What happens when you love the convenience, flavor, and functionality of a classic sandwich, but despise the post-lunch carb crash that leaves you reaching for a fifth cup of coffee? If you’re Marc Howland, you build a seven-figure business by completely rethinking the bread.
Breadless is a Detroit-born fast-casual concept that replaces traditional bread with nutrient-dense, chef-crafted leafy supergreens like Swiss chard, collard greens, and kale. Paired with hearty power bowls, vibrant salads, and fresh smoothies, Breadless gives low-carb, high-protein, craveable meals that satisfy guests without sacrificing flavor.
Founded in 2022, the brand has grown from a handful of gym pop-ups into multiple Metro Detroit storefronts and a presence inside Comerica Park, with national franchise expansion planned for later this year and into 2027.
The concept was born out of personal necessity. Howland, a former two-sport varsity athlete at Brown University who graduated magna cum laude, went on to earn his MBA with honors from Harvard Business School and spent years working 80- to 100-hour weeks on Wall Street, first at Goldman Sachs and later at the Carlyle Group. Struggling to find quick, health-forward food that provided sustained energy during long workdays, Howland realized a major gap existed in the fast-casual market.
Together with his wife and co-founder, LaTresha “LC” Howland, and Executive Chef and Chief Product Officer Ryan Salter, a seasoned culinary entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience, they launched Breadless in Detroit. To ensure he understood the restaurant industry from the ground up, Howland even took a $10-an-hour job making sandwiches at Jimmy John’s to learn franchising systems, documentation, and operational playbooks firsthand.
What began as selling wrapped sandwiches out of brown paper bags at local Detroit gyms has blossomed into a thriving multi-unit brand built around a menu of seven core sandwiches, three power bowls, and three signature smoothies, including the brand’s top-selling jerk chicken and mango and a viral sweet heat chicken ranch now headed to the permanent menu.
The Quintessential Gentleman spoke with CEO and Co-Founder Marc Howland to discuss his transition from Wall Street to restaurant entrepreneurship, the operational discipline behind Breadless, and how he balances business and family.
[Interview has been edited for length and clarity]
What were you doing prior to starting this business?
I didn’t plan to be in this space at all. I grew up in Cleveland and went to Brown University on a full ride playing varsity football. After that, I went to Wall Street at Goldman Sachs, raising money for stadiums like the 49ers’ stadium and Barclays Center—and then went to private equity at the Carlyle Group before Harvard for business school. Throughout that journey, working 80 to 100 hours a week, I was just trying to find food as a former athlete that gave me energy. I loved the functionality of a sandwich, but hated the 2 p.m. carb crash. I thought there had to be a better way.
Talk to us about that initial journey with your co-founders.
My wife, LC, was getting her MBA at U of M and vented that this was a real problem she wanted to solve with me, but neither of us knew food. She suggested reaching out to Ryan Salter, a phenomenal chef we met in New York who had conveniently just moved to Detroit. We brought him the crazy idea to reinvent the sandwich using supergreens like Swiss chard. After trying prototypes, we started hand-picking produce, making GoDaddy sites, and selling wrapped sandwiches out of brown paper bags at Detroit gyms. People were driving out of their way to buy them. Realizing the demand, I took a $10-an-hour job at Jimmy John’s to learn how to actually run and scale a sandwich business.
What were the top things you learned by working at Jimmy John’s that prepared you for where you are?
It really came down to systems, process, and playbooks. As a former athlete, the coach-and-player concept resonated with me: the coach creates the playbook, and players execute. When researching how to scale, I learned about franchising. Instead of trying to control a massive hospitality empire alone, franchising lets us create the playbook and partner with others to execute and win together. Working in the trenches taught me the relentless pursuit of no assumptions—documenting every single checklist and setting clear standards.
How do you manage that work-life balance when you and your wife are always around each other and working at home and at work?
We have a lot going on with a three-year-old and a one-year-old! My wife does a great job creating boundaries, like setting times at night where we check out from work talk. But most importantly, it comes down to defining clear roles. She owns marketing, I handle finance and business development, and Ryan owns the kitchen and flavor profiles. Defining lanes keeps people from stepping on toes. As long as everyone operates with the right intentions toward the same goal, you make it work.
Looking ahead five years from now, what do you want to see for Breadless?
Five years from now, you’re going to see hundreds of Breadless locations bringing feel-good fuel to communities across the country. It feels like a lifelong manifestation aligned with health tailwinds like high-protein, low-carb, and nutrient-dense eating. I built this because I wanted something I could enjoy every day, and now I’m excited to share it with the world.
Check out the full interview below.
