The restaurateur part of Chris Dharod’s brain never shuts down. Be it a fine dining experience or a stop at one of the Corner Bakery locations he now oversees as CEO, Dharod is always keeping an eye on the operational ingredients that go into a restaurant experience. “I’m looking at cleanliness. I’m looking at training,” he says. “Does the staff feel comfortable in the roles they’re working in? I’m looking at food quality. I’m paying attention to how long it’s taking for a customer to place an order, for a customer to get their food—I’m not timing it, but just in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, and I’m watching.”
Dharod’s father, a Burger King franchisee, wanted to ensure his children experienced what it would be like to have a restaurant career. So, the younger Dharod cut his teeth in the industry working at the fast-food chain as a kid. By the time he went on to study finance at SMU, his father had sold the Burger Kings and pivoted to Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar. Dharod, then a sophomore at SMU, began to pick up shifts at one of his dad’s restaurants, cooking, cleaning, serving, and bartending. After graduating from college, he spent a short stint in banking but ultimately returned to the family business.
In 2011, Dharod’s father launched SSCP Management, today a franchisee of Applebee’s and Sonic Drive-ins and the franchisor for Cici’s Pizza and Corner Bakery, as well as Roy’s Restaurant. Dharod now serves as the president for SSCP and the CEO of recently acquired Corner Bakery, which SSCP bought out of bankruptcy in June 2023 through the acquisition of its debt.
SSCP is no stranger to restoration projects. In 2020, it acquired Cici’s—a similar deal that involved purchasing the brand’s debt. “We’re able to go into situations and figure out the issues and what the solutions are,” Dharod says.
For Corner Bakery specifically, that first meant putting an effective team in place. It then invested in improving quality across the board. That meant focusing on speed of food delivery, which Dharod says had been cut by almost 50 percent. It also involved measuring guest satisfaction more acutely and prioritizing career advancement opportunities and recognition for employees.
So far, the transition has proved successful—the company has increased sales by 15 percent as of June and 10 percent year-to-date. Within six months, the brand posted an average unit volume increase of $200,000. Turnover and traffic have also both improved, Dharod reports.
Looking ahead, the CEO sees a world of potential for the 33-year-old Corner Bakery brand. There are plans for food innovation and new tech platforms; a few locations are already test sites for kiosk ordering. There are also plans to remodel up to 12 stores in the next year with a fresher look that will feature lighter colors, Dharod says.
The brand opened two new locations in July, one in Chicago and another in Washington, D.C. Those openings have started the clock on future expansion, with plans calling for five to seven total openings in the next 12 months.
Dharod’s aspirations kick even higher. He forecasts that Corner Bakery could boast more than $2.5 million in average unit volume with over 500 units—the brand currently has a $2 million AUV with just north of 100 units. “I see this being a brand that’s over $1 billion in revenue,” he says. “I think it could be one of the 50 biggest brands in the U.S., from a revenue perspective.”
One year in, it’s all about maintaining momentum. “Although we’ve made a lot of progress,” Dharod says, “there’s much low-hanging fruit that will improve the business even more.”
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