CHOP5 sets sights on Indiana for franchise development

CHOP5, a fast-casual salad chain that specializes in customizable bowls, is setting its sights on Indiana for its next wave of franchise expansion.& & Co-founder Brian Mills said the potential for the Ohio-based chain to expand to Indy is significant, and that their research shows Midwesterners are looking for healthy alternatives to traditional fast-casual food.& Founded in 2016, CHOP5 has two restaurants in Ohio. The name comes from the unique style of the salads they serve — chopped directly in front of the customer. & Mills was always interested in the fast-casual industry. As a child, he was fascinated by McDonald’s and their signs that read “1 billion hamburgers sold.” Years later, Mills became involved with the Domino’s franchise and set a course towards CHOP5.& “(Domino’s) was kind of my first entry into being a franchisee and looking at a model and trying to take some of the risk out of truly being an entrepreneur and starting something with just an idea,” Mills said.& From there, Mills dominated the franchisee pizza industry in the Colorado and Minnesota market, learning along the way what makes a good fast-casual restaurant great.& Mills and his partner would attend events and talk and always...