Our story
From one Oakland bowl shop to 84 locations
Founded 2017 in Oakland by Sarah Marsh + Marcus Chen. The original idea: real food, fast. 9 years later: 84 locations + B Corp Certified + 18% employee-owned.
Bowl & Branch today
84
Locations across 5 states
2,400
Employees
B Corp
Certified · 84/200 score
$210M
Annual revenue · 2025
Founders + leadership
Who runs the company
Sarah Marsh — Founder + CEO
Co-founded Bowl & Branch 2017. Previously: 8 years at fast-casual restaurant chains in operations + marketing. Owns operational vision + brand culture. Still works in restaurants weekly.
Marcus Chen — Co-founder + COO
Co-founded Bowl & Branch 2017. Previously: chef at independent restaurants in SF Bay Area + supply chain at major fast-casual chain. Owns sourcing + kitchen + culinary direction.
Janelle Park — CFO
Joined 2020. Previously: VP Finance at restaurant tech company. Manages financial planning + strategy + ESOP administration. MIT MBA.
Daniel Kim — Chief People Officer
Joined 2022. Previously: Head of People at hospitality company. Manages recruiting, employee development, ESOP communication, DEI strategy.
Aisha Patel — Chief Sustainability Officer
Joined 2024. Previously: B Corp consulting + sustainability strategy. Manages B Corp recertification + sustainability metrics + supply chain ethics.
Plus 22 corporate leadership
Operations, marketing, finance, HR, IT, supply chain, real estate, legal teams. Smaller corporate team than typical chain; we keep operations decentralized.
Timeline
From 2017 to today
2017 — first location
Single location opened in Oakland (Telegraph Ave). 6 employees including founders. First-day customers: ~80. First-month customers: ~3,200.
2018 — Bay Area expansion
Second + third locations open in SF + Berkeley. First $1M revenue year. Sarah + Marcus stop daily kitchen work.
2019 — California expansion
5 new California locations (LA, San Diego, Sacramento). First investor (small Bay Area food-tech VC). Brand defined as ‘fast-casual real food.’
2021 — pandemic resilience
DTC food delivery model (developed during pandemic) accelerated growth. Many fast-casuals struggled; we grew. Specific operational changes that stuck post-pandemic.
2022 — multi-state expansion
Oregon (Portland), Washington (Seattle), Arizona (Phoenix). Growth from 18 to 35 locations.
2023 — ESOP transition + B Corp
Employee Stock Ownership Plan launched. 8% employee-owned at transition; 18% today. B Corp Certified mid-year. Both fundamental to who Bowl & Branch is now.
2024 — Las Vegas + scaling
Nevada expansion. Reach 70 locations. Annual revenue $180M. Continued ESOP growth + B Corp recertification.
2026 — today + 2026 expansion
84 locations. $210M revenue. Q3-Q4 2026: Texas (Houston, Austin) + Colorado (Denver). Continued slow + intentional growth.
Sourcing + ingredients
Where the food comes from
75% local + seasonal produce
California-grown when in season; we source within 200 miles when possible. Specific local farm partnerships in 5 states.
Wild-caught seafood
Salmon: wild Alaskan + Pacific NW. Shrimp: wild Gulf + Pacific. Specific certifications: MSC + Seafood Watch ‘Best Choice’ or ‘Good Alternative.’
Grass-fed beef
Our steak comes from regenerative grazing operations in CA + OR + ID. Specific farms named on supply chain transparency page. Hormone-free, antibiotic-free.
Pasture-raised chicken
Specific farms in Northern California. Free-range + pasture-raised. Specific certifications: Step 3+ on Global Animal Partnership scale.
Non-GMO + organic where possible
Many of our base ingredients (rice, quinoa, beans) are certified organic. Some non-organic where supply or pricing makes it impossible. Transparent on each menu item.
Real food principles
No high-fructose corn syrup. No MSG. No artificial colors or flavors. No partially-hydrogenated oils. Specific principles published; we audit suppliers + supply chain.
Sustainability + impact
What we measure
B Corp Certified — 84/200 score
First certified 2023. Recertified annually. Score has grown from 78 to 84. Specific commitments to workers + community + environment + governance.
Carbon-neutral operations + delivery
100% renewable electricity for restaurants + corporate office. Carbon-neutral last-mile delivery via offset partnership. Net-zero target by 2028.
Compostable + recyclable packaging
Bowls + cutlery are plant-based PLA + compostable. Bags are recycled cardboard. Coffee cups are compostable.
Zero-waste supply chain target
Working toward zero food waste in supply chain. Currently ~7% (industry average ~25%). Specific composting + donation programs at every location.
Workforce diversity + DEI
62% diverse workforce. 38% women in management. Active DEI programs. Public diversity reporting.
Community giving — $1.8M annual
Local-community giving in each market. Funding nonprofits + food banks + worker training programs. Public reporting on community investment.
Story questions
What people ask
- No — privately held. Sarah + Marcus are largest individual shareholders, but ESOP holds 18% + senior leadership another 22%. Outside investor (small Bay Area food-tech VC) holds remainder.