You've probably seen Marcus Lemonis on The Profit, tearing into a soggy sandwich or a messy balance sheet while shouting about his "Three Ps." People, Process, Product. It’s a catchy mantra. But there is one specific concept that fans and business geeks keep hunting for: Our Table.
Honestly, if you go looking for a giant "Our Table" sign on a storefront today, you’re going to be disappointed. It's kinda confusing because the name pops up in trademark filings and hushed business conversations, but it never quite became the "Starbucks of dining" some expected.
The truth is way more interesting than just another failed restaurant. It’s a case study in how Lemonis actually works behind the scenes.
The Mystery of Our Table Explained (Simply)
Basically, Our Table wasn't meant to be just a single restaurant. It was envisioned as a "house brand" or a communal dining philosophy that Marcus Lemonis tried to bake into his various food investments. Think of it as an umbrella.
Back when Marcus was heavily investing in spots like The Simple Greek (which started as My Big Fat Greek Gyro on season two of The Profit), he was obsessed with the idea of communal tables. He wanted places where people didn't just eat and stare at their phones. He wanted them to sit together.
That "Table" concept was his North Star for a while.
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In 2019, he launched MLG Chicago (Marcus Lemonis Grill) in Lake Forest. This was the closest the world ever got to a physical manifestation of the "Our Table" vibe. It featured a "Buy a Meal, Give a Meal" program. For every plate you bought, a meal was donated to a local charity like the Moraine Township Food Pantry.
It was about the seat at the table being a vehicle for social change. But the actual name "Our Table" stayed mostly in the boardroom.
Why Marcus Lemonis Moved Away From the Table
Business is messy. Marcus is the first to tell you that he’s made plenty of mistakes—he actually says he has "zero regrets" because he learns from the faceplants.
The restaurant industry is a brutal, low-margin meat grinder. While Marcus was trying to scale these "Our Table" style communal concepts, the world changed. COVID-19 hit in 2020. Suddenly, the idea of sitting at a giant communal table with thirty strangers wasn't a "business opportunity"—it was a health hazard.
He had to pivot. Hard.
Instead of building new tables, he started Plating Change. He put up $1 million of his own money and partnered with Grubhub and World Central Kitchen to fight food insecurity. He realized he didn't need a building with his name on the door to create the community "table" he wanted.
The Shift to Beyond and Bed Bath & Beyond
If you look at where Marcus is in 2026, he isn't exactly flipping burgers anymore. He's the CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond (now under the Beyond Inc. umbrella).
It sounds like a total 180, right? From RVs and Greek gyros to towels and spatulas?
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But look closer. His new strategy for 2026 is built on three pillars:
- Omnichannel Retail: Making sure you can buy stuff anywhere.
- Home Services: Insurance, maintenance, and the "Home Operating System."
- Human Connection: This is the ghost of the "Our Table" philosophy.
In his 2026 letter to shareholders, Lemonis talked about creating an "Everything Home Company." He’s literally trying to own everything that happens around your actual kitchen table. He moved from owning the restaurant table to owning the table in your dining room.
What Most People Get Wrong About Marcus's "Failures"
People love to point at closed restaurants and say, "Ha! The Profit failed!"
That’s a superficial way to look at it. Marcus treats businesses like LEGO sets. If the house he built isn't working, he rips it apart and uses the bricks for something else. The Simple Greek was eventually sold to WOWorks in 2021. He didn't "fail"; he exited.
The "Our Table" brand didn't become a household name because Marcus realized the process was too heavy for the product.
He’s admitted that he sometimes trusted the wrong people. Or he got too emotional about a project. But the core idea—that business should be a pathway for underrepresented founders—is still there in his Lemon-AID Foundation.
What We Can Learn From the Our Table Legacy
If you’re an entrepreneur, there are a few "Lemonis-style" takeaways here that are actually useful.
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- Don't marry the name: He liked the idea of "Our Table," but when the market shifted, he didn't cling to the branding. He kept the mission and dumped the label.
- The 3 Ps are real: If your People are toxic, your Process is broken, or your Product is irrelevant, no amount of TV fame will save you.
- Diversity isn't a checkbox: Marcus is vocal about this. He argues that if your leadership doesn't look like your customers, you’re going to serve them the wrong thing.
- Admit the mistake: He frequently talks about how "the acknowledgement is for your humility." If a concept like a communal table isn't working, say it out loud and move on.
The Next Step for Your Business
Forget about finding a Marcus Lemonis restaurant for a second. Look at your own "table."
If you want to apply the "Our Table" philosophy to your own work, start by auditing your Process. Is it documented? Could a stranger walk in and run your business for a day based on your notes? If the answer is no, you don't have a business; you have a high-stress hobby.
Take a page out of Marcus’s 2026 playbook: simplify. He’s currently cutting $25 million in expenses at Beyond Inc. by eliminating "unproductive assets."
You should probably do the same. Look at your inventory, your subscriptions, or even your daily habits. If it doesn't bring value to the "table," get rid of it.
The "Our Table" story isn't about a restaurant that didn't happen. It's about a guy who realized that the "Table" is wherever you decide to do good business.
Actionable Insight: Conduct a "3 P Audit" on your current project this week. Specifically, look at your Process. Find one repetitive task and create a standard operating procedure (SOP) for it. As Marcus says, "If you don't have a process, you don't have a business."