Welcome to The Cutting Onions Podcast. On today’s episode Myles and I welcome Paul Tran back to the podcast for another great conversation around franchising in the restaurant industry. Paul is a great friend to the podcast and we are excited to host him once again.

Paul is a serial entrepreneur and has quite a list of accomplishments he has achieved over the years including:

1. Co-founded his first restaurant in 2005, and was acquired in 2008.
2. Became the largest franchisee of The Halal Guys (with 9 stores in Southern California and $15 million in annual revenue), and was acquired in 2023.
3. Sold over 1,000 franchises
4. Jumpstarted the franchise program for a brand that ended up going public
5. Scaled restaurants in over 15 countries
6. Helped a one-unit mom-and-pop business get acquired by a public company; and
7. Enabled companies become more profitable and enjoyable

‍

Today, he:

1. Consults emerging restaurant chains on growth;
2. Invests in construction, data, business services, and other food startups.
3. Hosts a YouTube and podcast channel called the Unfocused Show
4. Posts memes (and sometimes helpful insights) on LinkedIn and 𝕏 (formerly Twitter)

Paul is currently helping Pepper Lunch grow across the country, and is a multiunit franchisee himself - and building stores in Southern California. 

Pepper Lunch is the original DIY Teppanyaki restaurant and aspires to turn ordinary meals into extraordinary experiences by empowering their guests to experience  the joy of crafting their unique culinary journeys. 

Through a blend of tradition and innovation, Pepper Lunch aims to offer a dining escapade that's as delightful to the senses as it is to the soul, while fostering a community united by the love of flavors.

Enjoy this conversation with Paul Tran! #cuttingonions #pepperlunch #culture #mylesgift #paultran #leadership #franchising #bobbyshaw