Uncommon Brands, formed in 2024 by Crux Capital, is a strategic restaurant management and development company. Our goal is to accelerate the growth of our brands by reinvesting in the business. This strategic approach, leveraging our industry experience and access to capital, allows us to implement best-in-class technology solutions, tailor marketing efforts, and make substantial investments in new unit development.At Uncommon Brands, we believe that our success is not just about partnering with potential 'next big thing' brands, but also about our people. We are dedicated to creating a culture that revolves around our employees, as we understand that they are the key to unlocking the full potential of our brands. We are committed to hiring individuals we can empower and trust, and we will provide them with the autonomy and tools they need to succeed every day.Our initial investment was Fuego Tortilla Grill, a fast-casual taco shop with four locations throughout Central Texas. Uncommon’s portfolio will include similar concepts - emerging restaurant brands with solid fundamentals and potential but lacking the infrastructure needed to take them to the next level.

Selected to represent Original ChopShop on Fourth's CAB alongside leaders from top Technology, People, and Operations teams in Fast Casual, Quick Service, and Table Service restaurants.Leveraged my industry expertise to collaborate with peers and share insights on Fourth's products and services. Provided strategic feedback and direction to ensure Fourth met the evolving needs of our brands and the broader restaurant industry. The CAB played a key role in shaping Fourth's future direction as a software provider.

Original ChopShop is the inaugural investment by HHCP. Founded in 2013 and acquired in 2016 at three stores, ChopShop is a 23-unit healthy fast-casual restaurant concept with ten locations in Arizona, nine in the Dallas, TX area, two in Houston, TX, and two in Atlanta, GA. ChopShop features fresh, organic, and local dining options served in a bright, inviting environment across all three day-parts + snack. The menu is elevated contemporary fare with an emphasis on healthy offerings, which include salads, sandwiches, protein bowls, parfaits, fruit bowls, and breakfast options. ChopShop offers various drinks, including juices, protein shakes, fresh lemonades, and teas.

Bellagreen was HHCP's second investment, which we successfully exited in July 2022. The Bellagreen brand & stores were acquired by Richardson, TX based Ampex Brands. Founded in 2008 and purchased by HHCP in 2016 at five stores, Bellagreen is an eight-store premium fast-casual restaurant concept with five locations in Houston and two in Dallas. Bellagreen executes primarily in the lunch and dinner dayparts, along with serving weekend brunch. The menu provides an elevated take on modern American fare with a wide array of sandwiches, salad, pizza, and entrée offerings, all priced in the $10-$15 range. Bellagreen offers extensive gluten-free alternatives with a conscientious eye toward its guests' dietary sensitivities and allergy needs. Its restaurants also offer a unique beer/wine menu featuring organic and biodynamic wines. Bellagreen maintains an eco-friendly focus and a commitment to sustainability and the environment.

Responsible for leading the Store Systems team that supported over 900 corporate-owned and franchise locations in 4 countries. My team included implementation specialists, POS database administrators, and store support technicians. The team supported the technology and innovation inside of the corporate and franchisee locations. As a group, we supported over a hundred stores a year of unit growth during my time with the company.Worked on exciting initiatives to bring next-generation cloud-based Point of Sale technology to the stores, an innovative new mobile loyalty platform for the guests, new exciting ways for the guests to order, and standardizing the legacy store applications to ease future management. The team did all of this in-between opening new units coast to coast and working with existing franchisees on technology updates as part of the brand's striking remodels.

During my almost five years with Cafe Rio, I helped grow the regional fast-casual chain from 20 company-owned stores in the Mountain West to 80 stores from California to the East Coast. There was a heavy focus on creating systems and processes that would allow the chain to grow quickly while maintaining its focus on customer service and providing fresh, scratch-made food.I was directly responsible for the management and direction of the growing restaurant technology needs of Cafe Rio restaurants. I created and managed the team of Restaurant Technologists behind the chain's growth. Our oversight included: database management, support of existing restaurants, project management of new and ongoing initiatives, and deployment of solutions at new and existing restaurants.Managerial responsibility included directing the restaurant database administration team members, including the POS DB Administrator and Help Desk Analysts. Day-to-day management of this team included managing their performance concerning corporate directives and ongoing support for all the company's restaurants. Responsible for the people development of current team members and new hires in these functions. Reported directly to CFO/President.Previous Organization Roles:Senior POS System Administrator

- Launched Radiant's first cloud-based SaaS point of sale management solution with the first 100+ site customer implementation.- Streamlined ordering to reduce costs by 16% for an NFL stadium operator by implementing the brand’s first electronic food costing and ordering system.- Met client-specified deadlines 100% of the time for software and hardware implementation with over 600 separate installations across 15 clients.- Managed the cross-functional project tasks across multiple product teams needed to deliver projects using NCR’s many software solutions.Consultant for DFW-based Hospitality division (formerly Radiant Systems). Focus on developing and deploying POS & Back Office solutions for hospitality companies. Worked directly with many of the nation's leading restaurant companies to build exciting, efficient scale-able solutions for today's growing restaurant chains.Previous Organization Roles:Associate Consultant