Editor’s note: This is the next in an occasional series highlighting recently hired C-suite executives, who have been on the job at least 90 days.
Brooklyn Dumpling Shop started in New York City in 2021 and has since slowly expanded to nearly a dozen units in the city, as well as in other markets like Texas, Philadelphia and North Carolina. Last year, it signed a master franchise agreement for 100 units in Canada, setting it on a path of aggressive franchising growth.
Leading this expansion will be Jeff Galletly, who was appointed as the company’s first CEO in April. Galletly has extensive experience in franchising through his work at Restaurant Brands International, where he held various leadership positions over the course of six years. His most recent position with that company was vice president and general manager at Tim Hortons USA for over a year, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“Amongst my highest priorities is ensuring our Brooklyn Dumpling Shop franchisees not only succeed, but also truly know they’re a valued part of the team, all while bringing fun, enjoyable moments — and delicious food — to our guests through our distinct offering and experience,” he said in an email interview.
The brand’s concept itself is unique: Customers order using their smartphones and when their orders are ready, they receive a text message directing them to pick up their food from a temperature-controlled locker.
Restaurant Dive spoke with Galletly to learn more about his plans for Brooklyn Dumpling, how his experience informs his understanding of franchising and the future of the chain.
Editor’s note: This Q&A has been edited for clarity and brevity.
RESTAURANT DIVE: What are the biggest challenges Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is facing this year? And what are your strategies to overcome them?
JEFF GALLETLY: This year, our primary focus has been on building the foundations upon which to rapidly accelerate growth, building out a truly exceptional team, and seeking to serve our franchisees with excellence.
Leading an upstart, rapidly growing brand, much of the work and challenges are analogous to the new market entry work I’d done on larger brands in the past: coming in as a smaller player to secure great franchisees, lock in prime locations, manage opening timelines, furnish a supply chain, and ensure we provide the highest quality support to our restaurants and franchise partners so they can deliver the best possible guest experience and, ultimately, unit economics.
To that end, building brand awareness and trial are crucial right now, so we’re energizing our marketing efforts across traditional and digital platforms. Collaborating with food influencers has significantly amplified our reach and brought awareness to new shop openings in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Calgary, Canada, in addition to supporting our existing shops. We’re also increasing our on-the-ground presence at community events, food festivals and catering as part of our strategy to boost brand visibility, trial and engagement with guests.
What lessons have you learned from previous roles that you brought into your current position?
My journey in franchising and operations began at Restaurant Brands International as part of the Burger King marketing leadership team, followed by several operations and general management leadership roles, including leading growth efforts in Asia and in the US. That experience taught me the intricacies of franchising, and the essential role franchisees play in a brand’s success. Franchisees are integral to building and maintaining the brand in their local communities, acting as stewards of the brand, and it is our mission to support them as well as possible so they can do so effectively.
I’ve also learned the pain points of franchisees and how our model is purpose-built to address franchise industry challenges, such as the ability to grow with a brand, real estate exclusivity, technology, labor, and competition. It’s an awesome privilege to be able to build a franchise system from the start and be able to address these key pain points with our model.
What excites you about your company’s trajectory for the next three years?
Brooklyn Dumpling Shop stands out in the market with our outsized growth potential. Every day I wake up passionate about the brand and culture we’re building and creating an enduring industry success story for our team and our franchisees.
Our innovative approach, from our 100% digital ordering to our efficient automat system and new loyalty program, our flexible formats that fit a variety of trade areas, to the star of the show, our incredible “Dumplings Reimagined” and other culinary-driven, high frequency offerings, will continue to drive our brand forward. I’m excited to introduce our distinct concept to new regions throughout North America and beyond, and serve more guests the craveable and frictionless experience that sets us apart.
We also have a team of incredible advisors including Kevin O’Leary and Matt Higgins, and partnerships with major players in the industry like Patti Labelle that will continue to bolster our brand. And we’re just getting started.
What trends concern you that people aren’t talking about?
While the topic of labor and labor challenges does often come up, we invert it to be a great differentiator for our brand. We are and will always strive to be an amazing place to work and a dining destination that maintains a spirit of hospitality. While we’re a digitally native brand with tremendous operating efficiencies, we also want to be — and want our franchisees to be — the employer of choice in the industry wherever we compete. Our model allows us to attract and retain talent and we’ll continue to do so to help ensure a great guest experience, which goes hand-in-hand with providing high quality unit economics and returns for our franchisees.
How are you thinking about your franchising strategy as part of your aggressive growth plan?
A priority of mine has been to foster strong relationships with our franchisees and stakeholders, ensuring they know we fully support them as we collectively grow our Brooklyn Dumpling Shop brand. We’ll remain laser-focused on building an operating and economic model that leads to happy franchisees who are eager to open more shops. We’re building an incredible business with a top-notch franchisee support team, with franchisees who are also committed to success and enduring growth.
Fortunately, there is a lot of interest in our brand among potential franchisees. As we evaluate franchisees, we’ll do so through the lens of both capital and operations. We will bring on franchisees who are committed long-term partners and owners, are aligned in our vision and values for the brand, and will strive to build the brand through assembling great teams and great guest experiences in their shops and communities. If we have that, we can compete and win anywhere.
