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He Bet $350,000 on ClusterTruck at 62 | Joe Curtis & Janet Monroe, ClusterTruck
On today's show I sat down with Joe Curtis, the first franchisee in ClusterTruck history, and Janet Monroe, ClusterTruck's CEO, to talk about the company's new franchising chapter and the launch of ClusterTruck Carmel in February 2026. ClusterTruck is an Indianapolis-born delivery and pickup kitchen with made-to-order meals and proprietary software designed to get food delivered hot, fresh, and on time. Monroe explains that it took nearly a decade to build and refine both the software and kitchen operations, creating a profitable model in food delivery. Curtis shares his path from a 30+ year career in electrical engineering to residential real estate, with essentially no food background beyond working at McDonald's as a teenager. He became a loyal ClusterTruck customer during renovations and pursued franchising as an investment. Our conversation covers how ClusterTruck documents operations in a "kitchen back office," uses training videos, standardizes plating and order accuracy, and emphasizes culture, customer service, and community involvement. If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast. You are going to learn about: - Why ClusterTruck Is Launching Franchising - How the Smart Kitchen Model Works - What it Takes to Open a ClusterTruck Franchise Check out these great clips from the show: 00:26 Guest Introduction: Joe Curtis & Janet Monroe, ClusterTruck 02:02 Why Franchise Now? 03:20 Why Carmel 04:11 Joe's Background 06:56 From Customer to Investor 09:42 Training in the Kitchen 11:21 Building the Franchise Playbook 16:44 Culture + Quality Control 17:50 Opening the Carmel Kitchen 22:02 Why Joe's the Right Franchisee 27:21 Joe's Indiana Journey 34:00 Choosing US-31 for Demand 34:41 Supper vs. Dinner 35:12 Where ClusterTruck Wants to Expand Next 36:07 A Detour into Regenerative Farming 38:16 Who Should Franchise ClusterTruck? 41:54 The Playbook for Training, Standards & Customer Service 43:07 What's Included in Opening Costs 47:33 Why They Call Indiana Home 51:39 Rapid Fire Questions 56:40 Best Restaurant Experiences Around Indiana 01:01:50 Hidden Gems in Indiana & Hoosier to Watch Get IN. is brought to you by our friends at Sweetwater. Whether you are looking to start a podcast or level up your current show you need to hit them up.
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