability impacts where they eat. - 72% are willing to pay more if a restaurant prioritizes it. - 41% of younger diners consider it “very important.” - 44% are encouraged to visit restaurants that use locally sourced ingredients. The takeaway? Sustainability isn’t just an environmental imperative, it’s a revenue and resilience opportunity. Restaurants that lean in now will not only reduce costs and strengthen supply chains but also win loyalty from a new generation of diners. #sustainability #foodservice #SustainableSupplyChain https://lnkd.in/gypyU2NE

A Case Study on Raising Cane’s Fast-Food Powerhouse. What do you think is better, maintaining simplicity as you scale, or expanding the product range while growing fast? When it comes to average unit sales, few chains are keeping pace like Raising Cane’s. Their models don’t just perform—they outperform many legacy chains. Key Numbers 🔢 Raising Cane’s average sales per location are around US$5.7 million/year. By comparison, McDonald’s averages about US$4.0 million per location. The chain is now operating ≈ 900 stores with total revenue of ≈ US$5.1 billion in the U.S. In recent years (2019-2022), their systemwide sales grew from about US$1.5B to US$3.1B, nearly doubling in just a three-year span. What Makes Cane’s So Successful 🎯 From looking into their strategy, here are several differentiators: Menu Simplicity + Operational Focus Raising Cane’s sticks with a very narrow menu: chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw, Texas toast, their signature sauce. They don’t chase every trend. This narrow focus allows consistency, speed, and high quality. Product Quality & Consistency Because they aren’t spreading themselves over dozens of menu items, they concentrate on doing a few things very well, which builds customer loyalty and repeat business. Authentic Brand & Marketing Strategy Raising Cane’s uses community, culture, and influencer tie-ins effectively. For example: partnerships with musicians/celebrities, campaigns that feel local or grassroots, authentic storytelling rather than just mass advertising. Digital & Social Relevance The brand scores high with Gen Z in “magnetism” studies. It leans into social content, cultural relevance, and marketing that resonates (authentic, fun, shareable) rather than just product pushes. Controlled Growth & Long-Term Vision While aggressively expanding, Cane’s seems careful about preserving quality, maintaining consistency, and investing in brand rather than just opening stores quickly. They have plans to grow toward US$10B in annual revenue and about 1,600 locations in some projections. Lessons for Other Brands 💡 If you're in food service, retail, or really any business looking to scale sustainably, these Cane’s takeaways ring loud: Less is more Focus on excellence in a few core offerings rather than dilution like my post about Logan Paul and KSI's PRIME Energy Drinks. Culture and authenticity matter Especially now when consumers (and younger ones in particular) are increasingly skeptical of generic brands. Marketing isn’t just about flashy ads Tie-ins with culture, social media buzz, local presence all combine to amplify reach and loyalty. Quality + consistency drive repeat business This often beats volume growth in early stages. What do you think is better maintaining simplicity as you scale, or expanding your product range while growing fast? #restaurant #marketing #viral #influencers #raisingcanes #branding #retail #foodservice #hospitality

Launching a bakery in today’s competitive food service market requires more than great recipes. It demands a precise understanding of market positioning, operational efficiency, and financial sustainability. Whether your vision is a boutique patisserie, a neighborhood bread shop, or a café-style bakery with dine-in service, a comprehensive business plan can transform a passion for baking into a viable, scalable business. The Bakery Business Plan Template offers a ready-to-use structure for defining your concept, analyzing the market, and securing investment. But to truly make it work for your specific bakery concept, you need to adapt it with targeted insights, relevant data, and a clear brand identity. 📌 https://lnkd.in/dHFVY-Vz #BakeryBusiness #BusinessPlanTemplate #FoodStartup #BakeryOwner #SmallBusinessGrowth #CafeBusiness #EntrepreneurLife #StartupSuccess #Growexa #BakeryStartup #BusinessPlanning #FoodEntrepreneur #LocalBakery #BakeryGoals #StartupTools

Convenience & the future of food Today, our Young Food Professionals had the opportunity to learn from Fernand Molenschot, who shared his vision on convenience food shaped by his experience at Bracamonte Convenient Kitchen, StarCuisine, Sushi Ran and Bobeldijk. Fernand highlighted the mission behind convenience: creating the best, tastiest meals through strong partnerships — turning talent → vision → mission → values into concepts consumers can trust. We explored the mega trends driving the sector: • Protein transition & plant-based growth • No waste & sustainable sourcing • Digitalization & labor challenges • Private label vs. small challenger brands • Regulation on QA, Nutri-Score & sustainability Convenience is booming, fueled by more eating moments, shifting generations and households, growing health awareness and the rise of global cuisines. Fernand also showed us the journey from idea to shelf: spotting white spots, ideation and trend analysis, culinary development, compliance and building optimized supply chains always with MVO (CSR) at the core. Key takeaway: convenience is not just about ready meals, but about innovation, responsibility and collaboration to shape the food system of tomorrow. Thank you, Fernand, for inspiring us to rethink convenience as a driver of positive change. #YoungFoodProfessionals #Convenience #FoodInnovation #Sustainability #PrivateLabel #FutureOfFood

🇸🇪🚀 FoodTech 500 alum Karma founder Hjalmar Ståhlberg Nordegren announces a major milestone, as the company launches KarmaOS full-stack restaurant platform and achieves profitability. The Nordic company has evolved from a surplus food marketplace into a comprehensive restaurant ecosystem, integrating POS, ordering, payments, loyalty, marketing, inventory, and AI-powered insights in one platform. Over 300 restaurants, including Flippin' Burgers, Urban Deli, and Miss Voon, are already using the system, reporting 30% higher average check sizes, doubled add-on sales, and reduced staff stress. Karma Save, the food waste prevention platform, is now available free for all restaurants using KarmaOS, demonstrating the company's continued commitment to sustainability while expanding its business model. The pivot represents a significant evolution from marketplace to full-service technology provider for the restaurant industry. Learn more about innovative AgriFoodTech companies at www.forwardfooding.com #ForwardFooding #FoodTech500 #restauranttech #foodwaste #sustainability #profitability

Chick-fil-A Restaurants will open a beverage-focused concept, Daybright, through subsidiary Red Wagon Ventures in the fall, in the latest move by a QSR chain to develop a drinks-focused spinoff as a menu innovation laboratory. https://lnkd.in/e5k4m8ke 

1. What Is The Difference Between Establishing a Successful Food Business? And Sustaining The Own Food Business To Take It To Next Level? Establishing Successful Food Business :- This stage is all about entry and launch. It requires: Concept clarity: Deciding whether it’s QSR, fine dining, cloud kitchen, or a hybrid model. Menu engineering: Designing a menu that balances customer demand, pricing psychology, and operational feasibility. Location strategy: Selecting a site with the right catchment (footfall, demographics, spending power). Initial branding: Building awareness through marketing, promotions, and community engagement. Operational setup: Kitchen design, vendor tie-ups, licenses, staffing, and training. 👉 The goal here is to break into the market, create curiosity, and achieve initial sales traction. 2. Sustaining & Scaling the Food Business Once the excitement of the launch fades, the real test begins. Sustaining means: Consistency in quality & service: Customers forgive less after the first impression. Strong systems & SOPs: For food costing, portion control, hygiene, staff training, and inventory management. Financial control: Monitoring food cost %, labor cost %, break-even, and profitability. Innovation & adaptation: Updating menu, adding delivery models, adapting to new food trends. Leadership & culture: Keeping staff motivated and building loyalty in a high-turnover industry. Customer loyalty building: From word-of-mouth to repeat clientele via offers, membership, or emotional connection. 👉 The goal here is to ensure survival beyond 2–3 years and prepare for scalability (franchising, branches, or new verticals). 3. Why Many Owners Fail to Sustain Long-Term Most failures are not at the establishment stage but at the sustenance stage. Common reasons: Lack of financial discipline: Owners enjoy revenue but fail to monitor expenses, food cost, and wastage. Inconsistent customer experience: Changing taste, poor service, or unclean setups drive away repeat customers. Ignoring staff retention: High attrition without proper training leads to chaos in operations. Poor adaptability: Refusing to evolve with market trends (healthy menus, delivery, technology adoption). Weak leadership mindset: Treating the business as a job rather than an entrepreneurial system that must run without constant firefighting. 4. What Matters Most for Long-Term Sustainability For food business owners who want to go beyond survival: Mindset & Systems – Build systems, not dependency on one person. Financial Intelligence – Know your numbers daily, not just monthly. Customer Retention – Focus on lifetime value, not just walk-ins. Innovation & Branding – Keep the brand fresh and relevant. Leadership – Invest in people, because your staff runs your brand when you’re not around. ✅ In short: Establishing success = excitement + execution. Sustaining success = discipline + systems + adaptability.

“I didn’t realise that we would exclude people.” -Chef Daniel Humm Four years ago, Eleven Madison Park — a three-Michelin-star restaurant — made a bold move: it went completely vegan. Now they’ve announced a shift: the menu will remain mostly plant-based, but meat and seafood are back. Why? Not because they lost belief in their original mission. But because they realised they were unintentionally excluding people — partners, groups, corporate bookings. It became harder to sustain, financially and creatively. For a restaurant that charges around $365 for a tasting before beverages, losing your core audience can be devastating to your bottom line. And that’s the point. They made a decision based on trends and costs post covid. And the effects of that decision have clearly been hard. When considering a big change in course first consider: 👉 Will this isolate my core audience? Narrowing needs to be intentional — not dogmatic. When the strategy starts working against your core purpose (in their case: hospitality), it’s time to reassess. 💡 Look for friction. Are customers opting out not because of price or product, but because something’s missing? 💡 Ask whether your positioning is bold — or just rigid. 💡 And remember that values don’t always require binary execution. You can hold the line on purpose and still offer choice. The new menu at EMP will still be 80% plant-based. But now more people can say yes to it. That's what strategy should do. Picture: My visit in 2015 I share what I’ve experienced helping founders and teams scale through marketing strategy, process, and clear decision-making — without losing momentum (or their sanity) along the way. Follow Margaret Sherer if you’re building with growth in mind.