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Key people at Modern Market.
Modern Market Eatery operates a fast-casual restaurant concept specializing in healthy, chef-crafted meals. Its menu features diverse bowls, salads, sandwiches, and pizzas, all prepared with fresh, clean ingredients. The company aims to make nutritious and delicious options readily available, redefining convenience within the healthy eating sector.
Founded in 2009 by Rob McColgan, a former Goldman Sachs wealth manager, Modern Market Eatery emerged from an insight to elevate fast-casual dining. McColgan sought to move beyond unhealthy quick-service options by incorporating fresh, high-quality ingredients, inspired by local farmers' markets. This commitment underpins the brand's flavorful, health-conscious offerings.
The company serves health-conscious consumers seeking quality, quick-service meals, also offering catering. Modern Market Eatery’s mission is to enrich lives by providing clean, nourishing, and delicious food, positively impacting patrons and the environment. It envisions a future where wholesome, real food is an appealing and accessible everyday choice.
Key people at Modern Market.
Modern Market Eatery is a fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2009 in Boulder, Colorado, specializing in fresh, chef-crafted meals made from scratch using whole, sustainable ingredients like salads, grain bowls, toasted sandwiches, brick oven pizzas, and all-day breakfast options.[1][3][5] It serves health-conscious customers seeking quick, clean, and flavorful food without artificial additives, operating nearly 30-32 locations across Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and beyond, including Denver International Airport and Notre Dame's campus, with a reported revenue of $54.7 million and 333 employees.[1][4] The company solves the problem of accessing nutritious, farmers-market-inspired meals in a fast-paced world, emphasizing free delivery on $30+ orders, a rewards program, catering, and fundraising events, while exhibiting strong growth through franchising and acquisitions.[3][5]
Acquired by Thrive Restaurant Group in September 2024 after raising $11.47M and previous ownership by Butterfly Equity (2018) and formation of MRC with Lemonade, Modern Market benefits from synergies with brands like Qdoba, enhancing supply chain efficiencies for fresh ingredients.[2][4][5]
Modern Market Eatery originated from the simple idea that "faster food can be better food," launched in 2009 in Boulder, Colorado—where co-founder Bert Pigliacampo attended college—initially as modMarket.[1][4] Founders Pigliacampo and McColgan (forming MRC in 2019 with Lemonade under Butterfly Equity) drew inspiration from farmers markets to create a mission-driven brand nurturing "happiness from the inside out" via clean, delicious meals crafted by farmers, ranchers, and chefs rather than food scientists.[1][3][4][5]
Early traction came from rapid expansion to nearly 30 locations and consistent rankings on Fast Casual's "Top 100 Movers & Shakers" list, fueled by a 2022 franchising revival with a 41-unit deal alongside Thrive Restaurant Group (operators of Applebee’s and others).[1][4] The 2024 acquisition by Thrive marked a pivotal moment, integrating with Qdoba for scale while maintaining scratch-made focus.[2][4]
Modern Market rides the fast-casual health revolution, capitalizing on post-pandemic demand for convenient, "better-for-you" meals amid rising wellness trends and sustainability focus, where consumers prioritize transparent, additive-free food over traditional fast food.[1][3][5] Timing aligns with supply chain optimizations from Qdoba/Thrive integrations, reducing costs via shared fresh ingredient sourcing across 800+ units, amid market forces like inflation pushing value-driven, eco-conscious dining.[4]
It influences the ecosystem by pioneering scalable franchising in natural eateries (e.g., 41-unit Thrive deal), inspiring competitors like Togo's or Bruxie while normalizing scratch kitchens in casual dining, and supporting communities through fundraisers that blend profitability with social good.[2][4][5]
Modern Market is poised for accelerated multi-state expansion via Thrive's footprint in Kansas City, Wichita, Texas, Iowa, North Carolina, and Arkansas, potentially surpassing 50 locations soon by marrying franchise growth with company-owned strongholds in Colorado.[4] Trends like AI-enhanced customer feedback, protein-focused customization, and sustainable packaging will shape its path, amplifying efficiencies and loyalty in a $50B+ fast-casual market.[3][4]
Its influence may evolve as a Thrive flagship for "clean" casual dining, setting benchmarks for flavor-fueled health that redefine faster food as genuinely better—proving the 2009 Boulder spark can scale nationwide.[1][2]
