077: Scaling Pepper Lunch: Global Growth, Consistency, and Consumer Insight with Troy Hooper on Grounded

In this week's episode, Troy is a guest on Grounded. He shares an inside look at the rapid growth and operational strategy behind Pepper Lunch as the brand expands across North America and beyond. He discusses the differentiators that drew him to Pepper Lunch, including its experiential fast-casual model, simplified operations, strict ingredient sourcing, and global brand consistency. Troy explains how the company approaches supply chain management, from building its own procurement arm to optimizing redundancy and quality control across 17+ countries.

He also gets into the challenges of scaling like real estate constraints, global tariffs, and maintaining operational standards, and describes how Pepper Lunch's kiosk model, hospitality host strategy, and data-driven consumer insights are transforming customer experience and sales performance. Troy closes with broader industry trends around AI, labor, menu development, and cultural leadership, offering a direct look at what he believes is shaping the next generation of restaurant operations.

• Pepper Lunch's global expansion strategy and brand differentiators

• Supply chain structure, procurement approach, and vendor redundancy

• Operational decisions around ingredient sourcing and product consistency

• Experiential dining model, kiosk adoption, and hospitality host integration

• Real estate challenges, regulatory risk, and long-term scaling considerations

Connect with Lauren Mitchell of Grounded:

https://www.instagram.com/producealliance/?hl=en

Transistor: https://www.groundedonthepod.com/

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/produce-alliance-llc./

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This show is sponsored by Pepper Lunch. Find a location near you!

Production and Administration work completed by Smart Podcast Solutions and Elevate Virtual Business Solutions.

In this episode of The Pineapple Perspective, Troy Hooper joins as the guest on Zaller Talk to share an in-depth look at his career path, the evolution of his consulting practice, and his executive role leading global expansion for Pepper Lunch. He discusses how his early exposure to hospitality, construction, and entrepreneurship shaped his operating philosophy, as well as how experiences in culinary arts, maritime work, and corporate leadership at Procter & Gamble influenced his approach to business.

Troy walks through the rapid growth of Pepper Lunch worldwide, the strategic model behind Kiwi Restaurant Partners, and current market conditions impacting operators—particularly in California. He also offers grounded advice for new hospitality entrepreneurs on capital, mentorship, industry engagement, and building authentic, scalable brands.

• From consulting to becoming CEO of Pepper Lunch North America and Co-CEO globally

• The global footprint and growth strategy of Pepper Lunch

• Troy's early background in hospitality and entrepreneurship

• The evolution of Kiwi Restaurant Partners

• Expansion challenges and regulatory pressures affecting California restaurant operators

• Strategic considerations for hospitality entrepreneurs

Connect with Anthony Zaller of Zaller Talk:

Website: www.zallerlaw.com

Blog – California Employment Law Report: www.californiaemploymentlawreport.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyzaller/

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6zpZovQKMeZ5l2DYL0nh3q?si=0df7a5bc45f44743

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-legal-lineup-with-anthony-zaller/id1405859405

Prosper Forum

Website: https://www.prosperforum.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosper-forum/

This show is sponsored by Pepper Lunch. Find a location near you!

Production and Administration work completed by Smart Podcast Solutions and Elevate Virtual Business Solutions.

In this episode of The Pineapple Perspective, host Troy Hooper sits down with Jim Bitticks, President and COO of Dave's Hot Chicken, for a deep conversation on leadership, hospitality, team building, and the operational foundations behind some of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in the industry. Jim shares how his early experiences from Jack in the Box to Rally's to Carl's Jr., shaped a service philosophy rooted in humility, empathy, and getting to "yes."

He discusses the long-standing team relationships that have followed him across multiple brands, the disciplined but human-centered training systems that enabled rapid scale, and the cultural principles that make growth sustainable. Jim also offers insight into Dave's Hot Chicken's trajectory following its billion-dollar investment, the brand's global expansion efforts, and why strong teams, clear brand ethos, and pride in the work continue to be the drivers of long-term success.

• Jim's definition of hospitality and early service influences

• Career path from Jack in the Box to leading major fast-casual brands

• Building cohesive teams and retaining talent across multiple companies

• Key operational principles that enable rapid restaurant growth

• Dave's Hot Chicken's expansion strategy and post-acquisition outlook

Connect with Jim Bitticks:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-bitticks-cfe-0bb37515

https://daveshotchicken.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/daveshotchicken

https://www.instagram.com/daveshotchicken/

https://www.tiktok.com/@daveshotchicken

https://www.facebook.com/ToLiveandFryInLA

https://www.youtube.com/@DavesHotChickenOfficial

This show is sponsored by Pepper Lunch. Find a location near you!

Production and Administration work completed by Smart Podcast Solutions and Elevate Virtual Business Solutions.