Brandon Esse, Meal POPs (Nashville Business Radio, Episode 38)
Brandon Esse, Founder and CEO of Meal POPs, shared with host John Ray how he created a business to support local restaurants, bringing them new customers at a low cost. The app also gives patrons a convenient way to save money at their favorite restaurants. Brandon discussed how and why he founded Meal POPs, how the program works, the benefits for restaurants, how the company gives back, and much more. Nashville Business Radio is produced virtually from the Nashville studio of Business RadioX®.
Meal POPs
Meal POPs is a technology company that incentivizes people to enjoy their favorite restaurant meals more frequently, by allowing restaurants to offer standardized monthly cash voucher promotions via the Meal POPs platform. 
They’re proud participants in the Bunker Labs We Work, Veterans in Residence national incubator and participants in Google for Startups.
Meal POPs started as a simple way for former at-risk youth in the local community to raise money for advanced educational opportunities, including trade school and community college. At the end of 2018 they supported educational expenses for 2 students, and in 2019, while serving as the Official Fundraising Sponsor for the Music City Icons Professional Basketball team, they were able to send student-athletes to one of Nashville’s best basketball camps for the Summer. Their initial success was in large part due to support from premier restaurant brands both locally and nationally, resulting in partnerships with large membership organizations and trade associations, across the country.
At Meal POPs, their goal is to bring people together more often, allowing them to enjoy the restaurants and dishes they love more frequently, by offering sustainable incentives that reduce their average per meal spend, which in turn creates the financial opportunity to dine out more.
Want to learn how your business can benefit from the app? They allow businesses to offer employees a high-value monthly food benefit for an exceptionally low cost. Bring your teams together, and make regular, quality meals, accessible to all employees.
To receive your Restaurant Meal Cash (or Cash Pass), sign up today!
Restaurants as a First Thought
Created with the modern restaurateur in mind, the app aims to provide restaurant partners with:
1. New customers
2. Loyal Customers
3. Profitable transactions
4. Ownership of the customer experience
Company Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Brandon Esse, CEO, Meal POPs
On a daily basis, Brandon Esse wakes up with the sole focus of connecting meaningful, loyal, and profitable customers, to the best restaurants throughout the country.
After several years of working in sales, IT, and with Groupon, Brandon moved to Nashville. After encountering youth trying to raise money and was inspired to create the Nashville Bar Pass. The Nashville BarPass started as a simple way for former at-risk youth in the local community, to raise money for advanced educational opportunities.
He founded Meal POPs in January 2020.
He has a degree from West Virginia University in Communications and lives in Nashville.
Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode
- Tell us about Meal POPs
- How can you help small businesses/local restaurants?
- The meal program for universities and students
- What restaurants use the app?
- Expanding markets
- For our listeners, what’s the best way for them to get involved with Meal POPs?
Nashville Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and produced virtually from the Nashville studio of Business RadioX®. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.
