Flex casual

Don't box Naples Flatbread.

The fast-casual chain of pizzas, panini sandwiches and salads offers tableside service and a liquor bar, two things that set the chain apart from others in the category.

Maybe that's because owner and veteran restaurateur Ralph Desiano birthed the chain in early 2009 during the depth of the recession. He knew the recipe for success wouldn't come by using the same old strategy. “We've found our little niche,” says Desiano, whose restaurants average about $1 million each in sales annually.