Gregg Majewski, founder and CEO of Craveworthy Brands, has been named an EY US Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 Midwest Award winner. Majewski was chosen from a field of 65 program participants in the Midwest, which included 30 finalists competing for the recognition.
The honor spotlights a career that has been defined by franchise growth and operational discipline. Majewski spent more than 30 years building restaurant brands, beginning his career at Jimmy John's as an intern before rising to serve concurrently as CEO, CFO, and COO — one of the youngest executives to hold those roles at the brand. During his tenure, he helped scale the chain from 30 locations to over 300, sold 700 additional franchises, and helped develop the fast-delivery model that came to define the fast-casual sandwich segment.
That finance-first background now underpins Majewski's approach at Craveworthy Brands, the multi-concept restaurant group he founded. For operators watching how emerging restaurant groups are being built and led, Craveworthy represents a case study in deploying unit-economics rigor across a diversified portfolio — a strategy with growing relevance as restaurant franchise development becomes increasingly competitive in the post-pandemic landscape.
The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program, one of the most recognized business awards in the U.S., evaluates candidates on criteria including innovation, financial performance, and leadership. Majewski's selection reflects broader industry recognition of the operational and growth frameworks that have shaped multi-unit restaurant leadership over the past decade.
As part of the Midwest award, Majewski becomes eligible to compete for the EY US Entrepreneur Of The Year national award, which draws winners from regional programs across the country. Food & Beverage Magazine has also covered Craveworthy Brands' expansion trajectory as Majewski continues to build out the portfolio.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
