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South Korea native Ho Chan Jang met Prakash Karamchandani when they were students at the University of Toledo, and the rest, as they say, is history. Chan Jang and Karamchandani co-founded <a href="https://balancegrille.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=balance-grille-partners-with-apex-franchise-development-to-prepare-for-growth-2708001" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Balance Grille, a truly one-of-a-kind fast casual Asian-Fusion restaurant</a>, in Toledo in 2010 to redefine Asian dining and to offer Toledo residents something different. Since then, the brand has grown to four locations in the Toledo area, with plans to open the fifth in Cleveland in August 2018.

Balance Grille&rsquo;s Asian-Fusion menu features tacos, build-your-own bowls, salads, snacks like curry cauliflower, bangbang nachos, creamy wontons and a variety of flavors of bubble tea including lavender coco, cinnamon toast, green melon milk and more.

Ranked fifth on Fast Casual&rsquo;s 2018 list of emerging brands, Balance Grille&rsquo;s locations average $2 million in annual sales. Based on the success of the brand and its many industry accolades, Chan Jang and Karamchandani partnered with <a href="https://apexfdg.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=balance-grille-partners-with-apex-franchise-development-to-prepare-for-growth-2708001" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apex Franchise Development Group, a full-service franchise and business development consultancy,</a> to create the framework and get the brand ready to franchise.

&ldquo;We are a technology and fresh-food focused brand that is different from anything else in the space, and over the past eight years we have experienced great success,&rdquo; said Karamchandani. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve gotten a lot of attention from the beginning. The brand is polished, fits into the fast casual trend that is hot at the moment, and has grown quickly. We are confident that Balance Grill can be a successful brand on a national scale.&rdquo;

Since partnering with Balance Grille, Apex has helped the brand network with other franchisors and franchisees to learn the ins and outs of the franchise industry. Apex has also helped guide Balance Grille on who they need to hire to build out their corporate leadership team to provide the level of support new franchisees will need.

&ldquo;As we were beginning our journey into franchising, we were looking for insight from people within the industry and to learn the best practices -- not just the successes, but the failures, too,&rdquo; said Karamchandani. &ldquo;Most consultants push and sell their services, but Apex was different. They were able to take a broad, 360 view of Balance Grill to provide insight on the overall brand, not just the sales component. Franchising a brand is a big undertaking, and Apex has helped us to break down this task into smaller pieces that are easier to digest.&rdquo;

According to Apex principal Ryan Rao, he and his team have helped Balance Grille to identify the growth structure for the business and ultimately landed on franchising. In addition to creating processes and helping implement the technology and supply chain needed to support a franchise system, Apex also helped Balance Grille to create a strategic growth plan that identifies what markets make sense to grow into over a period of time.

&ldquo;Balance Grille is truly a concept that is one of a kind, there is simply nothing else like it in the fast casual space,&rdquo; said Rao. &ldquo;The brand is very tech-integrated, which makes the business replicable from an operations standpoint, and the unit-level economics will be very attractive to franchise owners as well.&rdquo;

After launching its franchise offering in 2019, Balance Grille plans to start its growth in major cities that are a four to six hour drive from Ohio. To find the right franchise partners to grow the brand, Balance Grille is looking for business-savvy individuals who are very ingrained in their local communities.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking for much more than someone who can just write a check. We&rsquo;re looking for a true cultural fit for the brand -- someone who aligns with the core values and is driven by our mission, which is to create happiness through food,&rdquo; said Rao. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re willing to be patient to find the right partner, one market at a time.&rdquo;

Balance Grille Partners with Apex Franchise Development to Prepare for Growth

1851 Franchise

Acclaimed Asian-fusion, fast casual concept plots slow, steady growth with the right partners.

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