After over 40 years of serving up fresh stone-baked pizzas with distinct craft and eclectic, psychedelic flair, Mellow Mushroom approached TCE in 2023 to help roadmap its next chapter of growth and evolution. The charge? Create a fast-casual prototype of the historically full-service brand – one that completely reimagines the brand’s relevancy for younger audiences, while proving out a more scalable, higher-ROI operation.
Read MoreHormel Foods is one of the leading manufacturers of meat and other packaged and refrigerated products in the United States for both food service and retail distribution. Dedicated to innovation and quality, Hormel is constantly evolving their offerings to provide the right solutions that excite consumers, inspire operators, and continue to bring down-right-delicious flavors across their lineup. Amongst a long and fruitful partnership between The Culinary Edge and Hormel Foods, Hormel looked to TCE to support in the strategic and operational validation of a new product idea that will take the pizza segment by storm — Windsor-style shredded pepperoni.
Read MoreDunkin’ Brands is one of the world’s leading franchisors of quick service restaurants serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods. The 100% franchise global business model includes more than 11,700 Dunkin’ restaurants.
Read MoreFounded in 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nando’s is a traditional PERi-PERi grilled chicken-centric limited-service concept dedicated to serving fresh, delicious, authentic Afro-Portuguese food (rooted in the PERi-PERi bird’s eye chili) to its communities globally. The brand was founded on a genuine passion for fresh food and attentive hospitality, and has become known worldwide not only for its delicious grilled chicken and flavorful sauces, but also for its dedication to its people.
Read MoreMcCain Foods USA is a leading supplier of frozen potato and snack food products across the country for foodservice, retail, and private label brands. Over the last several years, plant and vegetable-based appetizers have seen tremendous growth due to consumers’ evolving perceptions of health, environment, and animal welfare benefits. Today, McCain has an opportunity to leverage its capabilities in appetizers to create vegetable-forward alternatives that work seamlessly in foodservice operations.
Read MoreIn today’s restaurant landscape, being health-forward, value-first, delicious and convenient rarely play well together. Given how much demand there is for all three, this creates a whitespace in the market that an ambitious brand can soon own. Greenlane is exactly that. This distinct new salad-centric ‘fast food’ concept defies industry norms by delivering on health, value, and convenience simultaneously in a beautifully experiential drive-thru format. Led by the successful entrepreneur Chris Burch, the CBSW team partnered with TCE to bring this vision to life.
Read MoreTaziki’s Mediterranean Cafe is a Greek-inspired fast casual concept dedicated to serving fresh, delicious, approachable, and healthy Mediterranean fare to its communities across the South. Since the first store in 1998, Taziki’s has evolved its offering many times in an attempt to cater to Southern guests' tastes – and along the way, the concept began to lose track of its culinary identity. So, in 2021, Taziki’s partnered with TCE to position the brand for future expansion with a more clear, feasible, desirable, and executable menu strategy.
Read MoreWetzel’s Pretzels has been a west coast mall icon for over 25 years, beloved for their cheesy pretzels, Sinful Cinnamon Bitz, fresh lemonade, and more. But growth for the company means looking beyond the walls of the traditional suburban mall. So, in 2020, Wetzel’s partnered with TCE to create a spinoff concept designed to succeed in streetside real estate – in power center shopping areas, around college campuses, and beyond. The goal was to create a concept that’s destination-worthy in its own right, beyond just a convenient stop while shopping.
Read MoreA family-owned convenience store and gas station, Kum & Go sought to fortify its business model against softening trends in gas purchases. Specifically, the brand sought to transform from a gas station that sells food to a restaurant that sells gas. Kum & Go partnered with The Culinary Edge to develop a fresh, delicious offering to democratize healthy and convenient options. They targeted a Millennial & Gen Z 'healthy striver' -- a guest segment seeking healthy options that do not sacrifice taste.
Read MoreConsumption of plant-based and Vegan foods is a long-term trend, which continues to accelerate as we move into the future. The demand comes not necessarily from “vegans”. Instead, an increasingly “flexitarian” approach to diet allows diners in the United States and globally to opt for vegan or plant-based meals, not as a restrictive diet in itself, but as a preferred, sometimes indulgent, addition to their wider eating habits. Whitespace exists in today’s restaurant landscape for a Vegan or Plant-based restaurant brand is approachable as traditional fast casual, and provides today’s diners the options they need to satisfy their new preferences. The Oso Capital team approached The Culinary Edge with a passion project rooted in personal experience as well as market whitespace to realize the vision for a plant-based fast casual restaurant.
Read MoreFrom Miami to Vegas, Vida & Estilo (V&E) Restaurant Group has long impressed tourists with tasteful ambiance and upscale American food. In 2021, the group sought to expand its portfolio by opening a scalable fast casual concept geared more towards the local community – specifically, the diverse community of V&E’s hometown, Miami. In 2022, V&E partnered with TCE to create a diner spin-off of Cafe Americano as a gathering place in Miami’s Brickell City Center.
Read MoreAfter a 2018 acquisition by Invited, the World Leader in Private Clubs, BigShots was poised to perform true to its name. With house-cooked fares, three floors of golf, a virtual gaming experience and an entertaining atmosphere complete with live music, mini golf, and firepits, BigShots was becoming an emerging leader in the eatertainment sector.
Read MoreSlapfish was conceived with the idea of serving quality seafood in a quick restaurant setting. Known for saucy fish burritos and oozing crab and lobster grilled cheeses, Slapfish has always succeeded in delighting with indulgent deliciousness. But, COO Dan Anfinson realized that meant most guests saw Slapfish as a once-in-a-while destination. So, in 2022, Anfinson partnered with TCE to figure out how to make Slapfish the everyday favorite it was meant to be.
Read MoreAs a long-term partner for this global, beverage-led brand, TCE has provided a food perspective across menu strategy, culinary identity and future unit prototype projects. Our partnership with Starbucks has included translating their beverage and experience craft to a complimentary food philosophy, designing culinary-led experiences at the Chicago Roastery and launching a new food portfolio test across 100 locations.
Read MoreAs a long-term partner for this global, beverage-led brand, TCE has provided a food perspective across menu strategy, culinary identity and future unit prototype projects. Our partnership with Starbucks has included translating their beverage and experience craft to a complimentary food philosophy, designing culinary-led experiences at the Chicago Roastery and launching a new food portfolio test across 100 locations.
Read More
