Young Ones to Watch: Austin Evans of Lean Kitchen Company

In 2016, Austin Evans, now 26, and partner J.R. Robinson launched Lean Kitchen Company, a meal prep enterprise that offers chef-driven meals made from scratch and devoid of added sugars and preservatives. 

The brand, which is based out of St. Joseph, Missouri, began franchising in January of 2018. As of this writing, Lean Kitchen Company has more than 10 locations across four states and several more in development. 

In an interview with 1851 Franchise, Evans dished on scaling his business, having a positive impact and leaving one’s ego at the door. 

1851: What initially drew you to franchising?  

Evans: I saw it as a way to achieve two things that I really had a desire for. 

One, I wanted to scale my business. I want to impact lives by changing people's health through simplifying healthy eating habits. Franchising offers the ability to reach more people quicker. 

Second, franchising gives us the ability to help other people get started with owning their own business and operations. I have wanted to own my own business for as long as I can remember growing up. I remember the emotions of wanting to do that and not knowing what or how to get started. With franchising, we help people navigate this. 

1851: Where do you see the most opportunity in franchising and why are you excited about the future of the industry? 

Evans: Similarly to the last question, I see the most opportunity in the ability to positively impact more lives much quicker than if we were to open individual company-owned stores. I see opportunity in our model specifically by offering large territories to franchisees, where a kitchen can manage and deliver to the entire territory, often multiple communities, which provides franchisees with opportunity outside of just their store walls. 

1851: What advice do you have for other young up-and-comers in the space? 

Evans: Remain a lifetime student. Seek help and create opportunities to network and learn. I said "create" because they don't just come knocking. You do not know everything. We are very young and there are so many more experienced, knowledgeable people in this industry. The more you can learn from those people and soak up every nugget of information they will give you and apply it to your business, the better off you will be. The second you stop learning, stop seeking to know more, you're in trouble.

1851: What advice would you give your younger self?

Evans: Playing off the last question here, too: Seek help sooner. Create opportunities. Network. I am very big on the fact that I do not know everything or even close to everything. Leave the ego at the door. We are young. Book a flight to meet the CEO of a franchise company. Email the CEO or business owner after you listened to their podcast. Go to networking events with real entrepreneurs. Listen to podcasts. Read way more books. 

1851: Who is someone you look to for inspiration?

Evans: There are many entrepreneurs who I follow online, listen to their podcasts and read their books. I talk with local business owners in my hometown. I really enjoy just finding people that can relate to the journey of entrepreneurship and can often find inspiration from them because they can relate to similar situations or struggles of whatever I am going through. 

Owning a business can often make you feel like you're on an island. It gets very lonely at times. And so many people in today's world talk about wanting to own their own business but don't understand all that goes into it. It's not always the baller life all the Instagram entrepreneurs portray it to be—in fact, 99% of it isn't. So to find like-minded individuals I can relate to inspires me and tells me that I am not alone and to push through the challenges.