Today we’d like to introduce you to Nate Hybl.
Hi Nate, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2010, I had just retired from the NFL and was struggling to find fresh, healthy, and quick food options. Wanting to create delicious options for Atlantans, I spent the next four years learning how to run a restaurant, working on developing a menu and single-handedly raising $600,000 in investment. I was seeking to fill a large void in the marketplace for healthy food fast and to share my passion for globally inspired cuisines that offer unique and bold flavor combinations. Since opening the first gusto! location on Peachtree Street in 2014, the brand has grown to 13 locations across the metro area. gusto! was an early pioneer in bringing the bowl concept to Atlanta and is proud to be known as ATL’s Bowl Brand. As CEO, I lead a team of more than 350 employees and am responsible for the company’s strategic vision. As the leader, it’s important that I embody every aspect of the brand, living each day with gusto and operating full-speed ahead in everything I do and oversee – growth, marketing, recipes, etc. Whether it’s fostering new opportunities for leadership both inside and outside the four walls of the shops, strategically expanding into communities that are in need of a quick and healthy food option or breaking barriers in the industry with my people-first mindset, I sought to disrupt the fast food industry as we know it. As a leader, I draw on my past experience, hard-won lessons and an expansive, cultivated network of connections. I am committed to remaining 100% corporately owned and operated and recently opened the brand’s 13th Metro Atlanta location.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m proud of creating a brand from scratch. It’s humbling to grow from a concept in my head to become a recognized brand with more than 350 employees who choose to work here, thousands of guests who choose to eat at one of 13 locations, and to have earned the respect of the industry. And, to be honest, I believe, we’re just getting started. One of gusto!’s core commitments is to embrace the growth mindset. This process gives you the fortitude to achieve anything in life; no matter where you come from or what you look like or what you sound like – if you put in effort. We recently celebrated our 10th birthday with a growth mindset to expand into airports, ghost kitchens, and new markets and become the most empowering employer brand in the restaurant industry. Growth for the brand has largely been fueled organically by delivering a premium product and taking great care of its guests. At the beginning of 2025, gusto! launched its first large-scale brand awareness marketing campaign. The fully integrated campaign, “Taste the World,” includes paid media placements in Georgia across cable TV, digital video, display, audio, digital out-of-home and ePrint, as well as utilizing an influencer program and more.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
From the beginning, the fast-casual brand’s menu has offered a fresh take on global cuisines, introducing guests to unique and bold flavor combinations they may not normally associate with healthy fare. Once I started experimenting in the kitchen with globally-inspired ingredients, I fell in love with real, fresh, colorful foods from around the world. Ginger, fresh mango, toasted cumin – they awakened a new purpose for me: create a brand that champions fresh, life-giving foods and makes them fun and approachable. At gusto!, our goal is to create bowls that burst with bold flavors that make you feel great. We want to do the work for our guests – the whisking, peeling, grilling, chopping – so that they don’t have to sacrifice flavor and nutrition for convenience! Most restaurants serve only one style of cuisine, but Atlanta’s gusto! isn’t most restaurants. The choice begins with a bowl or wrap, then guests select a base, protein, and gusto, or signature flavor profile. Even though some of gusto!’s flavors may push guests outside their comfort zone, the menu was designed to make ordering as easy as possible. The gusto! team has mastered the bowl- and wrap-making science, delivering our hand-crafted healthy meals in 30 seconds or less. gusto! is now known as Atlanta’s flag-bearer of healthy fresh food as the brand expands its footprint.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Being an athlete helped prepare me for entrepreneurship. Some of the same strengths I needed to become a Rose Bowl-winning Quarterback – leadership, resiliency and toughness – are important to start and run a business. These experiences on and off the field also taught me how to deal with pressure, decision-making, and criticism; all critical factors in being a successful leader. I seek to be a leader who uplifts others, while knowing there are times when you need to lean into someone and push them to be greater than they think they can be. My management style has evolved as the brand has grown from 1 to 13 locations. The early years were full of blood, sweat and tears. So, I was demanding, controlling, temperamental and emotional. With that came a lot of highs and lows. Today, I’m a more compassionate, understanding and self-aware leader. I’ve learned that with millions of transactions, I had to let go of perfect. The foundation of creating a good culture begins with doing the right thing, taking care of the customer and servant leadership. From day one, it was important that I sweep floors and wash dishes, because I knew my teammates were watching me. I’ve tried to be an intentional listener, because I’ve learned so much about ways to do things better. I’ve been taking notes for 10 years to make incremental improvements in how gusto! operates.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://whatsyourgusto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatsyourgusto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatsyourgusto
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/whatsyourgusto/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatsyourgusto
