Restaurant CEO saddles up for winners

Managers and executives at healthy eating fast casual chain Bolay, all the way up to co-founder and CEO Chris Gannon, regularly have buckets of ice dropped all over them.

It’s a head-to-toe freeze out reminiscent of NFL sideline Gatorade baths for the head coach as the clock winds down on a winning game. But the Bolay ice shower isn’t a charity challenge, nor is it an employee slip and fall situation. Instead, the ice is a mark of a new store opening or another big win. (With some 25 locations, and plans to open 10 more by the end of 2023, the Palm Beach Gardens-based chain will soon be heaving many more ice cubes.)  

“It’s a sign of winning and everybody likes to play for winner,” says Gannon, adding he’s been the recipient of a Bolay ice bath multiple times. “I love it. You don’t get ice dumped on you if you’re a loser right?”