When sisters Shila Morris and Kay Young were much younger, their parents would take them to an “enchanted” little breakfast spot in Truckee, Calif., near Lake Tahoe called the Squeeze In.
The name was appropriate because the restaurant was literally about 10.5-feet wide with 39 seats. “It’s basically a hallway with tables,” said Morris.
But Squeeze In was known for its wide variety of omelets and very generously boozy brunch cocktails. The Hail Mary, for example, the concept’s version of a Bloody Mary, has four shots of alcohol, three strips of bacon, pepperoncini and a grilled cheese sandwich as garnish.
On the drive back to Reno, Nev., where they live, the sisters would hear their parents talking about how much they’d love to own that restaurant, and how they loved its character and community vibe.
And then, when Young was 10 and Morris was 17, the family got wind that the restaurant was for sale.
The parents then made the “very rational decisions of cashing in their retirement savings, quitting their careers, passing the family hat and pushing all their chips in,” said Morris. “We became a restaurant family overnight.”
Squeeze In in Reno, Nevada. |Photo courtesy of Squeeze In.
Cut to: Present day. The parents have retired and the sisters now co-own the concept, which they’ve started to grow, both with company-owned locations and franchising.
Squeeze In still operates in the original skinny location in Truckee, but the full-service concept will soon have 10 units, five of which are company owned, across California, Nevada and Idaho. The goal is to secure eight more franchise agreements before the end of the year.
Now the sisters are gearing up to find a private-equity partner to take growth to the next level. Morris envisions reaching 100 units within the next decade.
They are working on building the company’s infrastructure with what they call an “Avenger team” of executives. In late 2021, they hired Amir Sabetian, a former COO of Steak n Shake and VP of operations and franchisee for ZPizza, as CEO. Meredith Jones, previously with Mellow Mushroom, was recently brought in as VP of franchise development.
The tech stack is getting an overhaul, and both the franchising and consumer-facing websites will be relaunched.
And the menu, once known for more than 64 omelets alone, has been significantly pared down to simplify operations a bit.
“There’s no reason you need four chicken liver omelets on the menu,” said Morris. “In fact, we didn’t need any chicken liver omelets.”
Now there are about a dozen omelets on the menu, and, of course, guests can build their own. The signature dish—which appeared on a Food Network throwdown with Bobby Flay—is the Racy Tracy, with bacon, avocado, mushrooms and Jack cheese.
Omelets are served with home-fried spuds, fruit, toast and always a “fun” sauce on the side: creamy mushroom, tomato pesto or cheddar cheese.
Omelets are the cornerstone, but Squeeze In is known for its extra-boozy brunch cocktails. | Photo courtesy of Squeeze In.
“We like to say we serve big breakfasts in small spaces,” said Young.
But when Squeeze In first opened in 1974, there was not as much competition in the breakfast/lunch/brunch space. Now the early daypart is becoming increasingly crowded with brunch-boozy concepts, from Snooze to First Watch.
Morris, however, said she still sees plenty of open water in this category. “When it comes to breakfast, brunch and lunch, we see it as open and rising,” she said. “Especially for a brand like ours that is a little bit different.”
Added Young: “Squeeze In’s got riz,” or charisma, which some might describe as California hippy dippy energy.
Walls are bright yellow to orange and guests can write on them with a Sharpie. There are bicycles or surfboards—or whatever represents the community—hanging from the ceiling. And there may be a little green alien out front—the legacy of a lawn ornament that became a neighborhood favorite.
Tables and chairs are deliberately mismatched, sourced from garage sales or grandma’s basement. And the concept boasts double-digit alcohol sales, though restaurants close at 2 p.m.
Units average about $1 million in sales, with a 6.5-hour operating day. The average ticket is about $22 to $25.
And, though it’s full service, Squeeze In looks for smaller spaces. The biggest is 2,700-square feet and Morris said they look for between 2,200- and 2,500-square feet, which lowers buildout costs.
“You can open two or even three Squeeze Ins for the same price of some of our competitors,” said Morris.
Here are the Squeeze In sisters explaining what makes their concept stand out: