How Full Course’s Lauren Fernandez Accelerates Upstart Restaurants

Written by Lauren Fernandez | Feb 24, 2025 6:51:27 PM

Accelerating Emerging Restaurant Brands: Insights from Full Course's Lauren Fernandez
In the dynamic world of the restaurant industry, emerging brands often face significant challenges in scaling their operations and securing necessary capital. Lauren Fernandez, CEO and Founder of Full Course, has pioneered a unique approach to address these hurdles, offering a blend of development expertise and investment to propel upstart restaurants toward sustainable growth.

A Unique Path to Restaurant Development
Lauren Fernandez's journey into the restaurant industry is anything but conventional. Transitioning from a legal career in the pharmaceutical sector, she joined Focus Brands in 2011, gaining invaluable experience with renowned franchises such as Schlotzsky’s, Carvel, and Cinnabon. This role highlighted the importance of long-term relationships in franchising, as Fernandez observes, "These are 15, 20-plus year agreements sometimes, with the franchise staying in the family through generations. So you always have to take the long view."

Embracing the operational side, Fernandez became a franchisee of Chicken Salad Chick in 2016, overseeing 11 restaurants. Her team introduced innovative services, including an extensive catering program and delivery options, setting new standards within the franchise. Reflecting on this period, she notes, "I’m really proud of what we were able to build and how we were able to contribute to the parent company and to the brand as a whole."

The Birth of Full Course
After selling her restaurant operations in 2018, Fernandez identified a critical gap in the market: emerging restaurant concepts often lacked the necessary capital and development expertise to scale effectively. This realization led to the creation of Full Course, a restaurant investment and development firm dedicated to incubating and accelerating fast-casual brands. Full Course partners with early-stage restaurants, offering support in operations optimization, growth strategy development, and connections to suitable investors or franchise partners.

A Holistic Approach to Growth
Full Course's methodology extends beyond traditional investment. The firm emphasizes a comprehensive growth strategy that includes:

Traditional Brick-and-Mortar Expansion: Assisting brands in opening new physical locations.
Non-Traditional Development: Exploring opportunities in venues like airports, stadiums, and universities.
Product Development and Licensing: Guiding brands in creating retail products to reach a broader audience.
Franchising: Developing franchise models that allow for scalable growth.

This multifaceted approach ensures that emerging brands have diversified revenue streams and robust growth pathways.

Championing Diversity in the Industry
A core tenet of Full Course's mission is to support diversity within the restaurant industry. The firm prioritizes investments in brands led by women, people of color, and immigrants, recognizing the rich cultural fabric they bring to the culinary scene. Fernandez emphasizes the importance of providing not just capital but also education and development resources to these entrepreneurs, stating, "We need to invest in the early stage of growing diverse brands to succeed—not to just coach them."

Conclusion
Lauren Fernandez's innovative approach through Full Course offers a transformative pathway for emerging restaurant brands. By combining strategic investment with comprehensive development support, Full Course is redefining how upstart restaurants navigate growth challenges, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic industry landscape. Read Full Article

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