Freshii Master Franchisee David Grossman knew early on that eating healthy was a cultural shift that would become a way of life for millions of millennials. Combining his love of real estate with his active, health-conscious lifestyle, he carved out a niche in the fast casual restaurant industry by partnering with Freshii Founder and CEO, Matthew Corrin.

Following a successful career in real estate development with General Growth Properties and Subway Corporation, David became Freshii’s first master franchisee in the United States. He chose Chicago as the ideal city to open up the first U.S. Freshii restaurant, which opened in June 2008. Since then, he has signed a master franchise deal to open another 80 Freshii locations throughout the Chicagoland area.

David is currently the owner of three Freshii restaurants, as well as the president of Fresh Food Management LLC, which owns and operates all of the Chicago-area locations. As a Chicago native and diehard Cubs fan, David was the brainchild behind Freshii’s recent promotion to waive the $30,000 franchise fee for a prospective Freshii franchisee if the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. He received hundreds of applications in response to this offer.

David became a CTM client in 2014, and developed an immediate rapport with Partner Steven Edelheit and Accounting Manager Julie Babetch. He is grateful for this strong relationship, and appreciates CTM helping him stay one step ahead with his business affairs. As a result, David is able to focus on the future. Adhering to his father’s lifelong advice to “be your own boss,” David is always thinking about the next big idea.

Not surprisingly, David is working on a new venture with DMK Burger Bar, a highly rated burger “joint,” featuring gourmet burgers and a wide selection of American craft beers and craft cocktails. David recently became partners with DMK Burger Bar Co-Owners David Morton and Michael Kornick. At present, there are four DMK Burger Bars located in Chicago and surrounding suburbs, but with David’s franchising expertise and savvy negotiation skills, they have plans to open hundreds more restaurants in the near future.

Although work is always a motivating factor, David believes that to have a happy life, you need to have balance. He is able to achieve this work/life balance by surrounding himself with good people. He has great managers that help him run his business so he can spend quality time with his family – wife, Lauren and three children, Myles, Hallie and Drew. He also enjoys skiing and travelling around the world.