Austin-born Hopdoddy Burger Bar has a new boss. Founders Table Restaurant Group has acquired the 2010-founded chain, which operates about 47 locations across the United States, with more than 30 in Texas, and is talking up bigger, faster expansion. CEO Jeff Chandler will move into an advisory role while longtime operations executive Kenny Jett steps in as president.
Founders Table confirmed the acquisition and said it will lean on a “robust non-traditional licensing program” to grow Hopdoddy, according to a press release reported by CultureMap Austin. The release also noted that Harrington Park Advisors advised on the transition.
Deal cleared with regulators
Federal paperwork shows the deal has already passed antitrust review. The Federal Trade Commission's premerger database lists an April 28, 2026 filing for Transaction Number 20261199, naming Founders Table as the acquiring party and HiBar Hospitality Operations, LLC as the acquired entity, and shows the filing was granted, according to the FTC.
Founders Table's playbook
Founders Table operates as a platform for founder-led restaurant concepts and already counts Chopt and Dos Toros among its brands, a setup it uses to share operations and development resources, according to Restaurant Dive. The company added Protein Bar & Kitchen in January, and FastCasual reported that Founders Table plans to push flexible formats and non-traditional sites, a strategy it now intends to apply to Hopdoddy.
Leadership shuffle
The press release indicates that Chandler, who led Hopdoddy for roughly a decade, will transition to an advisory role while Jett, the chain's former VP of operations, becomes president, the announcement reported by CultureMap Austin. “I've had the privilege of seeing firsthand what makes this brand so special, from our incredible team members to the loyal guests who support us every day,” Jett said in the statement.
Growth targets and timeline
Earlier this year, Chandler laid out Hopdoddy's expansion goals in an interview with Restaurant Business. The plan was to ramp openings to roughly eight to ten units in 2028, 10 to 12 in 2029 and eventually reach a pace of 14 to 16 new restaurants a year. With Founders Table's backing and a licensing push now in the mix, that roadmap has a new growth engine, although company statements still stress “thoughtful” scaling rather than a blitz of openings.
What Austin diners might see
On the ground, Austin burger fans may start spotting Hopdoddy in less obvious places. Airports, hospitals and university hubs were all flagged as possibilities when Founders Table bought Protein Bar earlier this year, according to FastCasual, and those same non-traditional locations are now on the table for Hopdoddy. For the moment, local restaurants remain open under existing management while the new owner figures out where to plant the next round of stores.
Austin remains the brand’s spiritual headquarters. Company statements emphasize that whatever new formats show up, the core Hopdoddy menu and its quality-focused approach will stay at the center. We will be watching for site announcements as Founders Table starts to roll out its development plans.
