Advice Line with Scott and Ally Svenson of MOD Pizza
1Digest
This episode of "How I Built This Lab" features Scott and Allie Spensen, co-founders of Mod Pizza, offering advice to entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry. The episode begins with the Spensens discussing the recent acquisition of Mod Pizza by Elite Restaurant Group and the challenges of scaling a fast-casual chain. They emphasize the importance of building a strong community and focusing on customer experience. Next, Evan Byrne, founder of Utterless, a plant-based pizza company in Richmond, Virginia, seeks advice on expanding beyond his local market. The Spensens suggest focusing on building a strong foundation in Richmond, leveraging existing relationships with retailers and influencers, and exploring opportunities in nearby markets. Debbie Carney, owner of Eugene's Hot Chicken in Birmingham, Alabama, shares her journey of organic growth and seeks advice on scaling her business. The Spensens emphasize the importance of dominating the home market before expanding, considering different growth strategies like franchising, and focusing on key performance indicators like average unit volume and store-level contribution. Finally, Cristiana, founder of Valor de Vivita, a tequila company committed to sustainable practices, seeks advice on how to get consumers to demand more responsible business practices. The Spensens acknowledge the challenge but highlight the potential for success by focusing on education, influencer marketing, and emphasizing the unique qualities of the product.
Outlines
Scaling a Fast-Casual Chain and Building Community
Mod Pizza co-founders discuss the recent acquisition of their company and the challenges of scaling a fast-casual chain, emphasizing the importance of building a strong community and focusing on customer experience.
Expanding a Vegan Pizza Startup
The founders offer advice to a vegan pizza startup on expanding beyond their local market, suggesting focusing on building a strong foundation in their home market, leveraging existing relationships with retailers and influencers, and exploring opportunities in nearby markets.
Scaling a Hot Chicken Restaurant
The founders provide advice to a hot chicken restaurant owner on scaling their business, emphasizing the importance of dominating the home market before expanding, considering different growth strategies like franchising, and focusing on key performance indicators like average unit volume and store-level contribution.
Building a Sustainable Tequila Brand
The founders offer advice to a tequila company committed to sustainable practices on how to get consumers to demand more responsible business practices, highlighting the potential for success by focusing on education, influencer marketing, and emphasizing the unique qualities of the product.
Keywords
**Vegan Community**
A group of individuals who follow a vegan lifestyle, abstaining from all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, and honey. They are often passionate about animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and health.
**Grassroots Approach**
A strategy for building a business or movement from the ground up, relying on organic growth and community engagement rather than large-scale marketing campaigns.
**Concentric Circles**
A strategy for expanding a business by targeting nearby markets with a strong existing customer base before venturing into new territories.
**Ethical Sourcing**
The practice of procuring goods and services from suppliers who adhere to ethical standards, such as fair labor practices, environmental sustainability, and responsible animal welfare.
**Influencer Marketing**
A marketing strategy that leverages the reach and influence of individuals with a large following on social media or other platforms to promote a brand or product.
**Mature Agave**
Agave plants that have reached full maturity, typically after 7-10 years, resulting in a higher concentration of sugars and a smoother, more complex flavor in tequila.
Q&A
How do we expand our footprint beyond our local market with limited resources?
Focus on building a strong foundation in your home market, leverage existing relationships with retailers and influencers, and explore opportunities in nearby markets with a strong existing customer base.
How do you handle fast growth and how do you scale?
Dominate your home market before expanding, consider different growth strategies like franchising, and focus on key performance indicators like average unit volume and store-level contribution.
How do we get consumers to demand more of companies like ours and everybody because supply chains really begin here in the US, but we get to benefit from inequitable labor practices all around the world?
Focus on education, influencer marketing, and emphasizing the unique qualities of your product. Consumers are becoming more aware of ethical sourcing and sustainable practices, and you can be a pioneer in this space.
Show Notes
MOD Pizza founders Scott and Ally Svenson join Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about strategic expansion, plus discuss MOD’s recent acquisition.
Today we meet Evan, who recently turned his Richmond-based pizza restaurant into a vegan frozen pizza company. Then Zebbie, a restaurateur in Birmingham who's looking to take his hot chicken concept on the road. And Christiane, a Los Angeles area tequila-maker on a mission to improve her industry’s labor conditions.
Thanks to the founders of Udderless Plant-based Pizza, Eugene’s Hot Chicken and Valor Bebidas for being a part of our show.
If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.
And be sure to listen to MOD Pizza’s founding story as told by Scott and Ally on the show in 2023.
This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.
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