Greg Vojnovic, head of franchising for The Melt, was recently featured on the "Fast Food Fast Track" podcast to discuss his decades-long career, lessons learned from building and turning around major brands and his vision for The Melt's next chapter of franchise growth. Having worked as an operator, chef, restaurant owner, franchise executive and development leader, Vojnovic offered a candid look at what it takes to build a successful restaurant business and why great food alone isn't enough.
Reflecting on his time with Popeyes, Arby's and Inspire Brands, Vojnovic emphasized the importance of strong brand positioning, disciplined real estate decisions and franchisee support. At Popeyes, he helped lead the brand's transformation into Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, reconnecting the concept with its culinary roots and accelerating restaurant development. He also shared hard-earned lessons from his own restaurant ownership experience, including the consequences of taking on too much debt despite having a popular concept.
"The landscape of the American restaurant industry is littered with the corpses of restaurant concepts that had great food," he said. “Great food is not enough. You can't make a C site an A site. You can make a C operation an A operation.”
Now, as head of franchising at The Melt, Vojnovic is applying those lessons to a growing, polished fast casual concept that has increased average unit volumes from approximately $700,000 to $3.5 million under CEO Ralph Bower's leadership.
He explained how The Melt combines chef-inspired comfort food with an operating model built with discipline and intention, allowing employees to execute consistently. That operational approach supports the brand's defining philosophy: "I love it here." Rather than focusing exclusively on traditional financial KPIs, The Melt prioritizes employee experience, guest satisfaction and repeat visits.
"The guest experience is never going to exceed that of your crew member," Vojnovic said. “All we work on is how can we make it more fun for the crew and more enjoyable for the guest. The truest test of a restaurant is: Are your customers coming back?”
Looking ahead, Vojnovic discussed The Melt's plans to expand beyond California and Arizona through franchising while preserving the culture that has fueled its success. With a goal of reaching 80 corporate restaurants by 2030, the company is seeking experienced multi-unit franchisees who share its commitment to operational excellence and hospitality.
Watch the full podcast interview here.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/the-melt.
The Melt
On the “Fast Food Fast Track” podcast, The Melt's head of franchising discussed how employee experience, operational discipline and an “I love it here” culture support growth.
Greg Vojnovic, head of franchising for The Melt, was recently featured on the "Fast Food Fast Track" podcast to discuss his decades-long career, lessons learned from building and turning around major brands and his vision for The Melt's next chapter of franchise growth. Having worked as an operator, chef, restaurant owner, franchise executive and development leader, Vojnovic offered a candid look at what it takes to build a successful restaurant business and why great food alone isn't enough.
Reflecting on his time with Popeyes, Arby's and Inspire Brands, Vojnovic emphasized the importance of strong brand positioning, disciplined real estate decisions and franchisee support. At Popeyes, he helped lead the brand's transformation into Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, reconnecting the concept with its culinary roots and accelerating restaurant development. He also shared hard-earned lessons from his own restaurant ownership experience, including the consequences of taking on too much debt despite having a popular concept.
"The landscape of the American restaurant industry is littered with the corpses of restaurant concepts that had great food," he said. “Great food is not enough. You can't make a C site an A site. You can make a C operation an A operation.”
Now, as head of franchising at The Melt, Vojnovic is applying those lessons to a growing, polished fast casual concept that has increased average unit volumes from approximately $700,000 to $3.5 million under CEO Ralph Bower's leadership.
He explained how The Melt combines chef-inspired comfort food with an operating model built with discipline and intention, allowing employees to execute consistently. That operational approach supports the brand's defining philosophy: "I love it here." Rather than focusing exclusively on traditional financial KPIs, The Melt prioritizes employee experience, guest satisfaction and repeat visits.
"The guest experience is never going to exceed that of your crew member," Vojnovic said. “All we work on is how can we make it more fun for the crew and more enjoyable for the guest. The truest test of a restaurant is: Are your customers coming back?”
Looking ahead, Vojnovic discussed The Melt's plans to expand beyond California and Arizona through franchising while preserving the culture that has fueled its success. With a goal of reaching 80 corporate restaurants by 2030, the company is seeking experienced multi-unit franchisees who share its commitment to operational excellence and hospitality.
Watch the full podcast interview here.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/the-melt.
Sign up for the 1851 Franchise newsletter to get our biggest stories before everyone else
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy.
No related articles found
