00:00.00
vigorbranding
Hey everyone this morning I’m joined by my friend Daniel Gonzalez who is co-owner of simply salad a brand that’s up and coming in the l a market and growing ah before we hoper on that Daniel say hello give a little bit of backstory.

00:00.00
Daniel Gonzalez
I.

00:11.80
Daniel Gonzalez
Everybody how are you? my name is Daniel I’m one of the owners of simply salad I’ve been involved in this business for about a year prior to that. It’s been about a decade in leadership positions with restaurant brands international. So. Ah popeyes and the chicken sandwich burger king over in Europe burger king here in the states. Um, and yeah, originally from California and I’m super pumped to be able to be bring in healthy food to California.

00:40.25
vigorbranding
That’s awesome. So yeah, some name drops. Ah which are are big ones some are leading the charge actually both I would say are leading the charge in their own right? Um, and and suffice to say you’ve had a lustroious career like you didn’t just dive into the top like you you have worked your way up. You’ve worn many hats. Um. And and going from a macro brand the size of burger king the size of Popeyes to a smaller brand um in simply salad which I believe we’re about to be at None units right? or twi ten. Yeah.

01:07.97
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah, we’ll finish it about 8 this year mean hopefully nine Vegas says None ah so I don’t know if you want to take the over on that. But you know about 8

01:15.14
vigorbranding
Awesome! So how how have you applied your learnings while maintaining that like agility necessary in startup because this is still startup. You’re still wearing 30000000 hats trying to get things done, but it’s very different world than.

01:26.86
Daniel Gonzalez
No.

01:31.68
vigorbranding
Being for instance head of marketing in the E M E a for um burger game.

01:35.31
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah I mean how have I applied it I think it’s just it’s a focus on on details right? I think as you get into a smaller business a startup you know coming from a big corporate. You know where you’re used to having None hands in the pot now there’s None hands in the pot and they’re yours. And so you have to get into every step every detail and it takes much longer. It takes much more time to do properly than than what you’re probably used to I mean I can tell you in in my case from a supply chain standpoint you know burger king and popeyes both have some of the best supply chain people in the world. And you know when you source a chicken breast. It’s going to be on spec it’s going to have all the right details. You know now you know I myself am driving around to farms. You know, checking out you know chicken and and asking the right questions from what I remember so when you talk about applying learnings. It’s applying them. You know with my own hands. Um, you know. To do that you know chickens one produce is another where we visit the farms and I think it’s just applying them at at like a very very micro level right? You talk about macro experience. But you know a lot of folks fly around and I did for a decade at the forty Thousand foot level. You know now I’m at you know, still on the runway and it’s.

02:48.30
vigorbranding
Um.

02:53.20
Daniel Gonzalez
Every step asking questions you know, annoying vendors annoying my teams with all the questions. But then once you get your arms around it then you launch, you’re successful. Ah you know and you move forward that way. So I think it’s it’s from my perspective. My experience is really about you know, getting into the details.

03:10.38
vigorbranding
Yeah I mean I assume for you, There’s been frustrations. Ah you mentioned annoying people. But um, it it is a very different world when you’re used to having this lane you know and this is the thing that I do and then you trust your team members above and below that they’re going to take care of their lane and together we win.

03:10.64
Daniel Gonzalez
And asking questions.

03:20.20
Daniel Gonzalez
In.

03:29.10
vigorbranding
Ah, but when when you’re back at this level I mean all lanes are really your lane and and how do you mitigate The what can be almost like whiplash like hey I’m in my I’m in my accounting to like right now. Oh no, there’s a fire over here I have to go hop on the line and take orders. Um.

03:33.59
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah.

03:49.40
vigorbranding
You know and I know a lot of managers probably experience that on the daily. But I think as owner, you’re even more yeah like you said you have your fingers all over you have like more than both hands in the pot. How do you manage that? How do you stay sane.

03:59.89
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah I think it’s about prioritization. It’s ah it’s a you know, basic cancer. But like you know every day every week you know and you have your big picture goals of like what are the 3 most important things for our business for our team. You know for what’s going on this week this month and you know start at the top and. You know block off time you know for those most important things. So if you’re you know, reviewing if you need to review you know the wire frames for a new app make time to do that in the morning when you’re fresh when you know you can give good feedback. You know if you’re working on finalizing your strategic plan or reviewing insights work that your team has done which is critical to the next phase of your business make time for it. Um, you know thirty forty percent of your time is going to be swallowed up by just stuff that comes up.

04:47.12
vigorbranding
And.

04:49.81
Daniel Gonzalez
You know, no matter what and so you need to prioritize those things that have to happen. Um, and then even then you know you put the kids to bed I have 2 little ones you put the kids to bed and then you know you you work until Eleven o’clock midnight and you do it again. But those hours aren’t as good as the stuff from you know, eight thirty until you know 1030

04:52.48
vigorbranding
Um.

05:08.18
vigorbranding
Yeah, you’re really running out of runway at that point. Um I think saving things for later in the evening usually has the best intentions My my advice would be to make sure that those things aren’t critically important because there’s something like the the you know the beginning of the morning that just keeps you absolutely fresh. Um.

05:09.13
Daniel Gonzalez
You know.

05:21.53
Daniel Gonzalez
That’s right.

05:27.41
vigorbranding
Like a lovely head of lettuce. So Popeyes is another large brand where where you’ve ah spent some time and built some tenure and knowledge and if I’m not mistaken during that time you were part of the the famous chicken sandwich Era that started how how did that product just.

05:29.59
Daniel Gonzalez
That’s right, That’s right right.

05:45.61
vigorbranding
Come to be because I mean I think outside looking in even in the agency world that focuses on restaurants. It’s still outside looking in. It’s easy to um, see perfection right? like there’s rose color lens. It’s like Wow they just nailed it Now you you can infer that there was a bit of work behind it that it didn’t just manifest out of nowhere.

06:03.40
Daniel Gonzalez
M.

06:05.44
vigorbranding
But it is sort of enigmatic I mean popeyees out of nowhere just dropped this bomb of a sandwich and it is a good sandwich. It’s an amazing sandwich which anyone who’s listening to this show I think I waxed on the None time that I had it I mean I was skeptical and there was a.

06:17.20
Daniel Gonzalez
No.

06:22.76
vigorbranding
Ah, very under the breath f word. Ah just in delight I’m like Wow this really is fantastic. So what kind of insights can you give there what research went into it. How did the brand pet pair for the launch anything.

06:28.46
Daniel Gonzalez
Leave.

06:34.84
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah, so I think look there’s a it’s a None story actually I think ah most folks probably don’t know or realize is that Popeyes had had a chicken sandwich. You know, probably 20 times before and it failed every single time.

06:41.57
vigorbranding
1

06:54.90
Daniel Gonzalez
And it worked this time. What did we do differently. You know I think it you know none of all Popeye has I would argue if I can plug the best culinary team in the business. So Amy and her team they’re still like by far and away the best in the business and and you know I think they’re a reason why the product they’re the reason why the product itself is so good. So I have to start there Joseph. It’s it’s by far and away the number None reason but I think apart from that even with that amazing product. You know a big brand can be very gunsh shy about launching a product for the 20 first time you know it sits the boy who cried wolf right.

07:29.41
vigorbranding
Um.

07:31.88
Daniel Gonzalez
And so I think what we did differently big picture was you know an insane level of focus on the product quality so product quality taste testing um and the impacts of what that had on the restaurant. So. We had taste tested many different you know hundreds of different versions. But there was the one which is the final one that is the one that’s in the restaurants today but that one and I think most folks know that that it has ah you know Ah ah like ah, a different batterbreading system and in a franchise business if you’re bringing in a different.

08:01.54
vigorbranding
Um.

08:06.95
Daniel Gonzalez
Set of equipment. You need to carve out 36 to forty eight inches in back of house in 2500 restaurants that’s painful and expensive and so what we had was a killer product but we knew we had to put in. You know a bunch of equipment and it was a discussion with the franchisees about why this time is different and you know.

08:12.89
vigorbranding
Um, okay.

08:26.85
Daniel Gonzalez
Simply put when you taste test versus you know the the £800 gorilla in the room which is chick-fil-a and I think everyone knows that and you’re significantly outperforming. You know you’ve got a winner and so just like I’m talking about product here. But I think that insane level of product.

08:36.35
vigorbranding
Um.

08:44.45
Daniel Gonzalez
Plus the fact that we would commit marketing dollars behind it because now Popeyes have been growing and you know we didn’t bring something very simple. But I think a lot of operators that listen to your show will recognize that we didn’t bring in lettuce and tomato which we had done. You know None times prior and what that means is. We didn’t have lettuce and tomato in the restaurants before so we weren’t bringing it in just for that product though. The lettuce and tomato that we weren’t bringing in wasn’t going bad therefore the product quality was based on the chicken patty and the preparation and the pickles right? and these pickles are incredible.

09:07.12
vigorbranding
And.

09:20.88
Daniel Gonzalez
So we kept it simple. We knew we had a winner and then there was None tweet ah that that started it all that you know my my friend and partner Bruno who’s out there in the world today you know ah is responsible for and his team and you know that’s what started it. And I think when you have a better product at you know, a comparable price with you know, no one had ever really come at chick-fil-a from a quality perspective and I think that’s what set it off where you know wait is this thing actually better than chick -fil-a nobody’s better than chick-fila.

09:48.38
vigorbranding
Um.

09:55.33
vigorbranding
Um.

09:57.50
Daniel Gonzalez
And that conversation people took sides and you know you know you’ve made it when people are making memes of Popeyes versus Chick -fila and now there’s lots of rap song rap songs all over Spotify about it. So you know we knew we knew we had a winner but you know insane level focus on quality and execution and and partnership with the franchisees.

10:05.58
vigorbranding
That’s right.

10:14.43
vigorbranding
Yeah, and I think you know it’s ah how do I put this what what you’re saying is not different than what I would hear other people say I think the difference is that it was done.

10:16.70
Daniel Gonzalez
Um, you know.

10:32.27
vigorbranding
If that makes you know and like you and what you said actually became truth like I’ve heard everyone what makes us different. Oh better quality. It’s going to. It’s going to be great service and like congratulations here’re in the restaurant industry like so what’s really going to make this different because everybody thinks their quality’s great. But I think like you said when you have a rock Star supply chain team that can actually source.

10:36.35
Daniel Gonzalez
Um, if.

10:51.82
vigorbranding
That product you have an operations team that just Ace training and and not just training of like do this but understanding the bigger picture. Um, so when they’re talking to people. They understand the bigger picture and they actually feel part of something that’s amazing and for a Challenger brand to not only challenge but overcome.

10:59.40
Daniel Gonzalez
Are you know.

11:10.75
vigorbranding
Ah, the leader is is pretty intense and then you know you see the stragglers behind you have people that try to catch up I mean Mcdonald’s tried to launch a chicken sandwich. You haven’t heard much about it Saxby is way late to the program church is way late to the program and at that at this time it’s like well you guys are too late. So um. You know why? why? bother? at that point I guess but what’s amazing about the Popeye Sandwich and I’ll let you talk because this is not my this is not about me talking. Um, the consistency is very notable in that quality so case in point I ate that sandwich for the none time. On the highway driving from Atlanta to New Orleans and it was in a podunk town and it was you know I mean it was a highway town I just happened to go there because Mcdonald’s was closed boom I ate it. It’s amazing. A month later by this time I’m a year late to the game right? So a month later

12:07.10
Daniel Gonzalez
Are.

12:07.47
vigorbranding
I’m in the I waiting for my wife to pick me up at the airport I’m hungry I don’t want to wait and boom. There’s a there’s a a popeyes in the airport. So I grab it there thinking? Okay, it’s going to have the same ingredients but come on. It’s not going to be this. It was the same. It was so fantastic.

12:18.34
Daniel Gonzalez
Are.

12:26.30
Daniel Gonzalez
Um, yeah, and and I think the it’s a self-fulfilling Prophecy and that when you have a big launch and you’re moving volume and the product is hot and the product is fresh. It’s.

12:26.59
vigorbranding
Um, and I think that’s the magic is like the quality and the consistency like you said.

12:44.83
Daniel Gonzalez
Easier to be able to deliver the consistency. You know that you’re talking about and by the way some of the best Popeyes in the world are between Atlan and New Orleans so I think you nailed it there but I think the other thing you mentioned other folks late to the party I don’t think it’s about being late to the party you know you named Zaxbys and others. You know those guys are all amazing.

12:50.45
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.

13:04.90
Daniel Gonzalez
Think the thing is you know Popeye spent you know None None 4 years specifically developing this product and after the Popeye’s launch when everyone saw how successful the you know the launch was everyone said I need a new one on the menu in three months and if that’s your approach to product development. You’re not going to deliver. Ah, you know what you need it might take 3 years and you have to have a team that has the guts to stand up and say hey you know we taste tested versus Chick -fil-a ho’s best in class for popeyes who’s best in class and we’re underperforming. We need to rework and you need to succumb to that pressure of.

13:24.20
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.

13:41.11
Daniel Gonzalez
You know I need something on the menu now but I need another year to do it and I think that internal struggle where product quality wins that argument. Ah that discussion. Ah, that’s what you need you know and I think that like most folks would probably say the same thing as you mentioned.

13:42.68
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.

13:52.60
vigorbranding
Um, yeah, but.

13:58.48
Daniel Gonzalez
But I would argue you know, show me the numbers from your taste tests you know, show me the numbers of your in-markt tests when you’re in restaurants and you do tests versus Chick -fil- if you’re beating you know I’ll use chickfia as an example, if you’re beating them. You know, then then you’re good. But I think a lot of folks will succumb to the pressure know that they’re underperforming. Use their old product as a benchmark and say hey I’ve improved significantly but customers are only comparing you versus best in-class and so I think it’s that that insane focus on quality that that I think a lot of folks will skip and you know like I can understand you know, but popeyes Popeyes know the the chicken.

14:27.41
vigorbranding
That’s right.

14:38.60
Daniel Gonzalez
Guy and so you know we weren’t willing to compromise.

14:40.35
vigorbranding
Yeah, and that really is the difference is the dedication and having the guts to I think at any time walk away and say look this just isn’t panning out having the guts to persevere and say while this particular ah variation was good. It’s not good enough and like pushing ahead more and and I think that lesson actually has translated to simply salad prior to you joining. But then I think obviously after you’re Joining. It’s It’s even now more a part of the culture simply salad before we hop in I mean this is a complete violent shift because we’re talking about Chicken sand.

14:59.63
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah.

15:19.25
vigorbranding
We’re going to salads and I think when it comes to healthy food especially in America if you ask people they will rah rah healthy food all day long and then when you get it out there. They buy the Hamburg it’s it’s almost every single time and so chicken sandwiches I think people kind of forgot that they were.

15:29.29
Daniel Gonzalez
Certain.

15:37.80
vigorbranding
Actually a staple for a lot of people. Um, and so it was obvious it was time for that to be reoped, but salads have maintained I think um, some some spikes in growth. Um, but simply salad has found something I think intriguing and unique and it’s where it went. Um, where these locations happen to be and I don’t think it was part of the strategy but it’s certainly become part now because you realize who your biggest fans really are and they’re not. You know the the so the rich suburbs of a metro where there’s a ton of money instead you’ve found traction in places like Compton.

16:02.20
Daniel Gonzalez
Are you.

16:13.59
vigorbranding
Ah, Los Angeles and um places that people would Mark as underserved where it’s like a health food desert. So what? what has the reception been like and how remarkable was that for you when you excavated that insight.

16:27.17
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah, you know I mean the reception has been like I want to say like overwhelming surprising but honestly fulfilling you know and and part of why I shifted from chicken sandwiches to salads I had a couple little kids I was thinking about legacy I was thinking about you know making a. A better impact on the world and you know, bringing healthy food to every community like there are some others out there doing amazingly well now you know I was passionate about it and so you know the reception where you know in your point of you know folks go for the hamburger I think the reality is that like a lot of folks. Are focused on you know, just getting salads out the door instead of building a salad that meets the same need as ah as a big mac and you know that that craving that hunger that you know that efficiency with my time. The convenience. Um, and and I think that that has what enabled us to you know, build a successful business and you know has excited us. You know to you know to try to double our business this year and double again next year is because you know folks are realizing that hey you know a salad can. Can have it at twelve thirty and I can make it until dinner and not be hungry and not cheat on a cookie you know or a bag of chips or you know caramel popcorn or whatever. Um, and so I think like that reception from the communities you know is is inspiring honestly to us like we are inspired to build our business. We are inspired to. Listen to our customers and ask them for feedback and ask for many ideas. You know the reception I would have never thought that you know communities we have a store koreatown we have a store in lax you know where it’s not the mecca for health food and we have a none little Picassos out there designing their own salads. Putting things together that we never thought of it makes them feel good about themselves. It’s a healthy option and they’re in and out the door quick and I think when folks feel like that and then we pay it back to them and ask them for feedback and listen to them when they give us feedback. You know that’s when you know for example, the new stores that we’re opening.

18:24.49
vigorbranding
Um.

18:38.47
Daniel Gonzalez
We listened to customers we said hey where should we open and he said hey I drive 25 minutes to go get a salad here 3 times a week can you open one down here. You think we’d be successful down there. Yeah, and then here we are ah in openings we’re listening to them so the reception Joseph to your question.

18:44.53
vigorbranding
M.

18:54.64
Daniel Gonzalez
It has been amazing. But I think it’s It’s not because of anything other than like we’re trying to meet the same need as what you know the the burer qsr players are offering and that’s it.

19:01.80
vigorbranding
Yeah, so it’s it’s making salads, convenient and accessible and it sounds like the approach is really inclusive and maybe that’s one of the the ah elements of the secret sauce is that people feel heard. Would you agree.

19:16.50
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah I think I mean inclusive yes, but inclusive from the standpoint that like you know our teams are very diverse and you know we you know we hire from the communities in which we serve so when you walk in a store you know the folks. Talk like you act like you. The music is the same music that you listen to right? It feels comfortable. It feels home in even the way that the we take orders where if there’s not some big fancy many board up you know in ah in a very sterile type feeling. There’s ah you know someone standing you know, two feet away with you. And during kofo with the mask on. Um, you know there to add like your sherpa for salads right? and so someone right there allowing you to feel comfortable hey what is this quiwaa stuff you know and you don’t feel like you’re asking the question in front of None people if it’s your none time ordering a salad.

19:55.57
vigorbranding
Um.

20:08.99
Daniel Gonzalez
And so I think that that even little things like that order process. You know make you know make it work for us and I think we like our secret if there’s a secret if you will. It’s not a secret and I’ll share it is. We don’t focus on Health you know, ah everybody knows.

20:23.21
vigorbranding
Um.

20:28.19
Daniel Gonzalez
That salads are healthy. We don’t focus on that we focus on the great taste. We focus on the quality of the ingredients we focus on the service we focus on the experience. We focus on clean restrooms. All these kinds of things. The same reason that the best qrs in the world grew to be the best qrs in the world. We focus on those things. And we talk about product quality. We talk about taste taste is King and we focus on that people know that salads are healthy and when that salad can deliver the same against the same craving as a big mac and fries. That’s when we’re winning. Um, and so that’s that’s what we’re working towards.

20:59.58
vigorbranding
Yeah, and I think the the quality approach and focusing so heavily on on the produce and all of that it it does come through in the flavor and um I think more and more people are waking up to this that you know this. You can get things at scale like prots and everything but there’s something that that is lost in that the flavor and you and Cameron and Bruce did have a chuckle when I ate my salad without dressing but None of the reasons for that is hey if it’s ah if it’s made with good ingredients. You actually don’t need addressing. Like those ingredients pop with flavor. It creates a really magical mix now of course the dressings that simply sell it are divine. They’re wonderful, but that’s one of the things I wanted to taste is I heard that it was quality but ah people love to abuse that word and when I had that I was like this is actually pretty amazing I don’t really need the dressing. Um, you know I added the dressing for extra flavor at times that’s that’s something notable and you see in eggs too. I don’t know if you’re a happy egg fan. But when you when you have a happy egg next to even an egglands best egg eggs just look anemic and then they taste anemic because it’s like a very flat favor.

22:06.58
Daniel Gonzalez
And.

22:12.45
Daniel Gonzalez
Are yeah I think insanely difficult. Um, and I don’t see that.

22:14.26
vigorbranding
Flavor and I think you get the same thing with simply sell So how hard has it been to secure that level of quality of product at Scale knowing that your scale is still relatively small.

22:31.66
Daniel Gonzalez
For any reason other than it’s just it’s really hard. You know we are produce for example and the stuff that we’re serving in our restaurants today you know was in the ground three days ago and know come straight from the farm packed in a truck into our central facility the same night delivered to the stores.

22:32.83
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.

22:50.20
Daniel Gonzalez
And so it’s fresher than at whole foods I love whole foods. But you know we’re easily four or five days six days fresher than the whole foods in California um, and that’s hard work. We have our own logistics team. We have our own trucks. We have supply chain team. You know we’re doing maintenance on diesel trucks all the time and I think a lot of folks. Want to you know rely on like in there are great companies out there that do food distribution your ciscos of the world. Um, and they serve a purpose but I think we want that extra week of freshness and in the produce just as an example because folks can taste it folks can taste it when you bring like a.

23:15.41
vigorbranding
Um.

23:27.60
Daniel Gonzalez
Ah, Beverly Hills quality product and taste to markets that aren’t used to it people say wow this is this is really good. This doesn’t taste like the sad salads that I’ve had before and so it’s little things like that we do the same with our dressings where we make everything by hand you know.

23:38.19
vigorbranding
Um.

23:46.29
Daniel Gonzalez
We could buy decently good pre-made Caesar but we don’t want to do that right? We don’t have preservatives. We make everything fresh in the same with the proteins. You know we we marinate them all overnight. You know we throw them on the Grill. We finish them in the oven we cubed them up. And then that same evening they’re you know we’re we’re taken them to the source. So it’s It’s Fresh. It’s done by Hand. It’s marinated overnight and you can taste it and I think it’s all these little things that make a big difference in terms of our business but that your question was how hard is it. It’s Hard. You know I I Just you know I spend ah a lot of my time.

24:18.50
vigorbranding
Yeah, yeah.

24:23.25
Daniel Gonzalez
Outside of the restaurants and for a restaurant person to be spending you know, call it None their time on supply chain sourcing culinary innovation Prep Diesel truck mechanics in a maintenance. You know it’s a lot of time. It takes away from the stuff in the restaurant. But. You know if you have good stuff going into your restaurants your 4 walls. It makes it that much easier to be able to deliver a high quality product coming out and I think that’s where that’s that’s maybe what makes us a little bit different.

24:49.58
vigorbranding
Yeah, it sounds like it’s a really big benefit of being all corporate owned stores as well. But you do have a lot of experience with franchisees at at a large scale where you have franchise groups that do command a lot of power within the the organization the ecosystem.

25:05.37
Daniel Gonzalez
Right.

25:08.93
vigorbranding
Um, how how scalable do you think? ah having this fleet of trucks like this methodology is I mean obviously you think it’s scalable to a certain point or else you wouldn’t have gotten involved. Um but is the plan to stay corporate or do you see a path where this could still be effective for a franchise system.

25:18.12
Daniel Gonzalez
Um.

25:25.87
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah I think you know your question. How scalable is it I mean we’re in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County alone has None people and know that’s bigger than most countries in the earth so you know I want to attack that first you know could we have None restaurants in La County maybe and I think that we are focused on building density you know and density brings on all these benefits in terms of you know the ability to then invest in marketing ah efficiency from a distribution standpoint and. Know the number None reason why people know our brand in our stores is because they see them driving by high traffic roads the more stores we have the stores themselves serve as marketing so look I think it’s I think it’s it’s this we’re going for density and we’re not trying to you know. Go to Chicago I spent some years there and I love Chicago but we’re not, we’re not We’re not thinking about that. We’re trying to build density and look. Maybe it’s a little more difficult. Um, but it’s still just as scalable I mean you know Chipotle who I you know very much admire.

26:28.34
vigorbranding
Um.

26:33.40
Daniel Gonzalez
And know they’ve got 2500 plus stores. Ah you know, almost all corporate right? and you know so I think we’re we’re trying to build something similar same look at in and out in Southern California right folks folks know them and it’s a very similar approach. Um, so yeah I think it’s scalable.

26:40.86
vigorbranding
Um, a unit.

26:49.14
Daniel Gonzalez
You know the franchise business is an amazing one and you know there are certain brands out there that are just killing the game right? Now your crumble cookies of the world and you know I think our business model. You know we’re still, we’re still figuring out who we want to be when we grow up and so we’re not polished enough yet to even entertain. Ah, franchising at some point we might want to do that. But I think for the time being we’re still trying to dial in and and perfect everything that we’re working on and you know look there’s several 0 chain restaurants in America ah you know. How many trained restaurants are healthy eating or salad. It’s you know Ah maybe a couple thousand and you know it needs to be None so there’s a massive opportunity. So there’s enough opportunity for you know.

27:27.17
vigorbranding
Um.

27:37.10
Daniel Gonzalez
15 or 20 you know, major players you know to come in and and share this market and so we’re just we’re just trying to do our part in our backyard. Um, ultimately we want to we want to grow you know significantly. But you know we’re just you know trying to nail execution None and then you know and then start running even faster.

27:53.53
vigorbranding
Yeah I think the density question or or statement I think is really important takeaway there too. Um, a lot of brands as they’re growing. Ah they they don’t grow with density in mind. It’s more establish a few flags in this city. And then look to another city for instance, so I have ah a friend here that has an opportunity in Charlotte and I’m like right that sounds cool and it definitely feels good on the ego that somebody wants you to come to Charlotte but have you thought about. How are you going to service that market how are you going to market in that market how are you going to thrive there because if you just have None location but you have 3 in Atlanta Atlanta wins you got to focus on Atlanta that’s your base and I think so many multiunits grow out of their area. Way too quickly and they actually um, bootstrap themselves unnecessarily not in a good way. They they ah handcuff themselves I should say um so it’s great to think that way and you mentioned how it fuels marketing as well. So I do want to kind of hop back to the beginning for a minute. Um the budget’s behind launching a product.

28:43.66
Daniel Gonzalez
Can we.

28:49.20
Daniel Gonzalez
You know? yeah.

29:02.57
vigorbranding
Are not small and I think I’ve seen some of that misconception or the desire to have a big brand launch without a big brand budget. But I do think you can get um more gurilla with it like you said that that tweet or that social post about the sandwiches. Really what sparked it and. People are looking for that magic bullet. But I think there’s a lot of work that went into that I think you mentioned Bruno led that charge. Um from your perspective are there some rules of thumb or just some guidances on what kind of budgets or. How how much weight you should put behind launching a new product or an Lto.

29:40.13
Daniel Gonzalez
This is Joseph this is the the billion dollar question um it’s it’s root. Yeah yeah, look and think of national brands any dollar that you’re taking to launch something that’s unproven is taking away from supporting.

29:44.44
vigorbranding
So it’s a billion dollars. Okay, great.

29:59.80
vigorbranding
Um.

30:00.20
Daniel Gonzalez
What’s proven so you know oftentimes folks will measure hey you know this new product is selling you know 50 a day per restaurant. You know this is above our threshold. But if you have less ancillary purchases with each one of those 50 than what you had with the other 50 tickets or 50 items that you’re selling before. And might be value destructive and so you’re taking away from your moneymaker to invest in something unproven um, and so I think that like your question of what’s the budget and I think it’s a question of like how sure are you of the bet right? because if you’re confident that your product tastes better.

30:30.29
vigorbranding
Um.

30:37.41
Daniel Gonzalez
You can execute in restaurant. You have the supply chain to support. Ah, you have the equipment to support you know then it’s worth it and then you and you test it properly you know like and you test it under real conditions. You test it. Most folks don’t realize you know a year prior to that launch of the of the Popeye Chicken sandwich we had you know we had those sandwiches in 3 restaurants in Houston and we could we could measure what was happening we could measure what happened when we turned on local Tv and local and digital social. So we could see what was going on in the business. So we knew that we had something.

30:59.93
vigorbranding
Um.

31:10.60
vigorbranding
Um.

31:12.67
Daniel Gonzalez
Right? And so then that kind of fed more. Ah, you know, ah more confidence that like hey we should make a major budget line item for this and then the plans were you know with social right? to still be to start right? because you can be efficient and then that you know the the infamous tweet that. Twitter gave us award I think the most the most like corporate tweet in the history of Twitter um, the y’all good tweet. You know like we didn’t need to do anything after that. So we we canceled all Tv because we ran out of products in ten days ah ah so um, but I think your question. What’s the budget. How sure are you.

31:42.32
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.

31:49.73
Daniel Gonzalez
If you’re sure like be brave go in go all in and and support it and you know for some folks like you you might be. It’s a risk but like what’s the risk that you don’t support it. You’re basically agreeing to fail before you even start.

31:50.81
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.

32:06.14
Daniel Gonzalez
And so what I would say is like if you’re confident in your product and you’re realistic with testing not in a lab but in real restaurants down the street run by franchisees and real operating conditions and you’re outperforming. You know then then invest behind it and and you you might be surprised what you find ah you know with those conditions. So. You know I can’t give a specific dollar amount depends on the launch. How big of a category it is but I think that like it scales up relative to you know, think about it in terms of percentage of your budget if you think that product X is going to be a killer you know and you invest 30% of your budget behind your main product.

32:26.95
vigorbranding
Um, sure.

32:34.39
vigorbranding
Um.

32:43.75
Daniel Gonzalez
And you know should you be investing at least 10 to 15% of your budget in this product launch probably.

32:47.81
vigorbranding
It Yeah, it’s worth the bet. So the the confidence really does come with the with the purse right? It’s like you can talk the big game about how wonderful the product is how great it’s going to be. But then if you put ah an anemic budget behind it. It’s like well is that really going to move the needle and I think we have this conversations a lot with folks. Um.

33:03.59
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah, yeah, it’s like investing. Yeah, it’s like investing right? You know the the total return of your portfolio is going to be based on. You know the biggest best you make and how they how they perform and it’s It’s no different here.

33:06.99
vigorbranding
Ah, what? what do you really think.

33:17.94
vigorbranding
That’s right? So this might be the toughest kind of question of the entire interview. Um, if you could have 1 if you had 1 last meal on earth on this plane of existence. What would you eat where would you eat it and why.

33:31.83
Daniel Gonzalez
I would have all right? So I am a sucker for Domino’s thin crust pizza. Um I love it. Ah, and that’s what I would have I would have that you know. With my wife I mean we met in business school. We bonded ah over late night dawn pizza a bunch of times. So so it’s very sentimental. Ah it, you know it’s it. It satiates my hunger it you know it’s thin. It’s not too heavy. Ah you know so I would have it probably in Chicago you know.

33:54.92
vigorbranding
Um.

34:09.42
Daniel Gonzalez
Sitting outside somewhere not during the winter. Ah and you know, just this just enjoy it with ah you know with a beer or something you know it’s not. It’s not fancy, but here.

34:10.15
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.

34:15.98
vigorbranding
I Love it So I didn’t intend for this to get that’s that’s why the question is what it is. It’s like why you know good. Why is that and I think that’s a great a great story I didn’t mean to put you into a position where you would become a controversial figure. But here we go.

34:25.26
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah, it means something.

34:33.18
vigorbranding
Pineapple on pizza or no um, say yes I love it.

34:33.46
Daniel Gonzalez
Hundred percent I’m team and a hundred percent yes I’m team pineapple. You know I catch a lot of flak I don’t know what side what side you’re on but I catch a lot of flak. Yeah, it belongs on pizza right? It brings it brings the the nice.

34:45.22
vigorbranding
I’m team pineapple. Yeah.

34:50.76
Daniel Gonzalez
Texture and you know I love the moisture and the flavor of it so it works Well so all the hit to all the haters out there. You know you guys got it wrong.

34:54.39
vigorbranding
That’s right Yeah, exactly. Well hey I encourage it don’t eat pineapple and pizza. It’s more for me I don’t have to worry about you at the party eating my pizza so that’s awesome. Well Daniel how how can people find simply salad. How can they connect with you.

35:10.30
Daniel Gonzalez
Yeah, so http://simplealad.com is our website. Um, you know at simply salad instagram is the handle you can follow a lot of what we’re doing you know I’m on Linkedin as well. You can find me but look we’re we’re heads down you know I’m heads down you know I’m not you know. Generally trying to to do podcasts or anything but you know just if I I know you and and like you want to support you? Um, but ah yeah, reach out, you know any of those channels you know I’m behind all of them with you know with my partners and you know more importantly, you know come visit None of our locations in Los Angeles ah you know come come. try our product come see what we’re doing and you know and reach out you know and I’d love to talk about it. You know I think like um, you know Pat Brown from from possible foods. You know like he he wants more people in the plant-based food. Category you know to compete with them to make them better and it’ll help achieve their mission of you know eradicating you know the animal proteins. You know we want more competition as well and you know we want more players to help us you know make it easier to eat healthy and we can’t capture it all so come visit share your feedback and let’s talk.

36:01.33
vigorbranding
Um.

36:15.44
vigorbranding
I Love it? Well thanks so much for taking the time out I Really do appreciate this lot of great insights that I think people are going to ah quite literally eat up. So thanks once again.

36:24.27
Daniel Gonzalez
Awesome! Thank you Joseph.