HT Talks Tech with Original ChopShop CEO Jason Morgan
Since its launch in 2013, Original ChopShop has expanded from three to 27 locations in Arizona, Texas and Georgia.
CEO Jason Morgan joined the company in 2016 after helping to take Zoes Kitchen from 20 to 150 locations and eventually to IPO. Morgan and a partner raised capital to acquire Original ChopShop from its husband-and-wife founders.
“We bought it at three locations, and we've grown it to 27 in the last 8.5 years,” Morgan said. “The great thing: the bones of the business were there—the branding, the food, the niche. That gave us a strong foundation.”
Creating Systems
In the early years post-acquisition, Morgan brought in several colleagues from Zoes Kitchen to help build the brand’s infrastructure. Their first mission? Professionalize operations and create scalable systems.
“We built a tech stack. We brought in new systems for just about everything—processes, procedures, training,” Morgan explained. “It’s what private equity would typically do if they bought a small business, but we did it ourselves.”
Those “building blocks” are essential to scale efficiently. “You need a unique brand, but also the infrastructure to support it,” Morgan added.
Menu Matters
Original ChopShop is known for a broad “better-for-you” menu—protein bowls, salads, sandwiches, juices, açaí bowls, and more. But in Q1 of this year, the brand streamlined its offerings from 70 to 50 items.
“It made it easier for guests to understand the brand, and for our teams to execute consistently,” said Morgan.
Guest-Facing Tech
2024 was a “pivotal” year for the brand, Morgan said. The brand added visual menu boards and piloted Bite kiosks, strategically placed next to the register. “If folks come in and don’t want to use the kiosk, or if they have questions while using the kiosks, we have a live human they can talk to.”
The kiosk showcases the breadth of the Original ChopShop menu. Each item is pictured, and recommendations and popular modifications are suggested.
Kiosk orders account for roughly 40 to 45% of in-store sales, with average checks 8 to 9% higher than orders at the register. Following the success of the pilot, two kiosks were added to each location.
Standing Ovation
2024 also marked the first full year of using Ovation, a guest feedback tool. “In 8 years of running this brand, we had 18,000 Google reviews. In the first three months of using Ovation, we had 20,000 reviews come through Ovation. “We responded to 100% of them. Last year, OCS had 64,000 reviews, averaging 4.6 out of 5.
“I think we’re providing something different, and people recognize it. They’re happy with it.”
Speaking of difference: Even though it is a fast-casual concept, Original ChopShop is not “scoop and serve” as the guest walks the line. Guests order at the counter, and team members bring orders to the table. “Our brand’s attributes, including the service model, allows us to be one of very few restaurant companies in our space that has the ability to create an emotional connection to the guest,” Morgan said.
“I think people still want that connectivity, and that is a big part of what we do.”
Convenience as a Core Brand Pillar
Original ChopShop customers are among those seeking convenience.
“People want to get in and get out,” he said. “Original ChopShop is a very quick, convenient brand. About 70–75% of our food is eaten off-premises.”
That convenience focus has fueled the company’s push toward smarter tech integrations, particularly around loyalty and ordering. Morgan and his team pushed their tech partners, Paytronix and Bite, for deeper, more seamless integrations—especially at the kiosk.
“We wanted loyalty at the front of the transaction, not the end,” he said. “It took a little while, but everyone was cooperative, and we ended up with a better product than what we started with.”
Original ChopShop launched its loyalty program in 2020 and now sees strong adoption rates: around 50% of all in-store transactions include a loyalty element. Roughly 75% of total business is done through direct channels, with just 25% coming through third-party platforms.
Loyalty also plays a key role in the brand’s catering business, which represents about 7–8% of overall sales. Through a partnership with Paytronix, OCS offers a catering rewards program—guests who spend $1,000 per quarter earn 10% back via a Visa gift card. Online catering orders, powered by Olo, can be placed through the website or app.
“It’s been very successful in terms of attracting catering guests,” Morgan said.
Tech-Enabled Training
With staff retention a chronic industry challenge, Original ChopShop realizes the essential role effective staff training plays in onboarding and retaining employees. The team partnered with Opus to deliver video-based digital training, helping onboard employees efficiently while reinforcing consistency.
In hindsight, Morgan and his team could see that the training at Zoes Kitchen could have been improved. “We've made a point here (at Original ChopShop) to put training at the forefront,” he said.
The results speak for themselves: GMs have a tenure of 4+ years. AGMs have a tenure of 2.5 years. And the top hourly people, about a third of the workforce at each store, average 2.5 years.
“We found a way to keep people engaged, keep people here, and it's been pretty fantastic,” Morgan said.