Chapter 3 — Why PBK
Every brand in this category claims differentiation. Here is ours, stated plainly enough that you can check it.
01
PBK offers a wide variety of menu items and beverages -- but within the principal of maintaining operational simplicity and ensuring execution in under 3 minutes
02
PBK has oriented the business around digital ordering flow -- such that over 50% of sales are through digital channels including mobile app, web, kiosk, and catering. These channels simplify operations and allow for personalized digital engagement
03
High protein is no longer a niche. It is how a large share of consumers now describe what they are trying to eat. A brand that was designed around protein from the beginning does not have to reposition to meet that demand
04
PBK is a part of Founders Table Restaurant Group -- with over 200 locations and approaching $500M in sales. This ownership provides PBK with scale and resources of a much larger company to leverage for the benefit of franchisees
05
The average tenure of a Protein Bar & Kitchen corporate team member is 8 years; the average tenure of a Protein Bar & Kitchen General Manager is over 10 years -- we have a deep team of PBK experts to help ensure our franchisees get the support they need
Average annual Gross Sales for the fiscal year 2025 (December 30, 2024 – December 27, 2025) of the 5 Protein Bar & Kitchen Businesses in the Data Set disclosed in Item 19 of our 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. All 5 are Traditional Locations owned and operated by our affiliate in and around Chicago, Illinois; no franchised locations are included because all 3 franchised locations operating at the end of the period were Non-Traditional Locations. 3 of the 5 attained or exceeded this figure. Adjusted EBITDAR is stated after deducting an additional 8% (6% royalty and 2% Brand Fund) that these locations would have paid if franchised. Some Protein Bar & Kitchen Businesses have earned this amount. Your individual results may differ. There is no assurance you will earn as much.
Experienced leadership
A franchise agreement is ultimately a bet on the team supporting it. Here is who runs PBK day to day, and the operating company standing behind them.
President & Chief Executive Officer
Jeff Drake has been PBK's President and Chief Executive Officer since 2017. Jeff started his career as part of the founding team with Corner Bakery, and has led multiple brands across the casual dining and fast casual segments.
Chief Operating Officer
Jared Cohen has been PBK's Chief Operating Officer since 2017. Prior to PBK, he was with McDonald's in a Global Strategy role. Before joining McDonald's, Jared spent time in management consulting and corporate finance roles.
VP of Franchising
Jimmy McFeeters joined PBK in 2023 and leads all franchising and development activity for the brand, guiding candidates from first conversation through site selection, buildout and opening. He partners with franchisees on market planning and multi-unit growth strategy. Prior to joining PBK, Jimmy led franchising activity for brands including McAlister's Deli, Toppers Pizza, and GoTo Foods family of brands.
VP of Marketing
Teddy Heidt initially joined PBK's marketing team in 2014, leading company marketing efforts until establishing his own digital marketing agency. In 2024, Teddy rejoined PBK to once again lead marketing for the brand.
VP of Operations
Marie Crawford joined PBK's operations team in 2014 and now leads all field operations and ops services.
Culinary & Supply Chain Lead
Laura Camerer joined PBK in 2014 as a Team Lead, and after transitioning into a corporate role has taken leadership over all culinary and supply chain efforts.
Corporate parent
In 2025, Protein Bar & Kitchen merged to become a part of Founders Table Restaurant Group. Founders Table operates nearly 200 corporate locations across the U.S. made up of four leading fast casual brands including Chopt Creative Salad, Dos Toros Taqueria, and Hopdoddy in addition to Protein Bar & Kitchen. The combination provides shared infrastructure and support across all aspects of the business including supply chain, technology, accounting, human resources, and other functional areas.
The comparison that matters
A concept that gets visited monthly needs constant marketing spend to hold its sales line. A concept that gets visited weekly compounds. That difference is the whole thesis.
