This week on Fast Casual Insider we’re diving into the real estate side of the restaurant industry. Helen Jane Hearn sits in for host Jerry White to speak with Nick Vojnovic, president of Little Greek Fresh Grill. Nick has been in the business of expanding restaurant franchises for more than 20 years. He talks about trends with landlords, how to figure out what rent will fit your budget, and common mistakes that new franchises make when trying to expand. Tune in to learn how to secure real estate deals that are future focused so that your restaurant can grow with the neighborhood.

• [01:39] - Nick Vojnovic's restaurant background
• [03:18] - Mistakes made trying to expand
• [06:16] - The founding vision also needs to apply to real estate choices
• [07:29] - Changing trends with landlords
• [10:33] - Are you looking at any less traditional sites?
• [13:32] - Today's new challenges in recruiting and training
• [17:41] - The Founder's Trap
• [19:40] - Diversify the personalities and strengths on your team
• [21:35] - Know your strengths; embrace your weaknesses
• [25:10] - How has earning your MBA affected your approach?
• [30:30] - What are you hoping to get out of the National Restaurant Association Show?

Nick Vojnovic is the president of Little Greek Fresh Grill, a franchise with 40 locations spanning six states. Prior to Little Greek, Nick helped grow franchises such as Famous Dave’s and Beef O’Bradys. Nick is passionate about development and helping brands grow.

Helen Jane Hearn, filling in for Fast Casual Insider host Jerry White, is the senior content director for the National Restaurant Association. Helen helped create the podcast and produces all of the association’s content for social media and web.

This episode was sponsored by Sage Intacct, a leading provider of restaurant accounting and financial solutions. Sage Intacct helps their restaurant customers reduce time, cost and resources on tedious financial processes so they can focus on servicing customers and growing their businesses. Learn more about how Sage Intacct restaurant customers make smarter decisions with critical visibility into business performance by visiting www.sageintacct.com/hospitality.

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This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.