Craveworthy Brands

What Craveworthy Brands does

Craveworthy Brands is a multi-brand restaurant franchise platform founded in 2022 by Gregg Majewski, former CEO of Jimmy John's, in partnership with FG Financial Group's merchant banking division. The company acquires, builds, and scales restaurant brands through franchising, operating 20+ brands across categories including QSR, fast casual, premium coffee, bakery, and virtual brands. By Q1 2026, the platform encompassed 300+ locations with $300M+ in systemwide sales, with a stated target of $1B in systemwide sales by 2035.

The company's core technology stack includes integrated POS (Toast), mobile ordering and digital commerce (Olo), loyalty programs, and AI-powered site selection and market analysis tools, all deployed uniformly across the portfolio. Revenue is generated through franchise royalties (3-7% of gross sales), initial franchise fees, company-owned restaurant operations, and supply chain leverage. The platform provides shared infrastructure including aggregated purchasing power across 300+ locations, a national marketing fund with collective media buying, pre-opening training, and ongoing operational support through dedicated Franchise Business Consultants.

Craveworthy serves multi-unit franchise operators and individual owner-operators seeking to enter the restaurant business with the infrastructure of a national platform. The company co-invests 10% or more in every concept, aligning franchisee and platform incentives. The portfolio includes celebrity-backed brands (Big Chicken with Shaquille O'Neal, Taffer's Tavern with Jon Taffer, Kinnamōns with Ndamukong Suh), acquired regional brands (Fresh Brothers, Gregorys Coffee, Dirty Dough, Genghis Grill, BD's Mongolian Grill), and virtual brands operating through ghost kitchens. Target markets span Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Mountain West, and West Coast U.S. regions, with international expansion underway through Big Chicken franchisees in Central America.

Name

Craveworthy Brands

Legal name

Craveworthy Brands, LLC

Website

https://craveworthybrands.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Craveworthy Brands is a multi-brand restaurant franchise platform that acquires and scales restaurant concepts through franchising, serving franchisees and owner-operators across 20+ brands and 300+ U.S. locations with shared supply chain, technology, and marketing infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-Brand Restaurant Franchising

NAICS

Food and Beverage Retailers (445)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Loyalty, Rewards & Retention Platforms (BPAFAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Customer Engagement & Messaging (Email, SMS, Push, In-App) (BPAFAFAI)

Keywords

• Multi-brand restaurant franchising
• Restaurant franchise platform
• Franchise development services
• QSR brand portfolio management
• Restaurant franchise operations

Headquarters

HQ city

South Elgin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise royalties: Ongoing royalty payments from franchisees, typically 3-7% of gross sales depending on brand. Franchisees also contribute to a marketing fund.
2. Franchise fees: Initial franchise fees for new franchise agreements, with preferential fees for multi-brand operators.
3. Company-owned restaurant operations: Revenue from corporate-owned locations across portfolio brands. The company operates locations alongside franchisees to demonstrate the platform.
4. Multi-brand supply chain leverage: Cost savings from aggregated purchasing across 300+ locations shared with franchisees, improving unit economics.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Craveworthy Brands is a multi-brand restaurant franchise platform that acquires restaurant concepts, integrates them under shared operational infrastructure, and awards franchise rights to multi-unit operators and owner-operators across the United States. Across 20+ brands and 300+ locations, it sells franchise opportunities, collects ongoing royalties, and supplies franchisees with shared services including supply chain purchasing, integrated technology (POS, mobile ordering, loyalty), national marketing, training, real estate support, and AI-driven site selection.

Product overview

Craveworthy Brands is a multi-brand restaurant franchise platform company that operates like a franchise system, invests like a PE firm, and supports operators like a true partner. The platform encompasses 20+ brands across categories including QSR, fast casual, coffee, bakery, and virtual brands. The portfolio includes acquired brands (Big Chicken, Fresh Brothers Pizza, Wing It On!, Taim Mediterranean Kitchen, Gregorys Coffee, Sigri Indian BBQ, Dirty Dough, Kinnamōns), legacy brands from Mongolian Concepts acquisition (Genghis Grill, BD's Mongolian Grill, Flat Top Grill), partnership brands (Taffer's Tavern with Jon Taffer), and original concepts (The Budlong Southern Chicken, Lucky Cat Poke Co., Soom Soom Fresh Mediterranean), plus multiple virtual brands (krafted, BAE's Fried Chicken, Benny's Cheesesteaks, Nomad Dawgs, Pastizza, Fat Kitty Ramen, Scramblin' Ed's). The platform provides shared infrastructure across all brands including supply chain purchasing power, integrated POS and mobile ordering technology, loyalty programs, national marketing, AI-powered site selection, and franchise development support, allowing franchisees to build multi-brand portfolios with compounding savings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big Chicken: Premium QSR chicken concept co-founded by Shaquille O'Neal, featuring bold flavors and celebrity-driven branding with 21 locations.
• Fresh Brothers
• Wing It On!
• taim
• Gregorys Coffee
• Sigri Indian BBQ
• Dirty Dough
• Kinnamōns
• Genghis Grill
• Taffer's Tavern
• The Budlong Southern Chicken
• BD's Mongolian Grill
• Flat Top Grill
• Soom Soom Fresh Mediterranean
• Lucky Cat Poke Co.
• Krafted
• Benny's Cheesesteaks
• BAE's Fried Chicken
• Nomad Dawgs
• Pastizza
• Fat Kitty Ramen
• Scramblin' Ed's

Products and services

• Big Chicken Franchise Program Franchise program for Big Chicken, a premium QSR chicken concept co-founded by Shaquille O'Neal, featuring bold flavors and celebrity-driven branding with 21 North American locations and active international master franchise expansion in Central America.
• Fresh Brothers Pizza Franchise Program Franchise program for the California-born better-pizza concept operating 22 Southern California locations, with a 2024 rebrand and a national franchise expansion program launched in March 2026 targeting high-growth markets in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Texas.
• Wing It On! Franchise Program Franchise program for Wing It On!, a Buffalo wings fast casual concept founded in 2011 and known for fresh, never-frozen wings and its award-winning Traditional Medium Buffalo Sauce, operating with low entry cost and strong unit economics.
• Taim Mediterranean Kitchen Franchise Program Franchise program for Taim Mediterranean Kitchen, an NYC-born Mediterranean fast casual concept offering falafel, bowls, wraps, and pita, positioned in a $33B category with priority markets including D.C., Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
• Gregorys Coffee Franchise Program Franchise program for Gregorys Coffee, a founder-led premium specialty coffee brand with over 50 locations and a devoted community ('Gregulars'), with national franchise expansion targeting Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and West Coast markets.
• Sigri Indian BBQ Franchise Program Franchise program for Sigri Indian BBQ, a fast casual North Indian restaurant concept featuring open-flame cooking and authentic barbecue offerings, with national franchise expansion launched in late 2025.
• Dirty Dough Franchise Program Franchise program for Dirty Dough, a gourmet stuffed cookie brand offering indulgent treats and customizable drinks at 60+ locations nationwide.
• Kinnamõns Franchise Program Franchise program for Kinnamõns, an Oregon-based artisan cinnamon roll bakery concept backed by NFL legend Ndamukong Suh, positioned as a ground floor opportunity in the bakery category.
• Genghis Grill Franchise Program Franchise program for Genghis Grill, the original create-your-own bowl and Mongolian stir-fry chain with a 25-year history as part of the Craveworthy legacy brand portfolio.
• Taffer's Tavern Franchise Program Franchise program for Taffer's Tavern, a full-service pub concept founded by Jon Taffer and operated through a joint venture with Craveworthy, with active expansion in Florida, Georgia, and Texas markets.
• Craveworthy Brands Franchise Platform (B2B support service) B2B franchise support platform offering shared infrastructure across all Craveworthy portfolio brands, including supply chain purchasing leverage, integrated POS and mobile ordering, loyalty and digital guest engagement, AI-powered site selection, real estate and lease negotiation support, pre-opening training, marketing fund access, and ongoing operational support.
• Craveworthy Virtual Brand Portfolio Suite of delivery-only virtual brands (BAE's Fried Chicken, Benny's Cheesesteaks, Lucky Cat Poke Co., krafted, Nomad Dawgs, Pastizza, Fat Kitty Ramen, Scramblin' Ed's) that operate through existing franchise locations to expand off-premise brand reach without additional physical footprint.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wing It On! Saturday sales increased 42% on average post-relaunch vs prior year; some locations saw 100%+ increases
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• NuzestsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025Nuzest collaborated with Gregorys Coffee to launch 'Protein Buzz,' a plant-based protein coffee drink containing 18 grams of Nuzest's Clean Lean Protein. The collaboration supports Gregorys' innovation pipeline for health-conscious consumers.
• Gregorys CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 August 2025Craveworthy Brands became investor and managing partner of Gregorys Coffee, a specialty coffee brand founded in Manhattan in 2006. Craveworthy provides operational expertise and capital to support Gregorys' national expansion and franchising efforts.
• Jon Taffer / Taffer's TaverncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Jon Taffer, hospitality expert and star of Paramount Network's 'Bar Rescue,' founded Taffer's Tavern and partnered with Craveworthy Brands through a joint venture to scale the franchise concept nationally. Taffer's Tavern operates through Craveworthy Brands as the franchise management company.
• ToastcoreTechnology or Integration · 12 December 2023Toast, a restaurant point-of-sale and management platform, was selected to power Craveworthy's growing restaurant portfolio, providing integrated POS, mobile ordering, and restaurant management capabilities.
• OlocoreTechnology or Integration · 22 September 2023Olo, a leading open SaaS platform for restaurants, was selected as Craveworthy's on-demand solution to drive a multi-faceted digital ecosystem. The platform enables customized off-premise experiences for each brand and serves as a single source for all commerce channels.
• OvationsupportingTechnology or Integration · 8 September 2023Ovation, a real-time guest feedback platform for restaurants, partnered with Craveworthy Brands to help measure and act on guest experiences. The partnership leverages Ovation's chat, reporting, and AI features to collect feedback through online ordering integrations and QR codes.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands): GoTo Foods owns and franchises Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Jamba, Carvel, and other concepts through a multi-brand restaurant platform, closely mirroring Craveworthy's franchise-platform model.
• Wingstop: Wingstop is a publicly traded chicken-wing QSR franchise concept directly comparable to Craveworthy's Wing It On! portfolio brand in category, format, and unit economics profile.
• Flynn Restaurant Group: Flynn Restaurant Group is the largest U.S. franchise operator, running Taco Bell, Wendy's, Applebee's, and Pizza Hut locations; it represents the franchisee side of the same multi-brand restaurant value chain Craveworthy serves.
• FAT Brands: FAT Brands is a publicly traded multi-brand restaurant franchise holding company that acquires and franchises established as well as emerging restaurant concepts — a direct analog to Craveworthy's 'multi-brand restaurant platform' model.

Broad incumbents

• Inspire Brands: Inspire Brands is a private multi-brand restaurant company owning Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic, Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins, and Jimmy's; it operates a comparable multi-brand franchise platform at materially larger scale than Craveworthy.
• Yum! Brands: Yum! Brands operates KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill as a multi-brand QSR franchise platform, comparable in business model to Craveworthy at vastly larger scale.
• Wendy's Company: Wendy's is a publicly traded QSR franchisor competing for franchisee capital and consumer traffic against Craveworthy's burger-adjacent portfolio brands such as Big Chicken and Krafted.
• Restaurant Brands International: RBI owns Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs — a publicly traded multi-brand QSR franchise platform that competes with Craveworthy's portfolio for franchisee capital and consumer share of stomach.

Emerging players

• Capriotti's Sandwich Shop: Capriotti's is an emerging multi-unit franchise platform scaling a single brand aggressively; it represents a comparable emerging-platform peer to Craveworthy's growth-stage portfolio brands.

Others

• Fransmart: Fransmart is a franchise development firm that helped incubate Five Guys and Qdoba and now advises emerging brands on franchising; it is a strategic adjacency to Craveworthy's brand-building and franchise-scaling motion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/craveworthy
• Facebookfacebook.com/craveworthybrands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/craveworthy-brands
• Instagraminstagram.com/craveworthybrands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Craveworthy Brands