Tom Holt, founder and owner of Urbane Cafe, joins Shawn Walchef at CREATE io share how he has grown the fast-casual brand from one restaurant in 2003 to nearly 50 locations. Holt explains why learning the operation inside and out became critical before expanding and how reaching five locations forced him to build stronger training systems and infrastructure. Urbane Cafe has grown without private equity or franchising, relying largely on internal capital and bank financing, along with an investment from the founders of Panda Restaurant Group. For Holt, sustainable growth starts with strong systems, developing people, and protecting the quality that built the brand.
Strong Systems Make Restaurant Growth Possible – When Holt reached five locations, he realized Urbane Cafe could not continue growing without better training and infrastructure. He built a training platform to create consistency across the brand while supporting future expansion.
Restaurant Growth Doesn’t Have to Happen Quickly – Urbane Cafe has grown from one location in 2003 to 45, with plans to reach 50 by the end of the year. Holt has avoided franchising and private equity, instead growing largely through internal capital and bank financing while focusing on building the business the right way.
Developing People Is Part of Building the Brand – Holt credits Panda Restaurant Group co-founder Andrew Cherng as an important mentor, particularly around people development. That philosophy has helped shape how Urbane Cafe approaches growth while maintaining the quality and hospitality that defined the original restaurant.
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