Freshii Approach to Food and Business PDF

## A Freshii Approach to Food and Business **Freshii** is a restaurant franchise that focuses on fast and healthy food options. With more than 395 locations in 18 countries, the company has a variety of customizable food offerings from burritos and salads to frozen yogurt and smoothies. **Freshii**...

## A Freshii Approach to Food and Business **Freshii** is a restaurant franchise that focuses on fast and healthy food options. With more than 395 locations in 18 countries, the company has a variety of customizable food offerings from burritos and salads to frozen yogurt and smoothies. **Freshii** takes pride in its flat organizational structure which it believes lets the company cut excess layers of management and allow for easier communication. Its flat organizational structure also empowers employees to have more ownership in their segment of the business. Matthew Corrin, CEO of **Freshii**, founded the company in 2005 when he identified a need for fast and healthy food options. He created **Freshii** to offer healthy food that is convenient and affordable across the world. Surprisingly, the restaurants have no stoves, ovens, fryers, ventilation, or freezers. Since **Freshii** started, it has become the fastest growing franchise in the world and is leading the industry with 20 consecutive quarters of same store sales growth. The company took the top spot in Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers list in recognition of the **Freshii**'s efforts to make fundamental changes for the industry. **Freshii** aims to have a corporate culture that allows free communication and ideas but isn't bogged down by extra layers of management, and its organizational structure is a big part of this. The company's flat structure allows employees to make critical decisions in a timely manner and empowers employees to be responsible for their own tasks. **Freshii** considers all employees "Partners" and awards each employee with stock in the company so that employees have a real vested interest. "We really feel that we empower our employees by giving them full ownership of their role for their area. They own their business from project ideation, research, and then all the way through execution and launching it, and then measuring the results out in the field," says Chief People Officer Ashley Dalziel. "And because of this structure, they get to see a project through from ideation, brainstorming, research, all the way through to execution." Even though employees are given the power to design and execute their own projects, **Freshii** keeps a strong emphasis on communication. The company has seven key departments that are led by executives who have complete ownership of their area. **Freshii**'s executive team, including its CEO, works in the same room around one large open table. This layout allows the executive team to communicate openly with each other in a space where the entire executive team can stay informed and be involved in the discussion. Employees at **Freshii** are given a lot of responsibility to own their segments of the business. Because this can be overwhelming, the company rewards employees and builds chemistry through team activities. **Freshii** puts on monthly fitness challenges for employees where employees are encouraged to run, take spin classes, and exercise with each other. Some of **Freshii**'s core values are to live an energized life and to drive to be better, which the company embraces through these activities. Each **Freshii** store leader is encouraged to talk to employees and find out what they are passionate about. Then, the store leader can assign team members to roles where they are most passionate and most likely to succeed. This personal attention from management allows employees to find roles they are best suited for and gives them an opportunity to be in a role they care about. Franchising has helped **Freshii** expand internationally and spread its brand. However, **Freshii** is careful about choosing franchise partners that share its mission. **Freshii**'s mission statement is "To help citizens of the world live better by making healthy food convenient & affordable." It is important that franchise partners embrace this mission in order for the company to maintain its unified culture. Still, **Freshii** empowers franchise owners to try new things and create new offerings to create innovation. **Freshii**'s flat organizational structure fits well with its culture of open communication and personal responsibility. Because of its culture, the company finds employees who are competitive and passionate about providing healthy, convenient, and affordable food. **Freshii** strives to continue its rapid expansion while maintaining what made it unique from the start. ## Critical Thinking Questions 1. How does **Freshii**'s organizational structure shape its culture? 2. In what ways are employees at **Freshii** empowered to contribute to the company? 3. What effect does **Freshii**'s franchise model have on its company culture? You can find the related video in the Video Library in Connect. Ask your instructor how you can access Connect.