Business Opportunity
People approach us all the time about wanting to work with us—so we thought it was a good idea to put together a list of some of the more commonly asked questions. Once you check these out, if you still think you are the right partner for us, send us a note.
Is this a franchise?
Nope. I started Protein Bar when I liquidated my entire life savings, left my high-paying day job, and was loaned some money by Uncle Sam (read: Small Business Administration). And endless support from my mom, sister, 8-yr old niece and a group of great friends didn’t hurt either.
I think our focus should be on giving our customers the healthiest food we can, not selling franchise locations.
In order to grow organically (pun intended) versus through franchising, I had to find smart people (read: Mike and a group of great investors) to join our team, not just to collect franchise fees from and call it a day.
We currently have no plans to franchise; however, we do have aggressive plans to grow in Chicago and elsewhere in the country. If you’d like to be kept abreast of our growth, head to our CONTACT US page and let us know you’d like to find out how and when we’re growing.
I think Protein Bar would be perfect for (blank) location. Who makes those decisions?
We’re aggressively looking to grow and welcome any real estate ideas. We are approached often by landlords and real estate developers and we will work with them if the location and deal is mutually beneficial. We want landlords/developers to be on our side; our partners in growth.
Part of what makes Protein Bar great is that we don’t need black iron (this is real estate jargon) and can scale up or down in size depending on how many seats are available or the menu platform we wish to offer.
If you think you have a space that you’d want PROTEIN BAR to be in, email us through our CONTACT US page with the opportunity.
I have a product I'd like for Protein Bar to sell. Who can I talk to?
We receive dozens of requests to sell products in our store or as part of our recipes. And, honestly, we love getting them! Though we cannot promise we will stock your product or buy your ingredient, we take a hard look at everything that comes across our plate as this is the only way we innovate and continue to learn about new healthy eating trends.
Email us through our CONTACT US page with your product, current distribution network, and contact info and we will get back to you with more questions.
Who does your marketing/advertising?
We firmly believe that the best marketing is a great experience. This is why we feel our best spend of resources is on improving the in-store experience, perfecting our menu, and making sure our Team Members are happy.
Occasionally, we will partner with mediums that fit Protein Bar’s goals and are part of our marketing strategy, such as select publications, events, or organizations. If you feel you have an opportunity that fits with Protein Bar’s goals, email us through the CONTACT US page with the opportunity.
We must say, though, Protein Bar will not participate in a “daily deal” or Groupon-like promotion. We prefer to reward our most loyal customers through a frequent diner card instead of creating several one-time customers with a half-off deal.
We'd like to host an event/meeting at Protein Bar. Can we?
Absolutely. We’ve had some of Chicago’s most innovative companies hold brainstorming sessions at Protein Bar as a way to get out of the office, work in a healthy environment, and foster good ideas in a positive atmosphere. Just let us know when and we will hold tables just for you, and, if requested, create a menu or discussion topic just for you.
