From One Store to 20: The Expansion of Sweetfin’s Poke Empire

From One Store to 20: The Expansion of Sweetfin’s Poke Empire ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( June 06, 2024 From One Store to 20: The Expansion of Sweetfin’s Poke Empire Seth Cohen of Sweetfin reveals the secrets to scaling a health-conscious, sustainable restaurant empire while staying true to the brand's core values. Explore the ingredients of Sweetfin's success—from innovative menu creations to mastering key metrics like COGS, labor, and occupancy costs. Learn how emotional intelligence and customer feedback add the perfect spice to Sweetfin's growth recipe. Whether you’re dreaming of launching your own restaurant or expanding an existing one, this episode is a feast of insights you won't want to miss! Welcome to the 'WISKING IT ALL' Podcast – the series where we engage with hospitality professionals and trailblazers who've wagered it all in their pursuits. Join us in exploring their journeys, understanding their motivations, and uncovering the secrets behind their success. Every week, we'll deliver two impactful ideas and one essential insight from our podcast episode, offering perspectives that could fundamentally transform your hospitality business. If you find value in our show, please consider subscribing and leaving a rating on [Spotify](. Your support is vital in helping us grow. Curious about the challenges and lessons I learned while building WISK? Sign up [here]( and join me as I reveal exclusive insights and effective strategies from our successful journey. Your Host, Angelo Esposito THIS WEEK’S EPISODE Meet [Seth Cohen](. Seth Cohen is the President and Co-Founder of Sweetfin, a chef-driven, California-inspired poke concept that emphasizes health, sustainability, and innovation. Founded in 2015, Sweetfin offers nutritious and flavorful bowls that make sushi more approachable and portable. With nearly 20 locations, Sweetfin is committed to their “Pole to Bowl” ethos, ensuring the highest-quality, sustainable ingredients. We dived deep with Seth Cohen, the culinary mastermind behind Sweetfin's success. In just five years, Seth transformed a simple Venn diagram of passion into a poke phenomenon. We unpacked the gritty details of scaling a restaurant chain while upholding health, sustainability, and top-notch quality. Seth laid bare the vital numbers in hospitality—cogs, labor, occupancy—and how emotional intelligence marries a strong mission to create a brand that resonates nationwide. For anyone dreaming of food industry triumph, Seth's journey from a Santa Monica startup to a 20-strong location empire is a masterclass in innovation, financial wisdom, and the art of bouncing back stronger. Key Insights You Can't-Miss: - Seth Cohen dives deep into the ingredients needed to stay innovative and maintain brand consistency in a competitive market. Learn how Sweetfin keeps its mission at the heart of its expansion. - Discover why traits like hospitality enjoyment, genuineness, and emotional intelligence are key factors in building a thriving team that aligns with your company's culture. - Uncover Sweetfin's strategies and aspirations to conquer the national poke scene, as they aim to become a household name across the country. - Seth shares his insights for emerging entrepreneurs on concept development, financial planning, and crafting a marketing plan that resonates with food lovers everywhere. - Take a seat at the founders' table to learn about the birth of Sweetfin, the challenges of debuting in the culinary world, and why they became a beacon in the fast-casual poke space. Fun Fact: Did you know that the idea for Sweetfin was crafted from a Venn diagram of Seth's passions, and the initial concept got mixed up with Facebook’s poke feature? Yes, landlords did do a double-take! [Watch the full episode on Youtube]( 2 IDEAS FROM THE PODCAST Idea #1 Importance of Managing Employee Workload in Restaurants Seth Cohen's journey with Sweetfin underscores the importance of identifying a unique market opportunity and creating a distinct brand identity. Sweetfin became a leader in the fast-casual poke market by focusing on a chef-driven, gluten-free menu with high-quality ingredients and sustainable practices. Continuous innovation and staying true to core values have been crucial to maintaining their unique concept and customer loyalty, despite initial challenges. Key Action Items: - Identifying a Market Gap: Seth Cohen identified a gap in the market for a fast-casual poke concept, recognizing the growing popularity of health-conscious and customizable dining options. - Creating a Strong Brand Identity: Sweetfin differentiated itself through a unique, chef-driven, 100% gluten-free menu, focusing on sustainability and high-quality ingredients. - Innovating Within the Concept: The brand continuously innovates by collaborating with chefs and food content creators to introduce new and unique menu items while maintaining core values. - Navigating Initial Challenges: Overcoming early obstacles such as securing the first location, managing high demand, and adapting operations (e.g., producing crispy onions and tarot chips without a fryer) demonstrated flexibility and resilience. - Staying True to Core Values: Despite expansion, Sweetfin remains committed to its core values of freshness, sustainability, and chef-driven innovation, ensuring consistency and quality across all locations. Idea #2 Strategies for Successful Restaurant Expansion Seth Cohen's strategic approach to expanding Sweetfin offers valuable lessons for scaling a restaurant business. Understanding key financial metrics, learning and adapting on the job, and thoughtfully scaling operations have enabled Sweetfin to grow successfully while ensuring a consistent brand experience. Emphasizing team culture, incorporating customer feedback, and maintaining strong operational procedures have been critical to their expansion strategy. Key Action Items: - Understanding Key Metrics: Successful restaurant operations hinge on three key numbers: cost of goods sold (COGS), labor costs, and occupancy costs. Maintaining these in balance is crucial for profitability. - Learning and Adapting: Seth emphasized the importance of learning on the job, continuously testing and refining the business model, and being cautious yet ambitious with expansion plans. - Scaling Thoughtfully: Sweetfin expanded by raising strategic funding and gradually opening new locations, ensuring a strong product-market fit and a consistent brand experience. - Emphasizing Team and Culture: Building a dedicated team with shared values, high emotional intelligence, and a strong work ethic is essential. A flat organizational structure and cross-training contribute to operational success. - Incorporating Customer Feedback: Utilizing review aggregators and other tools to gather and act on customer feedback helps continuously improve the customer experience and address any recurring issues. [Listen on Spotify]( [Listen on Apple Podcast]( 1 KEY LEARNING ❝ Rip the band-aid off...You need to have a plan and a real business plan, an understanding of the finances, having a strong marketing kind of plan in terms of how you're going to launch and sustain business and traffic. [❞]( Seth Cohen emphasizes the importance of decisively starting a business ("Rip the band-aid off") while underscoring the necessity of thorough preparation. He highlights that a successful launch and sustained growth require a solid business plan, a clear understanding of financials, and a robust marketing strategy. This approach balances bold action with strategic planning, ensuring that entrepreneurs are both proactive and well-prepared. [Listen & Subscribe]( P.S. Love our podcast? 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