In a world where fast casual restaurants are taking consumers and retail space by storm, Josh Priola sees the food industry a little differently.
As the founder and owner of Street Breads tells Business Report in its new Entrepreneur feature, he thinks many eateries take consumers for granted. He set out about a decade ago to spice things up.
“In the sandwich world, it seemed to be so superficial,” Priola says.
His goal was to make things more edgy, more thoughtful and more creative—something consumers could not go home and affordably create themselves. To make sandwiches that were out of the ordinary, Priola had to think outside the box. Together with his wife, Melissa, the young Lake Charles couple set out for New York to consult chefs at the Culinary Institute of America, enlisting their talent to develop an imaginative menu for their business model.
After five years in business at his Lake Charles location and three years in business in Baton Rouge, what Priola hopes sets Street Breads apart from the competition is its heart. His secret to managing his business is creating a genuine connection with his crew.
“You don’t try to preach to them about how making a sandwich is special, and how they are special,” Priola says. “What you want to do is talk to them about how they can get beyond the sandwich line.”
Priola pays his employees above minimum wage and also fully discloses all financial and salary information to his team.
“People say that is dangerous … but that is being honest,” Priola says. “If we are that transparent, it creates loyalty and concern for the business and allows us to move in ways that other people maybe would not maneuver.”
With a plan to grow to six locations in the next 18 months, Priola is well on his way toward achieving his goal of creating a replicable business concept.
“I felt like if I created something replicable, then we could change the trends in terms of what is healthful and sustainable,” he says. “Subway, Quiznos, Jimmy John’s—these people are kind of left to their own vices. They are left with what is in motion right now. They have to act according to that trend.”
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