PROTEIN HOUSE: PARTNERING WITH BOELTER FOR GROWTH OF THE FRANCHISE
Locations:
Hudson, WI
Tampa, FL
Bismarck, ND
Scope:
Kitchen Design, Equipment & Installation, and Foodservice Supplies
For more than 10 years, Protein House has focused on serving healthy, protein-packed food, shakes and juices made with fresh ingredients. Former professional bodybuilder Larissa Reis teamed up with Andrew Bick, also a bodybuilder, to create a place where people could have plenty of options for healthy eating. Burgers, wraps, acai bowls, shakes and desserts are all made on-site and are packed with protein and nutrients. “Our menu is full of great tasting foods, designed for people who are conscious about what they put in their bodies,” Reis says. “Nothing is processed, there is no salt, and we are very specific about the types of oils we use.”
As the healthy fast-casual trend grew, so did Protein House. The chain currently has two corporate and 11 franchise locations in the United States and is poised for future growth. Recently Protein House teamed up with Boelter to streamline the franchise process and improve operations across the board. Boelter’s team takes care of everything from design and equipment for new kitchens to supply sourcing for new and existing operations. “Boelter’s knowledge of the foodservice industry has been invaluable to our team,” Reis says. “I really appreciate the ability to get everything we need all in one place.”
Equipping New Restaurants
Boelter came on board to design and source the three most recent locations of Protein House franchises in Hudson, Wis., Tampa, Fla., and Bismarck, N.D. Each location has a different square footage and orientation, but they all needed to be equipped to provide the fresh, healthy food that’s the hallmark of Protein House. Jim Palm, designer and project manager for Boelter, brought his years of experience in foodservice design to create efficient, functional kitchens in each location.
“My favorite part of the job is taking a blank, open space and designing the best configuration for the operation,” Palm says. “The architect gives us a blank slate, tells us where the kitchen will be, how much seating is needed, and we work up some design ideas to bring back to Protein House.”
An open kitchen is the central aspect of each Protein House operation, designed to showcase the fresh aspect of the brand. Customers come in and choose the ingredients for their meal from glass-door refrigerators. Then they watch everything being cooked to order in front of them on a charbroiler or flat-top griddle. In Hudson and Bismarck, Palm worked to get the equipment set up so it could show off the food to customers while providing an efficient cook-line for the staff.
The Tampa location was a little different. The franchise owner rented space in an office building that could not accommodate an exhaust hood and ductwork. By sourcing ventless griddles and induction burners, Palm was able to design a kitchen that could produce the same Protein House menu while meeting the environmental needs of the location.
The Supply Side
While Palm pulled together the design and got the kitchens up and running with equipment, Stacey Getchius, national chain account manager, worked with Reis and her team to source the supplies that would get the franchises up and running. “We created a custom catalog for Protein House that included everything an operator needs to open up, from frying pans and storage containers to the smaller items such as spatulas and utensils,” Getchius says. The Boelter team’s knowledge of the industry and products available helped create a catalog of items that fit Protein House’s brand, such as cooking utensils made from BPA-free plastics.
The convenience continues even after the initial opening. Whenever new items are needed, the franchise owner simply logs into Boelter’s portal to access Protein House’s catalog any time of day. This not only helps operations run efficiently but also ensures the Protein House brand remains consistent from one market to another.
Advantages for the Franchise
The Protein House story isn’t just about getting one restaurant up and running. It’s about building a relationship, understanding the brand, and helping each franchise operator create a new location to serve customers healthy, fresh food in a way that brings Reis and Bick’s original vision to life.
- Knowing the menu and the brand helps Boelter’s team design and source kitchens for each franchise quickly, without having to start from square one each time.
- As experts in the foodservice design segment, Boelter creates efficient, functional designs specifically for each location, navigating around different footprints, local regulations and other challenges.
- The Boelter team stays with the project through installation and opening, to ensure the equipment works the way it should from day one.
- Boelter’s supply team expertly engineers a customized catalog to source everything each Protein House location needs to stay up and running with no down time.
“Working with Boelter is perfect for Protein House,” Reis says. “I appreciate their knowledge of the foodservice industry, and the ability for us to get everything we need in one turnkey solution. Having Boelter on board helps make it easier to keep our brand intact as the company grows and adds on new franchisees.”
Jim Palm
Director of Sales
