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Indiana-based motorsports reporter Jamie Little and her husband, Cody Selman, are new franchisees of Protein Bar & Kitchen, a fast-casual restaurant concept that offers salads, bowls, wraps and smoothies.
Little, known for her TV work covering IndyCar and NASCAR events, told IBJ she’s aware that the landscape of “healthy option” restaurants is competitive. Protein Bar & Kitchen sets itself apart, Little said, by being dedicated to nutritious food and beverages.
“This isn’t, ‘Hey, we have a smoothie for you,’ and sugar is dumped into it,” Little said.
Little and Selman plan to open three Protein Bar & Kitchen locations in central Indiana, with the first likely to debut in 2026. Little said Hamilton County communities Westfield, Carmel and Fishers are candidates for restaurant sites, but no locations have been selected.
Protein Bar & Kitchen debuted in Chicago in 2009. In addition to traditional storefronts, the restaurant is found at O’Hare International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport.
The company launched a franchising program in 2023. Presently, more than a dozen Protein Bar & Kitchen locations serve customers in three states.
Little and Selman, who previously worked in medical sales, have more than a decade of experience as restaurant franchisees. They operated two Jimmy John’s restaurants in Las Vegas and three Nothing Bundt Cakes locations in central Indiana.
The couple sold the Jimmy John’s and Nothing Bundt Cakes spots before signing with Protein Bar & Kitchen.
Little said she appreciates the autonomy of being a restaurant franchisee.
“I like the freedom of working for yourself,” she said. I like being in control of who we hire and what we’re doing in our community.”
In May, Little will be part of Fox network’s coverage of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She reported from IndyCar races from 2004 to 2014. She’s worked as a NASCAR reporter since 2007, initially for ESPN and then Fox—the network that’s in its first year of broadcasting IndyCar races.
According to a franchise disclosure document filed with the Indiana Secretary of State’s office in 2024, the total investment necessary to launch a Protein Bar & Kitchen restaurant ranges from $369,500 to $685,000. That figure includes between $40,400 and $51,900 that must be paid to Protein Bar & Kitchen.
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Come to Broad Ripple. The former Public Greens site on the Monon would be a great fit.
second that!