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I visited Lemonade, the Californian fast-casual chain, for the first time and now I think it's poised to take over the US

I visited Lemonade, the Californian fast-casual chain, for the first time and now I think it's poised to take over the US

Mary Meisenzahl

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

I visited Lemonade, a small Southern California fast-casual chain.
I was impressed by beautiful presentations and fresh food.

Lemonade is a fast casual chain that emphasizes its fresh ingredients in salads and bowls.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Lemonade, which has about 20 locations, is part of Modern Restaurant Concepts, a company that focuses on healthy restaurants owned by private equity firm Butterfly Equity.

Lemonade

In 2021, Lemonade did $54 million in 2021 sales from its restaurants.

Lemonade

Source: Restaurant Business Online

The restaurant group also owns Modern Market Eatery, another small chain with 28 locations across Colorado, Texas, and Arizona.

Modern Market Eatery

In August 2022, the company grew its size several times over by acquiring Qdoba, which has 750 locations.

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

The purchase put Modern Restaurants Concepts at about 800 restaurants, and the company says it has plans to grow to 3,000 locations across the three brands.

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Source: Foodservice Equipment Reports

I walked into a Southern California location, where I saw an assembly line setup that reminded me of Chipotle or Qdoba.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Ingredients were displayed by type so customers could create their own dish, or order from the bowls, salads, and sandwiches on the menu.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

It also worked like Chipotle as different workers handled different stations, for example the protein worker passing my bowl along to the next person at the next station.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

All the proteins sounded and looked appealing, from salmon to steak to ahi tuna.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I went with tuna for a poke bowl, but I was tempted by several other options.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

All the sides sounded very fresh and healthy, like curried cauliflower and avocado cherry tomatoes.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I know the bright colors of the curry and the tomatoes are designed to attract the eye, and it completely worked on me. I wish I could've tried them all.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The little chalk signs were a nice touch, and also gave the impression that dishes were fresh and changed out each day.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

There were also hot sides sitting in different kinds of pots, which had a homey look of being in a friend's house thanks to the mismatched dishes.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The mango chicken and harissa cauliflower were nearly gone, so I thought they must be popular orders.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I opted for the truffle mac and cheese, because I kept seeing advertisements touting it during my trip.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

There even more choices to make at the end of the assembly line, where I had to choose between eight lemonade options, the chain's namesake beverages.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

There were also wellness boosters, iced tea, Arnold Palmers, and some drinks I wasn't familiar with, like "hemp water."

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I opted for the blood orange lemonade, as much for the color as the taste.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The felt like a reasonable decision, given how much central being colorful and attractive is to Lemonade's pink and yellow branding.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

It was a beautiful hot pink, and super refreshing in the Orange County heat.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Even the ceiling ties into the design theme, with these large yellow bulbs that felt almost whimsical.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

My spicy poke bowl was equally beautiful and colorful.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

It was definitely spicier than I was expecting, but it was delicious.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The bowl itself cost $14, which is slightly pricier than Chipotle or Qdoba, but felt reasonable for a dish that contained tuna and mango, plus other vegetables.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The truffle mac and cheese was fine, but not as good as Panera's, and for $5 I wouldn't buy it again.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I'll never turn down mac and cheese, but Lemonade's strength lies in dishes that benefit from fresh, bright ingredients, like poke, bowls, and creative vegetable dishes.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Given the success of Chipotle and Qdoba, customers are willing to pay a premium for meals that feel healthy and fresh, so Lemonade should lean into that to be able to continue charging a premium price.

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Butterfly Equity says it has big plans for Lemonade and its sibling brands. With smart, eye-catching branding and delicious, relatively healthy food, I think the chain could explode.

Lemonade

Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.

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I visited Lemonade, the Californian fast-casual chain, for the first time and now I think it's poised to take over the US

Mary Meisenzahl

Lemonade is a fast casual chain that emphasizes its fresh ingredients in salads and bowls.

Lemonade, which has about 20 locations, is part of Modern Restaurant Concepts, a company that focuses on healthy restaurants owned by private equity firm Butterfly Equity.

In 2021, Lemonade did $54 million in 2021 sales from its restaurants.

The restaurant group also owns Modern Market Eatery, another small chain with 28 locations across Colorado, Texas, and Arizona.

In August 2022, the company grew its size several times over by acquiring Qdoba, which has 750 locations.

The purchase put Modern Restaurants Concepts at about 800 restaurants, and the company says it has plans to grow to 3,000 locations across the three brands.

I walked into a Southern California location, where I saw an assembly line setup that reminded me of Chipotle or Qdoba.

Ingredients were displayed by type so customers could create their own dish, or order from the bowls, salads, and sandwiches on the menu.

It also worked like Chipotle as different workers handled different stations, for example the protein worker passing my bowl along to the next person at the next station.

All the proteins sounded and looked appealing, from salmon to steak to ahi tuna.

I went with tuna for a poke bowl, but I was tempted by several other options.

All the sides sounded very fresh and healthy, like curried cauliflower and avocado cherry tomatoes.

I know the bright colors of the curry and the tomatoes are designed to attract the eye, and it completely worked on me. I wish I could've tried them all.

The little chalk signs were a nice touch, and also gave the impression that dishes were fresh and changed out each day.

There were also hot sides sitting in different kinds of pots, which had a homey look of being in a friend's house thanks to the mismatched dishes.

The mango chicken and harissa cauliflower were nearly gone, so I thought they must be popular orders.

I opted for the truffle mac and cheese, because I kept seeing advertisements touting it during my trip.

There even more choices to make at the end of the assembly line, where I had to choose between eight lemonade options, the chain's namesake beverages.

There were also wellness boosters, iced tea, Arnold Palmers, and some drinks I wasn't familiar with, like "hemp water."

I opted for the blood orange lemonade, as much for the color as the taste.

The felt like a reasonable decision, given how much central being colorful and attractive is to Lemonade's pink and yellow branding.

It was a beautiful hot pink, and super refreshing in the Orange County heat.

Even the ceiling ties into the design theme, with these large yellow bulbs that felt almost whimsical.

My spicy poke bowl was equally beautiful and colorful.

It was definitely spicier than I was expecting, but it was delicious.

The bowl itself cost $14, which is slightly pricier than Chipotle or Qdoba, but felt reasonable for a dish that contained tuna and mango, plus other vegetables.

The truffle mac and cheese was fine, but not as good as Panera's, and for $5 I wouldn't buy it again.

I'll never turn down mac and cheese, but Lemonade's strength lies in dishes that benefit from fresh, bright ingredients, like poke, bowls, and creative vegetable dishes.

Given the success of Chipotle and Qdoba, customers are willing to pay a premium for meals that feel healthy and fresh, so Lemonade should lean into that to be able to continue charging a premium price.

Butterfly Equity says it has big plans for Lemonade and its sibling brands. With smart, eye-catching branding and delicious, relatively healthy food, I think the chain could explode.

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