In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Chris Doody and Matt Harding, the CEO and chief creative officer, respectively, for Piada Italian Street Food, a fast-casual Italian brand that is approaching 60 locations across six states. Having launched in 2010, Piada was a part of fast casual’s first big wave, and Chris and Matt joined the podcast to explain why the brand has finally earned the right to grow through outside capital.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• A strong dinner daypart is critical to fast casual success
• You don’t have to charge an arm and a leg for high-quality fast-casual food
• Achieving a 2.5:1 sales-to-investment ratio is when you deserve to grow
• You shouldn’t emphasize growth until you’ve earned brand awareness in your existing markets
• Italian food is harder than it looks
• Customers should know who is in charge of your restaurants

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com.