5 Questions with Jayson Tipp
The chief development officer of Playa Bowls talks about the 250-unit chain’s rapid growth, the beauty of automation and his beloved side gig.

1. Playa Bowls has seen rapid growth over the past few years. What is your secret to success in managing expansion?
I’ve been with the organization for almost two years, and in that time we’ve opened over 100 new locations, and have plans to open over 100 more in 2025. For me, the key to being able to coordinate that many store openings is making the process as streamlined as possible. We have teamed up with a national architecture firm, which helped us create a store design that’s easy to repeat and build. We also work with a preferred equipment distributor that maintains an inventory of the equipment and smallwares needed in our stores so it’s able to send it all in an organized way based on the schedule for new store openings. One thing that has changed over the past few years is the permitting process seems to take longer, so having these other aspects working efficiently helps keep the entire timeline moving along with minimal disruptions, making up for any unforeseen delays.
2. What excites you about the future of foodservice?
How automation is improving operations. One example is the automatic basket lift feature for fryers, which takes away a small task while vastly improving product consistency. There’s a lot of talk about the future of robotics, but foodservice is an industry based on human labor and I don’t see that changing for a long time to come. The advantage of automation is rather than replacing the human touch, it’s finding more efficiencies to support staff and enhance the overall experience.
3. You previously worked as a director of site modeling at Nielsen. How has that helped you?
My work at a subsidiary of Nielsen included doing analysis and building models to predict things such as where new stores should be located and how they might perform. That has been very helpful in my work at Playa Bowls. Previously they didn’t have a good understanding of how many stores could be built in the United States over the long term, and I’ve worked with them to manage growth in a thoughtful way, understanding the different markets and targeting locations down to the
street level.
4. You’re also an accomplished musician with your own record label, a band and a solo album. How does your music impact your foodservice career?
Being a part of the creative industry, I have been able to work with a lot of people with different personalities. In some ways there is a lot more variety of styles of individuals than what you find in the business world. It’s really given me a balanced approach to working with others and improved my abilities to collaborate and communicate to get a job done. When it comes down to it, I think anything outside the job that we have experience with, whether it’s coaching your kid’s soccer team or running a 5K, has a positive influence on the skills and experiences we bring.
5. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your 30-year-old self?
When I was young, I felt like I had to be the one to drive the changes I was hoping to see. What I’ve learned is that sometimes letting things play out a bit is a better strategy. It’s important to have patience and the ability to see the difference between situations where you have to drive things and where you have to let others take the lead.
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