Fox Entertainment Buys Stake In B.J. Novak’s Fast-Food Pop-Up Chain, Deal Includes First-Look Pact

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Fox Entertainment, which owns Studio Ramsay Global with chef Gordon Ramsay, is expanding its food-themed holdings with an equity stake investment in Chain, the L.A.-based restaurant pop-up founded by The Office alum B.J. Novak. The agreement encompasses a first-look development deal with Chain Media.

“As Fox continues to expand its dominance across the food space, investing in Chain furthers our digital storytelling and content creation strategy with this deep partnership in a winning business model, where viral events advance creative possibilities,” said Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment. “Studio Ramsay Global’s far-reaching, growing culinary empire and unmatched digital footprint, together with Chain’s remarkable, proven impact, will strengthen, scale and deepen our connection to food fans everywhere.”

The Chain partnership will be managed through Studio Ramsay Global. In addition to the first-look deal, it will entail IP integrations through Fox’s portfolio of Gordon Ramsay series and its Bite entertainment platform, potential vertical video series through Fox’s recently announced stake in Holywater and ad sales and sponsorships opportunities in addition to helping Chain expand its original IP and event portfolio and develop live experiences tied to Fox’s existing culinary properties.

Chain began as a West Hollywood parking-lot pop-up with a Michelin-starred chef cooking homages to nostalgic chain restaurant classics. In its first full year of operation, the company had collaborations with Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Jack in the Box, Pepsi, Dunkin’, Panda Express, and Diageo, as well as with Paramount Studios for Scream VI and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Recent partners include Disney, McDonald’s, Pernod-Ricard, Pop-Tarts and Tabasco.

In December 2023, Chain debuted ChainFEST, a chain-food festival, which subsequently expanded to New York. ChainFEST will return to Los Angeles for its third year in Fall 2025.

“Food continues to define culture — it’s how we celebrate, how we remember, how we connect,” Novak said. “No one understands how to turn culinary storytelling into cultural obsession like Fox Entertainment and Studio Ramsay Global. We’re excited to work together to bring Chain experiences to more people.

Previous Chain investor Connect Ventures is re-investing alongside Fox in the financing round. Other prior Chain investors include Marshall Sandman’s Animal Capital, Palm Tree Crew, Able Partners and Chrissy Teigen, who also serves as a strategic advisor.

Chain was founded by Novak, producers and entrepreneurs Jack Davis, Abe Burns, Byron Ashley, Michelin-starred chef Timothy Hollingsworth, and Nicholas Kraft, who serves as Chief Creative Officer.