Deconstructing dessert

It’s only recently that Viviani has focused on chain growth in earnest. While others at Fabio Viviani Hospitality continue running and expanding the portfolio of restaurants, he’s concentrating on Chuck Lager and JARS. He doesn’t have a targeted unit count in mind for Chuck Lager but believes it could work in the top 75 U.S. markets. For JARS, the scale would be even larger, given the operational ease, diminutive space requirement, and low entry cost.

“JARS is the first [quick-service restaurant] in the food business dessert category that does not require a kitchen to function. You don’t need a grease trap; you don’t need fryers, ovens, mixers, stand mixers. You don’t need recipes, you don’t need cooking, [and] you have virtually no waste,” Viviani says.

JARS forges relationships with pastry producers and bakeries to lessen the operational burden; at the store level, the only prep is assembling the jars—no cooking or baking required. Franchisees who grow to more than one location in a designated market can rent a commissary kitchen to streamline the back end and boost their unit economics.

Viviani advises franchisees to open their first JARS in a space that’s larger than the bare minimum. He says the concept could operate well in 750 square feet or so, but a range closer to 1,000–1,500 square feet allows for a little more breathing room. But after that initial store, future locations could squeeze into smaller spots like former laundromats or retail shops.

“I always tell people that you only have one chance to open your first door,” Viviani says. “You want that much [space] in the first one because you never know how busy you’re going to get. And if you get really busy, then you’re going to need a little bit of storage for some dry goods, for boxes. So it’s always good to have a few extra 100 square feet.”

He likens JARS to a marketing company that happens to make delicious sweets. Within a year of JARS’ announcement in fall 2021, the brand had amassed more than half a billion impressions though it had yet to open a single storefront. The first location debuted in Chicago’s West Loop in January, and more locations in Dallas, San Francisco, and New Jersey are expected to follow. At press time, JARS had sold 50-plus franchise territories.

Going back to Viviani’s bafflement around frozen yogurt, the restaurateur sees JARS as the perfect antidote. For one, it’s not a seasonal product like fro-yo, ice cream, and other similar products. Furthermore, it’s well-positioned to eliminate the veto vote. 

“Can you please find me one person that doesn’t like dessert? Now, if you have a medical condition or you’re on a specific diet or you don’t need sugar—I get it, fine. But in this case … the niche is the people that don’t eat dessert. I can name 100 people, and 98 will gladly have dessert,” he says.

The concept’s product niche might be its jar format, but the menu options pull from across the dessert category and include cakes (strawberry shortcake, birthday cake, chocolate cake), pie (key lime, banana cream, lemon meringue, apple), s’mores, orange creamsicle, banana split, tiramisu, and more.

In terms of revenue projections, JARS won’t be a quick serve that smashes any AUV records, but Viviani expects operators to see robust returns given the low cost of getting in the game. That was always part of the plan: to stimulate restaurant growth by making the business less intimidating to would-be operators.

“We had to for different levels of pain tolerance in the business. We want to have a fast casual with very little headache in running them and little expertise needed,” he says. “A JARS location might never make $10 million because of the square footage and the offerings, but if you can make 15–20 percent to a healthy bottom line at $1.5 million in sales, that’s a lot of money considering you probably aren’t going to spend that much to build one.”

The tavern for tomorrow

At face value, Chuck Lager and JARS couldn’t be more different. One is a sports bar with New American fare, draft beer, cocktails, and bourbon; the other specializes in colorful confections that seem made for Instagram. But when Viviani talks about what differentiates each concept from category competitors, the reasons echo one another. In addition to having the support of a proven hospitality group, both have a low barrier of entry.

“The labor market has changed a lot in the last couple of years; that’s why the two restaurants we are really focusing on for national growth are the two that are the easiest ones to run,” Viviani says.

Chuck Lager requires less than $1 million upfront to open—something Viviani says is all but unheard of in full service. Although it can’t fit in extra small spaces like JARS, the restaurant’s streamlined operations makes the process easier and opens Chuck Lager up to second-generation real estate.

“I have other restaurants, but they are the one-offs and the bigger projects that cost a lot of money to open. So the ability to be very nimble with Chuck Lager and open in a second-gen space—which there are plenty of them—and to show very strong financials, easy execution, a not-complicated menu—which still offers a great quality and variety—is fundamental for the growth of the brand,” Viviani says.

He describes Chuck Lager as an elevated “hybrid between a sports bar and an American tavern.” Part of that identity is rooted in the restaurant’s namesake. The real Chuck Lager, Viviani says, has lived an extraordinary life, and his accomplishments were embellished to the point of brand lore. (According to the restaurant’s website, he was born on Mount Kilimanjaro and has made numerous archeological discoveries.)

While these claims are more legend than fact, Lager’s adventurous spirit and world travels are reflected in the menu. 

In addition to gastropub staples like burgers and wings, the selection includes Italian favorites, such as Fabio’s Meatballs, the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich, as well as globally inspired fare, like the Aztec Burger, Coconut Curry Chili, and Wonton Tuna Tacos. The menu is chef-inspired but still approachable, Viviani says, which presents the brand as an especially desirable tenant for landlords, even those in high-end shopping centers.

Chuck Lager’s marriage of familiar and less-known, American and international, approachable and elevated, is also a natural byproduct of the partnership at its base.

Viviani teamed up with Colby Restaurant Group to bring the brand to life. Where Viviani brings a culinary perspective and experience taking restaurants from idea to reality, Craig and Michael Colby bring franchise expertise; the pair are Red Robin and Walk-On’s operators.

Chuck Lager has seven units on tap for 2023, which would push the 4-year-old brand into the double digits by year-end. 

And after the pandemic forced many restaurants to shutter their doors, the real estate market is looking favorable for restaurants like it that can adapt to fit a variety of spaces.

“There’s a lot of land [up] for grabs, especially post-pandemic when unfortunately a lot of restaurants went out of business,” Viviani says. “For Chuck Lager, it’s very easy to convert a second-generation space because there is minimal kitchen requirement to develop menus and we have engineered the way of doing it that doesn’t require a lot of construction.”

And though Chuck Lager and JARS are just getting started with their expansion plans, Viviani sees their long-term viability as a given. In addition to their franchising allure, the pair were also built with future consumers in mind.

“I appeal to the next 30 years of diners. And that’s exactly what Chuck Lager does, and that’s exactly what JARS does. [They] are catering to the next 30 years worth of educated food crowd,” he says. “If you think about it, the American chain restaurant hasn’t really changed much in the last 15 years. The big players are the same, usual suspects, and they’re getting obsolete.”

Indeed, many of these legacy chains are aging right alongside their most frequent customers and failing to bring in the next generation. 

Viviani says millennials and even younger diners are more knowledgeable about food than his parents will ever be. 

“If I take my mom and dad to Macaroni Grill, they’re going to be thrilled. The alfredo sauce, infinite bread, plain salad, and good, but overcooked, pasta—my dad is all about it,” he says. “But if I take my cousins to it, they’re going to be like, ‘Fabio, what are we doing here? Why don’t we go to the local, new, up-and-coming, Instagrammable, chef-driven shop?’”

Viviani’s solution? Create concepts, like Chuck Lager and JARS, that will attract the young, digitally dialed-in foodies but also appeal to older generations through a fresh take on classic dishes.

Creating the ropes

When Viviani talks about Chuck Lager and JARS, it’s easy to forget that, as of the end of 2022, the former only had four units and the latter zero. He speaks with such enthusiasm and authority that a listener can’t help but visualize the reality he’s painting. 

“Take a note, and then you can check your note in five years: JARS will be the biggest dessert [quick serve] in the United States within the next five to seven years. Mark my words on it,” he says.

While such a statement could be dismissed as little more than a sales pitch from an especially charismatic businessman, Viviani’s track record speaks for itself. 

He’s not one to brag, but he also won’t downplay his or his team’s many successes. 

Over the past 15 years, he’s built an expansive portfolio—one he expects to double in girth over the next few years. His restaurants also weathered the pandemic without a single one permanently shuttering.

He hopes this resume will serve as yet another incentive for prospective operators. 

The restaurant industry is never without risks, but as Viviani said earlier, it’s all a matter of betting on the right horse. And while his opinion may be biased, Chuck Lager and JARS are the two he’d bet on.

“With all due respect to a lot of franchise groups out there, I’m not a career changer. I’m not a former lawyer who got into baking and now has a dessert company,” he adds. 

“We are a hospitality development company. So every possible downfall of the industry, we are ahead of the game. We don’t have to learn the systems; we don’t have to learn the ropes—we’re creating the ropes.”