How Chris Ives Is Building Bubbakoo’s Burritos Into a National Fast-Casual Brand

In June 2025, Chris Ives became CEO of Bubbakoo’s Burritos, a brand he had already spent six years helping build from the inside.

Since joining the company in 2019, Ives has helped guide Bubbakoo’s through a period of rapid expansion, growing from approximately 30 locations to more than 140 across 17 states, with more than 50 additional units in development. The growth is measurable. So is the strategy behind it.

A Background Built on Finance, Operations, and Entrepreneurship

Ives built his career in finance before moving into franchise operations. After starting as an Assurance Senior at Ernst and Young, he held finance and internal controls roles at OnDeck and Synchronoss Technologies before joining Frutta Bowls, an acai bowl and smoothie concept, where he served as both CFO and COO. That experience gave him firsthand insight into scaling an emerging fast-casual brand from the inside.

He joined Bubbakoo’s in 2019 as VP of Finance and Development, became CFO in 2022, and was named CEO in June 2025. He is also a Certified Franchise Executive, a credential that reflects formal franchise industry training and best practices. That progression from financial discipline to operational leadership to the CEO role gives Ives a perspective on growth that is grounded in both the numbers and the realities of running restaurants.

The Vision: Becoming the Most Dominant Burrito Brand in the Country

Ives does not speak in vague terms about Bubbakoo’s future. When asked about the brand’s long-term direction, his answer is direct: “[To] become the most dominant and culturally relevant burrito shop in the country.”

That ambition is supported by a clearly defined growth strategy. The brand recently announced plans to reach 300 locations within the next four to five years. With more than 140 locations already open and a healthy development pipeline, that target represents continued disciplined expansion rather than speculative projection.

What attracted Ives to Bubbakoo’s was the opportunity to grow a brand he believed deserved more recognition than it had. “The founders, the culture, but most importantly the opportunity to grow an amazing brand that deserved national attention,” he said. Ives sees untapped potential in the brand and has the background to pursue it, something he views as fundamentally different from simply managing existing momentum.

Infrastructure First: Building a System That Can Scale

For Ives, investment priorities tell the real story of a brand’s direction. At Bubbakoo’s, he has directed that focus toward the systems and infrastructure that allow a franchise to grow without losing consistency.

“The biggest change instantly was infrastructure and data,” Ives told QSR Magazine in a May 2026 interview. “It’s not the sexy stuff, but we’re focusing on stuff that makes franchisees’ lives easier while also focusing on profitability.”

Those investments are visible in the brand’s technology stack. Bubbakoo’s operates on Toast POS for ordering, payments, and reporting; Thanx for its loyalty and rewards platform; and Bikky for guest analytics. Ives describes these tools as serving a specific strategic purpose: “Getting guest data to be smarter from a marketing standpoint, site selection, and delivering on a better guest experience.”

This matters for Bubbakoo’s focus on multi-unit development. Managing several locations requires systems that produce consistent results across a portfolio. The infrastructure Ives has prioritized is designed with that need in mind.

A Differentiated Menu with Room to Evolve

Ives is clear that Bubbakoo’s menu is a strategic asset, not just a consumer offering. “Menus are definitely our North Star,” he has said. “We have proteins that competitors don’t make.”

The brand’s customizable Mexican Fusion menu blends Mexican-inspired staples with globally influenced flavors, including hibachi steak, General Tso’s chicken, and Nashville Hot chicken. Signature items like the Chiwawa and the Burritodilla reflect a culinary point of view that national competitors have not replicated. Importantly, that innovation is designed to work within Bubbakoo’s existing operating model. The menu is built for speed and consistency, with straightforward preparation procedures that can be executed reliably across multiple locations.

For Ives, continued food innovation remains a priority: “Continuing on the fusion food innovation as well as an improved guest experience on the digital front [are both important].” 

What Ives Looks for in Franchisees and What He Wants Them to Know

Ives is deliberate about the type of operator Bubbakoo’s pursues. When asked what qualities the most successful franchisees share, his answer is instructive: “Dedicating the vast majority of their time to their people.”

Ives also views the franchisee relationship as a genuine partnership. “Their feedback drives real operational and guest experience improvements, and many of the best ideas for the system come directly from operators in the field,” Ives said. “Corporate sets the direction, but franchisees help evolve and strengthen the brand.”

For candidates evaluating Bubbakoo’s, Ives offers a pointed piece of advice: “Talk to the operators, the strong operators and the operators that underperform. Do the mission and vision align with their personal long-term goals?” That kind of transparency is not common from a brand’s CEO. It reflects a confidence in what franchisees will find when they conduct that research.

Leadership for the Next Phase of Growth

Chris Ives has helped shape Bubbakoo’s next phase of growth through investments in technology, operational infrastructure, and franchisee support. As the brand continues to expand, his leadership reflects a long-term strategy focused on building a scalable franchise system for multi-unit growth.

To learn more about Bubbakoo’s Burritos, visit the franchise website and download the Franchise Information Guide.