"Ten Year Plan is replete with crucial lessons learned along the path of a dream realized -- with value for entrepreneurs across all organizations. Tender Greens helped pioneer the fast casual restaurant sector, and while their road to success was inevitably bumpy, these founders prevailed, thanks to their collective vision, humanity, humility to learn and generosity to teach." Danny Meyer, CEO Union Square Hospitality Group, Author, Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business Ten Year Plan follows the journey of three young chef entrepreneurs who opened a radically fresh, disruptive restaurant concept in the heart of Los Angeles. Defying the worst economic downturn in a generation and the already long odds stacked against everyone in the food business, these founders and their skilled team built and scaled Tender Greens, named by Conde Nast Traveler as one of "The Ten Best Restaurant Chains in the World," and by Forbes as one of the "25 Most Innovative Consumer Brands." Ten Year Plan lays out a practical, proven approach to creating enduring value. This book is equal parts founders' business memoir and conscious capitalism startup playbook including missteps, misgivings, setbacks, and successes. Applicable to any industry, this practical, hands-on entrepreneur operating system gives equal emphasis to margins and mission reflecting on the lessons learned about...   Choosing the right business partners - Elaborating a compelling business plan and values statement - Seeking patient like-minded seed investors - Having an unflinching commitment to quality and value - Fostering a purpose-driven business culture that includes mutually beneficial supply chain management, committed servant leadership, holistic human development and true community engagement - Seeking win-win outcomes for all stakeholders in the company's universe - Proactively building systems for scaling the enterprise - Taking on institutional money - Formalizing advisory boards and boards of directors - Key hire professionalization while protecting culture - Innovation and brand evolution during an economic downturn - Planning for and managing a liquidity event - Contemplating exit strategies and transitioning from founder to guide on the side Your business, especially now, can be a powerful engine for needed social change. Ten Year Plan shows you how. "Ten Year Plan is replete with crucial lessons learned along the path of a heartfelt dream realized -- with value for entrepreneurs across all organizations. Tender Greens helped pioneer the better-for-you fast casual restaurant sector, and while their road to success was inevitably bumpy, these founders prevailed, thanks to their collective vision, humanity, humility to learn and generosity to teach." Danny Meyer, CEO Union Square Hospitality Group Author, Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business "An intimate and forthright look into what it actually takes to successfully scale a business with heart and purpose. This is a business book for anybody who wants to make a difference." Chip Conley, Founder Modern Elder Academy, Author "Ten Year Plan is a candid, insightful case study in how one driven team maintained its commitment to a holistic and human-centric process, found balance between innovation and simplicity, and attained profitability on its own terms. The food system and hospitality industry need more Tender Greens ethics in our midst." Melina Shannon-DiPietro, Executive Director MAD "Tender Greens is a world-class, conscious business, and Erik & David are world-class entrepreneurs. This book is a fascinating read about a company dedicated to both profits and deeply held values. What a success story!" Sam Polk, Founder and CEO Everytable "There's never been a better time for the restaurant industry to have a road map, a way forward to build a more socially just and environmentally-friendly food system. In Ten Year Plan, the founders of Tender Greens give a step-by-step guide for creating better restaurants for today, tomorrow, and well into the future. It's a must read for all of us who care about restaurants, workers, and food!" Danielle Nierenberg, Co-Founder and President, Food Tank Hi! Thanks for checking out Ten Year Plan!   We believe in the power of "3 Whys" so it seems only fitting to use ours to explain what prompted us to write this book.     Why is this book needed? We believe that the U.S. economy has drifted into a way of doing business that neglects the main cause of enterprise, which is to create value, a different result than mere profit. A purely profit-driven approach does not address the primary reason many "social entrepreneurs" are inspired to start businesses, especially now. We wanted our business to contribute to advancing the larger goals of a Triple Bottom Line: people, profit, and planet. We believe that the exclusively profit-driven business model needs to be replaced with a