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10
Off-premises food quality is more important than ever.
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42 Safety First Customer and employee safety and security have taken the spotlight more than ever.
46 Tackling the Hidden Costs of Cash Handling Should cash management challenges be considered “business as usual?”
52 A New World of Security Tech How can operators use new technology to gain insights into their businesses?
56 Key Players Here are the biggest names in the world of restaurant security and cash management.
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*As of December 26, 2021, there were 1,038 franchised Restaurants and 1 company-owned Restaurant. Of the 1,038 franchised Restaurants, 906 were franchised Restaurants that had been open for at least 12 months as of December 26, 2021. Of the 906 Restaurants, 29 Restaurants were excluded since they were non-traditional locations. Of the 877 Restaurants, 109 were excluded since they were not open for at least 357 days in 2021. Of the 768 Restaurants referenced in the above table, all reported sufficient financial performance information to be included in this financial performance representation.*$840,662 Systemwide Average Net Revenues. Based on calendar year 2020 and includes 555 Cafes that were open for at least 12 months as of 12/27/2020. Excludes non-traditional locations and Cafes that were not open for at least 350 days in 2020. This information appears in Item 19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document. Your results may differ. There is no assurance that you will do as well. This information is not intended as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a franchise. It is for information purposes only. The offering is by prospectus only. Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota (File No. F-4953), New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. If you are a resident of or want to locate a franchise in
This year marks the first edition of our Young Leaders where I’m too old to make the list. Welcome to life, I suppose. Our cover subject, J.R. Galardi, is 33 and the CEO of Galardi Group ( owner of Wienerschnitzel ). I actually scanned through our archives to see when we last wrote about J.R. It was March 2018, and his beard was just starting to fill out. “It took me 33 years to grow this,” he told me recently. “I’m pretty proud of it at this point.”
I can relate to trying to look older to seem older, which likely won’t last forever. But really, it was the part about his path into the business that I connected with. J.R. wasn’t considering running the family business. He worked fries, cash register, did janitorial work, and overall found ways to busy himself during summers from 13 on. But as soon as he got to college, J.R. began interning as a franchise business consultant. His dad, John, who founded the brand in 1961, wanted him to chase his own interests. J.R. worked as an assistant hedge fund manager and eventually ran a concert promotion business. He returned to Wienerschnitzel when John fell ill with pancreatic cancer. John passed away in 2013.
While you can say life forced J.R.’s hand, it wasn’t on obligatory terms. He realized the gravity of what his father built and wanted to protect it. “From that point on, I made it not only my goal, but my responsibility, to work in as many different departments and facets of our business as possible so that one day I would be a well-rounded, dynamic leader that my father would be proud of,” he says. More on that on page 24.
One afternoon when I was 18, my father sat on a recliner reading the New
York Daily News. He started reciting parts of a Mike Lupica article, saying, “I bet you could do this someday.” Truthfully, I was asking myself what I could do a lot those years. I even considered becoming a zookeeper. Instead, I applied to a few journalism programs and started on that track. Why? Because he thought I could. As he’d tell me later in life when I was hired to write about restaurants, “when somebody believes you’ll be good at something, don’t tell them otherwise.” My father passed away last March. Over the years, I ran into newspaper lifers and journalist fanatics; people who worked on school papers as teenagers and craved the rush like energy pills. But me, I just wanted to reward my father’s confidence. Like J.R., I think the legacies we’re chasing aren’t so much about living up to something as they’re personal guideposts. And I think that’s worth embracing. “Not a lot of people have the opportunities that I had, and I didn’t ever want to be one to squander an opportunity,” J.R. said three years ago. I feel similarly. I thank my father for seeing my future as only he could, and often did. He read my articles and followed along when nobody else came close to caring. Having him say, “I told you so,” is the highest bar I could strive for.
Danny Klein, Editorial Director
on the family business is a personal mission worth embracing.
Before 2020, breakfast paced along at a healthy clip. It was growing 15 percent and, generally, quicker than other segments, according to The NPD Group. In no short part, quick-service brands fueled the movement as the “breakfast wars” crowded, with Wendy’s imminent entry representing one of the year’s biggest headlines.
Per research from Coca-Cola, two main tenets of evolution were at work: One, it had begun to shift from an early morning ritual into an all-day affair; and two, flavor profiles were reflecting broader trends. Namely, a greater demand for spicy ingredients,
global flavors, and vegan or vegetarian dishes.
And while all of this evolved, innovation laid runway. Delivery, menu expansion, subscriptions, and breakfast LTOs all became common levers for operators.
However, breakfast, alongside late-night, were the two sharpest struck dayparts from COVID’s disruption. New at-home habits emerged as employers moved to remote work, cutting off coffee and breakfast commuters. Morning family meals became the norm as schools went virtual. Comfort food at breakfast also solidified as quick fixes, like toaster waffles, were no longer essential on the
A category crushed by the pandemic is finding new legs.
way out the door.
In terms of recovery, in the three months ending November 2021, according to NPD, online and physical visits to restaurants for breakfast increased by 11 percent, compared to a 10 percent decline in the same period a year ago. So that’s roughly how long it took for breakfast traffic to reach the same level as September through November in 2019.
And like broader trends, curbside, grab-and-go, digital apps, personalization, loyalty, and meal kits, helped the category rebound. Brands like Dunkin’ and Starbucks saw the daypart shift later into the day, but new rituals were rituals nonetheless.
Takeout breakfast, in particular, came into its own.
Tacodeli, which reduced its menu during COVID due to labor, says it’s ramping back up, and breakfast constitutes close to 50 percent of business today, down slightly from 55 percent pre-pandemic. It’s rolled two popular add-ins for its build-your-own dishes back in: The Veggie Nut Chorizo, which “is a hit with the vegetarian and vegan crowd and even some meat eaters,” says Roberto Espinosa, Tacodeli’s co-founder and owner, who points out that it “hits the demographic demanding the no-meat options.”
The build-your-own option is a customer favorite, and accounts for about 30 percent of Tacodeli’s breakfast sales. The three-ingredient BYO is the most popular choice, with a starting price of $3.25, though customers can add more for an upcharge.
Tacodeli also reintroduced Barbacoa Madruguera, a taco with braised beef cheek and scrambled eggs, and the Akaushi Picadillo & Egg taco (Akaushi ground beef, scrambled eggs, jack cheese glaze, salsa de arbol, and cilantro), both of which were performing well at other dayparts.
“As more of the workforce returns to the office, people will spend more time commuting and will opt for breakfast on-thego,” Espinosa says. “We’ve seen breakfast steadily increase from July 2021 and after six months of continued growth we decided to reinvest in the daypart that was always our bread and butter. We have also invested in technology to improve our customers’ experience; bringing on Olo and Thanx to offer seamless online ordering and curbside pickup.”
The flavor trends are back, too. The Works Café, a chain of nine locations headquartered in Keene, New Hampshire, recently launched a vegan breakfast burrito.
It features organic tofu and locally smoked tempeh, turmeric, roasted onions, roasted red peppers, baby spinach, and avocado, grilled in a GMO-free locally produced tortilla. “More and more folks seem to be asking about plant-based and vegan options, and find it difficult to find such items on menus,” CEO and founder Richard French says. If this goes well, he’ll explore more vegan menu items. “Vegan is a small segment but a growing segment,” he says. It’s reflected in the concept’s organic ancient grains power bowls. The Autumn Harvest vegan option “has moved way up in popularity, which says something,” French says. Other bowls include smoked salmon and bacon avocado.
Key to The Works’ food and the company’s overall philosophy is food sourced well, and taking care of the planet. Offering sea-
sonal food is “super tricky,” French says, since “it requires local producers and has been difficult for us to have consistency among our cafes, spread out over five states.”
However, he does work with two regional produce distributors. It works best, he says with root vegetables as they store well and have a long season, and local hot house tomatoes. He’s now in early conversations to source local, hydroponically grown greens year-round.
During the pandemic, off-premises dining took off at full-service chain Another Broken Egg. To-go breakfast wasn’t just a quickserve occasion any longer. The Orlando, Florida-based brand found it could offer its entire menu. Takeout and delivery business grew from 2 percent of sales and settled two years later at 15 percent. At the same time, says president and CEO Paul Macaluso, who previously worked at Focus Brands and as CEO of Krystal, dining in-house increased as regulations loosened. But since all of the concept’s business occurs between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m., offering takeout “has been a way to break through those seating capacity issues. Our kitchens can handle more business with third-party delivery.”
So it’s no surprise Another Broken Egg is seeing record unit volumes, and overall sales up 21 percent last year compared to 2019. “People missed socializing, life, and comfort and that’s what our café provides,” Macaluso says.
LTOs are also helping keep business strong. The company is offering 16 seasonal LTOs a year, and recently launched citrus honey and fig pancakes, with a citrus fig compote, fresh strawberries, eggs, bacon, and sausage; and a sausage and fennel omelette.
“The LTOs drive business,” Macaluso says. “We have a chefdriven menu that’s pretty elevated, but we try to take it up a notch with the LTOs. Some customers come every week and maybe want to try something new. This helps keep it fresh.”
And Scramblers, which has 29 stores in Ohio and Michigan, also observed an off-premises boom—from 3–4 percent of sales pre-virus to as high as 30 percent. As life recalibrated, the figure is closer to 18.5 percent. With dining rooms at capacity, this is additional revenue for the Toledo, Ohio-based company.
“Breakfast is having a very strong comeback,” says Shain Burek, president. Scramblers’ entire menu is available for delivery, and these off-premises orders appeal largely to a younger audience.
“A younger generation has embraced this and will sacrifice quality of product and even price for the convenience of not having to take off their slippers,” Burek says. In fact, he adds, “we’re seeing a price insensitivity right now. If they can get a product they haven’t had in a while they’re happy to pay a premium for that.”
This growth to younger consumers has worked well for Scramblers, he adds, because his target market is slightly older, people in their 40s, so younger customers expand his audience.
And he’s steered clear of LTOs—until now—“because when we reopened the dining rooms, the people who came in wanted the flavors they had pre-COVID.” q
that food consumed off-premise has the same quality customers enjoy in the dining room. Datassential has found that 92 percent of consumers expect food delivered to them to be prepared with the same level of care as when they dine in-person—but with persistent labor shortages, that can be difficult.
What defines a great takeout or delivery experience for customers? It’s simple.
“When you order takeout or delivery, you want to get food that is actually hot, the right texture, and with the same flavors you’re accustomed to when you eat on-premise,” says Chef Mark Slutzsky, director of culinary for North America at McCain Foods.
If customers receive food that doesn’t meet their expectations, it’s easy to post a bad review. ReviewTrackers recently found that more than 63 percent of consumers read reviews on Google before deciding to visit a business, followed by about 45 percent who look at Yelp. Restaurants need to nail takeout and delivery every time.
To help achieve that, operators can take a deep dive into packaging and consider options that might hold temperature better, save labor, or be more environmentally friendly. Slutzsky also recommends getting creative with sauces and topical applications in trending flavors to build excitement around takeout and delivery. Products like McCain SureCrisp™ fries can help ensure a fresh-out-of-the-fryer taste that are delicious anywhere.
The state of takeout and delivery today looks very different than it did before COVID-19. In a survey by Datassential, 62 percent of restaurant operators’ revenue came from off-premise sales in November 2021. When compared to pre-COVID figures of 42 percent, it becomes clear just how dramatically the landscape has changed in a short time.
Many operators—and consumers—have come to rely on takeout and delivery. The same Datassential survey found that 38 percent of operators believe their business wouldn’t even be viable today without offpremise sales. (Only 15 percent said this pre-COVID.) Likewise, consumers are choosing to order out in record numbers— nearly 40 percent of all consumers said they get food delivery at least weekly.
Takeout and delivery revenue streams are critical now, but they come with operational challenges. One of the biggest is ensuring
Lefty’s Cheesesteak, a Detroit-area franchise, used to see a lot of complaints about their fries not holding up during transport. “I listen to my customers,” says Sam Berry, owner and founder. “So I tried about 30 different types of fries to find something better, and McCain SureCrisp™ fries blew all of them away. They’re very flavorful, they hold temperature, and they’re very consistent. We got great feedback—people started to ask if we changed our fries, and that was it. We had to bring them in immediately. I don’t know if there’s a better fry out there.”
SureCrisp™ fries are part of McCain’s Good to Go line of products crafted to deliver delicious anywhere. “Consistency is key,” Slutzsky says. “If you use products that work well for both on- and off-premise, you don’t have to worry about a lot of the quality issues that come with takeout and delivery. Especially with labor challenges today, you need products you can count on.”
Off-premise food quality is more important than ever.
/BY KARA PHELPS
“When you order takeout, you want to get food that is actually hot, the right texture, and with the same flavors you’re accustomed to.”
the demand for the juice, coffee, and sandwiches are pretty similar from market to market, and the [menu] mix that we see, it is also quite similar from market to market. What we have seen is that our products are as well perceived on the West Coast as in London.”
Consumer demand for Joe & the Juice’s products has been on the rise, to the point sales are “significantly above,” pre-pandemic numbers, Nørøxe says. The CEO attributes multiple factors. For one, the brand leverages a modernized app tailored to consumers’ preferences, with a loyalty program in which guests can earn points and unlock tiers.
Nørøxe also believes increased awareness of health and wellness amid the spread of COVID thrust his brand into the spotlight. That is likely to keep growing, per research from The National Restaurant Association. In the organization’s 2022 State of the Industry report, chefs across the industry listed immunity-boosting snacks and immunityboosting/functional ingredients among their top 10 culinary trends for this year.
FOUNDER: Kaspar Basse
HEADQUARTERS: Copenhagen, Denmark
YEAR STARTED: 2002
ANNUAL SALES: $170 million (2021)
TOTAL UNITS: 311 globally; 64 in the U.S.
THE GLOBAL COFFEE BEANS MARKET IS PROJECTED to reach $42.5 billion by 2025, according to Grand View Research. And the fruit and vegetable juice segment is expected to be roughly $229 billion by 2030.
The predictions are nothing but good news for global concept Joe & the Juice, the rare fast casual that manages to play in both beverage segments, from its drip coffee, ice latte, and grey macchiato to its
lineup of creatively named juices—Iron Man ( apples, strawberries, kiwi, ice ), Hell of a Nerve ( elderflower, banana, strawberries ), and Pick Me Up ( apple, strawberries, banana, ice)
The beauty of it, CEO Thomas Nørøxe says, is Joe & the Juice sees no cannibalization between the two products. To him, juice makes up the DNA of the brand, but coffee attracts the frequency and daily routine.
Those are the first points of contact for fresh customers. Once guests are drawn in, their attention heads toward portable sandwiches and breakfast bowls fit for an accelerating digital age.
“Going into a new market, it does take some time to really gain the trust from the guests,” Nørøxe says. “But when we have been there for some time, we really see that
“One that we really put a lot of focus on early in the pandemic was the health and wellness pillar,” Nørøxe says. “We don’t want to be religious about the health aspects of our products, but we want to offer you healthy and good-for-you alternatives to other players on the street.”
Joe & the Juice, founded 20 years ago by Kaspar Basse, oversees more than 300 locations across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, including roughly 65 stores in the U.S. The plan is to double to 600 units by 2025, with 200 more in Europe and 100 domestically.
Stores range from 850 to 2,150 square feet, and typically work best in central business districts that have access to affluent customer bases. Nørøxe explains Joe & the Juice is able to operate
thinking about how they can make a good choice within the current system.”
It goes without saying that sustainability is worth the industry’s attention. The environmental impact of the food industry is massive; according to Zero Foodprint’s website, the food system contributes close to half of greenhouse gas emissions around the world. And many consumers are interested in ways that foodservice can lessen its footprint. In 2021, Statista reported that a hefty 81 percent of Americans would like more food options that protect the environment, and 65 percent of Americans are willing to pay more at a sustainable restaurant.
Painless onboarding, seamless operations, significant results— ideally, operators looking to lessen their environmental footprints need sustainability programs that meet all three of these criteria. As the cofounder of San Francisco’s cult dining destination Mission Chinese Food, restaurateur Anthony Myint has ample experience with restaurant operations, and thus, was uniquely equipped to build a sustainability initiative that would fit operators’ needs. In 2015, Myint and his wife and business partner, Karen Leibowitz, founded Zero Foodprint, a nonprofit that supports regenerative agriculture. Straightforward and effective, Zero Foodprint leverages a 1 percent consumer upcharge on food and beverage purchases to provide grants for farmers looking to invest in eco-friendly farming practices.
“Needless to say, with chefs and restaurants, everyone’s kind of overwhelmed and looking a couple of hours ahead, maybe a couple of weeks ahead, but definitely not 20 years ahead,” Myint says. “People try to do their best and take care of their customers and the planet, but most people aren’t thinking, ‘Oh, let’s try to change the whole food system, let’s change how food is grown.’ People are
Ingredients are largely responsible for the industry’s carbon footprint, which is why, initially, Myint and Leibowitz founded Zero Foodprint—in tandem with The Perennial, a concept that championed regenerative agriculture—with the purpose of convincing chefs and restaurants to shift to ingredients grown via regenerative methods. But this approach required considerable logistical planning and effort on the part of involved concepts. In 2020, Zero Foodprint partnered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the California Air Resources Board to develop its current approach.
“... What if, instead of buying the good stuff, you had a way where cool chefs, but also maybe even McDonald’s, were just sending a couple of cents per purchase—let’s say 1 percent of sales—to help a rancher change half of his growth,” Myint says of the program’s new approach. “It wouldn’t be predicated on logistics and trying to have small-scale processing and McDonald’s franchisees buying from that small butcher shop.”
Since its pivot to the 1 percent upcharge model in 2020, Zero Foodprint has awarded over half a million dollars to more than 30 farms to invest in improving agricultural approaches. Myint reports that the new iteration of Zero Foodprint has democratized the program, making it more accessible for quick-service and fastcasual concepts as well as fine dining.
Now, Zero Foodprint’s model is particularly suited to the fastpaced reality of quick-service operators. Rather than doing the legwork of building relationships with sustainable farmers and suppliers or re-allocating funds to support the purchase of more sustainably-grown ingredients, operators charge
/ BY DANIEL P. SMITH
Full-service restaurants are getting their “quick service” on like never before. ¶ Though not necessarily a new story in the ever-evolving restaurant industry—to be certain, full-service heavyweights like Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises and acclaimed chefs such as Rick Bayless have marched into the limited-service world before—sit-down restaurants migrating into the quick-service environment is becoming a more commonplace tale these days. ¶ While a competitive industry has long forced restaurants of all stripes to be creative, the pandemic demanded it, especially as COVID-19 shuttered dining rooms and paralyzed many full-service operations.
Full-service restaurants continue pushing their way into the quickservice world. And it’s no great mystery why.
Though table-service brands like Buffalo Wild Wings and IHOP had quick-service-oriented formats in motion before the pandemic overturned daily life, COVID threw accelerant on those plans while intensifying the conversations many other full-service restaurant leaders were having about diving into counter-service waters.
With off-premises occasions like carryout, delivery, and drive-thru orders swelling amid the pandemic, full-service operations saw more promise than ever in the quick-service category, not to mention a shot at survival by taking their brand equity downstream. But even as pandemic restrictions eased, full-service dining rooms reopened, and consumers expressed a greater willingness to dine out, the appeal of the more straightforward, less labor-intensive quick-service model remains strong for full-service brands.
Nearly two years after announcing plans for a fast-casual concept, Flip’d by IHOP debuted in Lawrence, Kansas, last September. Over recent months, additional Flip’d restaurants have opened in New York City, Cincinnati, and Silver Spring, Maryland. Meanwhile, Buffalo Wild Wings, which opened its first Buffalo Wild Wings GO unit in May 2020 outside Atlanta, is touting plans for 100 GO restaurants by the close of 2022, while Steak ‘n Shake is converting its 500-plus restaurants into quick-service formats, leaning heavily into digital ordering, self-service kiosks, and drive-thru operations to do so.
But it’s not just the mighty national full-service chains pushing their way into the quick-service ranks. Independent restaurateurs and restaurant groups are also making the trek.
In December 2020, the Duggan family, which had been serving old-school Italian-American fare at Original Joe’s in California’s Bay Area for more than eight decades, launched Little Original Joe’s in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood. The quick-service-styled eatery pairs pizza, pasta, and parmigiana dishes with a marketplace featuring ready-to-cook favorites from Original Joe’s.
And earlier this year, the husband-and-wife team of Joe and Katy Kindred, who found fullservice success near Charlotte with Kindred and Hello, Sailor, opened a donut-peddling, chicken-slinging fast casual called milkbread in Davidson, North Carolina.
QSR talked with five full-service restaurant companies about their moves into the quickservice world: ,
DEBUT:
February 2017 in Cicero, Illinois
MOTIVATING FACTORS: Hooters leadership noticed a healthy rise in off-premises orders as early as 2010, including some Hooters restaurants collecting as much as 20 percent of their sales from carryout. “We saw the appetite for this and went after it,” says Sal Melilli, CEO of HOA Brands, Hooters’ parent company. “We like to be user-friendly to help our guests and creating Hoots leaned into their demands.”
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
Hoots units cover 1,300–1,800 square feet, a far cry from the 5,000–7,000-square-foot spaces of the typical Hooters restaurant. Hoots restaurants also drop the TV packages, world-famous Hooters girls, and full alcohol service found in traditional establishments. Hoots does, however, embrace the top-selling menu items of its full-service sibling, namely wings, shrimp, a chicken sandwich, and tenders. Menu boards feature bundles and catering packages as well.
EARLY RETURNS:
Before the pandemic, Melilli saw consistent positive returns at Hoots across several states, which offered proof of concept. The pandemic, though, was
the real validator. As consumers hungered for value, convenience, and variety, Hoots delivered with naked, breaded, roasted, smoked, and boneless wings as well as 15 different sauces and rubs. “With what we experienced with demand and interest, it’s clear this model fits the bill,” Melilli says.
WHAT’S NEXT:
Hoots will end 2022 with 15–18 stores in operation and Melilli touts nearly 100 more in the development pipeline. He also cites ghost kitchen and international possibilities as well. “We’ve got runway here to build out and bring more online,” Melilli says.
DEBUT:
February 2020 in Chicago
MOTIVATING FACTORS: Seeing rising appetite for carryout at its bistro locations, P.F. Chang’s leadership began working on a to-go concept in 2018. A quick-service concept, leaders reasoned, would position P.F. Chang’s to build a presence in areas in which it lacked current activity while enabling it to add to markets with already thriving bistro locations. “We theorized that people wanted P.F. Chang’s more often, so we tried to figure out how to get it to them,” says Candice Barnett, vice
47%
of lapsed customers say more variety of hot & cold specialty coffees and new brewed coffee options would entice them to increase food and beverage purchases at breakfast.
Whether you’re a quick-service coffee destination or full-service restaurant with a breakfast program, Mother Parkers is here to partner on your tea and coffee needs through:
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president of off-premises dining at P.F. Chang’s.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: While eliminating the most complex items, To Go locations embrace the same recipes and scratch-made cooking methods as bistro locations, including dishes like Chang’s Spicy Shrimp and Kung Pao Chicken. In all, the To Go menu represents about half of the bistro menu. “Our food is our food and we maintain integrity there,” Barnett says. Most space at the 2,000–2,500-square foot To Go locations is devoted to the kitchen, and while the first P.F. Chang’s To Go restaurant in Chicago offered no seating, all new locations now include limited indoor dining. The company is also retrofitting its current To Go fleet to include seating as well.
EARLY RETURNS:
Barnett says P.F. Chang’s To Go performance is “getting better all the time.” She reports favorable returns in suburban markets as well as an uptick in urban markets, where the office reopenings have spurred lunch and catering orders.
WHAT’S NEXT:
Barnett says P.F. Chang’s will near 30 To Go eateries by year’s end. “These restaurants are not making as much money
as the bistro locations, but we’re able to build a lot more of them because of the pricing structure and markets we can get into,” Barnett says.
says. “When you open the funnel and bring your brand to more people and in different categories, you create new opportunities to gain customers for franchisees and the brand.”
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
DEBUT:
January 2021 in Coralville, Iowa
MOTIVATING FACTORS:
For Paul Mangiamele, chairman and CEO of Legendary Restaurant Brands, Bennigan’s parent company, launching the Bennigan’s On The Fly concept is about offering more diverse franchising opportunities, leveraging the treasured Bennigan’s brand, and corralling a new demographic. “This game is all about market share capture,” Mangiamele
From the Turkey O’Toole to Oh, Baby Back Ribs, On The Fly customers can order many of the same core—and trademarked—menu items available at a traditional Bennigan’s. While the typical full-service Bennigan’s sits in a free-standing, 5,200-square-foot restaurant with a full bar and patio, Mangiamele says the company’s quick serve is a “completely adaptable concept,” whether that means drive-thru service, nontraditional venues like airports and arenas, or bar seating with beer and wine. “We will collaborate with our franchisees to make the unit economics work,” he says.
EARLY RETURNS:
“Very pleased,” Mangiamele says, adding that positive initial results weren’t surprising given the strong connections many have to the Bennigan’s brand. “My belief is that nostalgia never goes out of style.”
WHAT’S NEXT:
More than a dozen Bennigan’s On
The Fly restaurants are in the current development pipeline, and Mangiamele sees significant potential for growth. He notes opportunities with ghost kitchens, second-generation restaurant spaces, and internationally in locales such as Iraq, Turkey, and Central America. “There’s a lot of upside opportunity for us now and we’re all about taking advantage of it,” Mangiamele says.
DEBUT: August 2021 in Las Vegas
MOTIVATING FACTORS:
With barbecue ready to be served on demand after hours of preparation, Famous Dave’s can execute fast ticket times to provide guests the food and convenience they crave. “The evolution of convenience makes it a necessity,”
Famous Dave’s CEO Jeff Crivello says. The smaller footprints, compelling real estate opportunities, and simplified operations of the quick-service environment certainly appealed to company leadership as well.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
While the Quick ‘Que menu resembles that of Famous Dave’s full-service restaurants, the company eliminated steps of service to ensure a faster, more convenient experience. “People want less human contact, at a faster pace, and on demand,” Crivello says.
EARLY RETURNS:
Quick ‘Que has captured quick success, Crivello says, as customers appreciate the ability to get Famous Dave’s hearty barbeque via delivery, dine-in, carryout, or the drive-thru, where Famous Dave’s boasts ticket times on par with other quick-service concepts. “We know the demand is there,” Crivello says.
WHAT’S NEXT:
Crivello calls the Quick ‘Que model Famous Dave’s primary growth vehicle moving forward. Soon after opening in Las Vegas last August, additional Quick ‘Que locations opened in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, and South Salt Lake, Utah, a nod to Famous Dave’s national plans for the nascent concept. And
while traditional full-service restaurant development will continue, albeit with restaurants carrying a reduced footprint, Crivello says Famous Dave’s has current and prospective franchise partners eager to build a Quick ‘Que.
DEBUT:
February 2022 in Westfield, Massachusetts
MOTIVATING FACTORS: Friendly’s CEO and president Craig Erlich says current times call for a model like Friendly’s Cafe to complement the company’s traditional full-service restaurants. The café concept enables Friendly’s to serve guests in a new way while empowering the company to explore innovations in menu and technology. “[Quick-service] and fast-casual concepts are leading the way during a time when customers prioritize convenience and flexibility in their dining experience without having to compromise quality, service, or tradition,” Erlich says.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST:
Whereas the traditional Friendly’s restaurant averages about 3,800-square
feet, the Westfield café covers but 2,700 square feet, a more compact size that positions Friendly’s Café to enter different markets. The new restaurant’s menu pairs beloved Friendly’s classics like SuperMelts and ice cream sundaes with new options like Tater Kegs, the $100,000 Cobb Salad, and a Dorito’s Cool Ranch ChoppedCheese Burger. Guests order at the counter or via a QR code at the table before staff delivers food to the table. “This new concept is very exciting because it shows how we are growing and enhancing the Friendly’s brand, while also maintaining key staples that make the brand what it is,” Erlich says.
EARLY RETURNS:
In advance of its early 2022 opening, Erlich heard mixed opinions about how the café concept would be received. Within the café’s first week, however, he says the company had received “a lot of positive feedback from customers.”
WHAT’S NEXT:
Friendly’s leadership intends to open additional Friendly’s Café restaurants, but it will first monitor results of the Westfield location. “As with any new concept, we want to gain feedback on what is working and what’s not and finetune along the way,” Erlich says. q
Daniel P. Smith is a regular contributor to Food News Media and is based in Chicago.
/ BY QSR STAFF
When it came to restaurant leadership, the pandemic didn’t leave room for learning curves. Innovation arrived too fast, pivots too frequent, and plainly, the switch to survival mode tossed executives of all ages and resumes into the fray. But the end result was hardly a setback. In fact, the trials of the past two-plus years spurred creativity at levels unseen. And that extends up and down the corporate ladder. ¶ In this year’s collection of the quick-service industry’s most exciting young executives, founders, and franchise leaders, a common theme was resiliency. These 35 visionaries responded to the crisis with ideas and strategies that will last well beyond it. ,
IN THE END, THE PANDEMIC MIGHT HAVE CREATED THE MOST RESILIENT GROUP OF INNOVATORS THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY HAS SEEN.
AGE: 33
J.R. Galardi is a realist. He’s the CEO of a 350-unit restaurant chain at 33 years old, and without his last name, he probably wouldn’t have got here, he admits. But while it’s something “always in the back of people’s heads,” Galardi isn’t carrying a chip on his shoulder.
“I want to do my best to make sure I run this business as it should be run,” says Galardi, whose father, John, created the chain in 1961. “Regardless of who my dad is.”
Galardi’s story isn’t your standard birthright. Growing up, he didn’t expect to run the family business and was, in fact, doing the opposite. He had a concert promotion company in Denver after following his father’s advice—to pursue his own interests.
Yet things shifted when John was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Galardi grasped the gravity of what his father, who passed away in 2013, built, starting as a single hot dog stand six-plus decades ago. Galardi didn’t want Wienerschnitzel to “get broken up,” or for private equity to swoop in. “We’re going to continue the upward trend,” Galardi says, “and really make sure that everything my dad worked for stays in place.”
Galardi has a habit of going all-in when he sets course, he says. It drives his wife crazy. And it’s what happened with Wienerschnitzel.
Galardi was promoted atop the world’s larg-
est hot dog franchise in early February. He added CEO to his president title, which he held since 2017. Galardi also stepped into his mother, Cindy Galardi Culpepper’s, role, who stayed on as executive chairman.
In recent years, Galardi says she stepped back and let him learn from the front. That was nothing new. At 13, Galardi helped out at a Wienerschnitzel in Newport Beach, California. He was a janitor, fry cook, and drive-thru window attendant. He even poured beer out of the store’s tap.
When his father got sick, however, Galardi returned with a directive: to learn the business while also earning his stripes. On day one, “nobody knew what to do with me,” Galardi recalls. They had him update pricing stickers on a menuboard that hung in the conference room.
“It’s not only that I wanted the perception to be that I just didn’t take over, but also, I’ve been a big believer that you shouldn’t be able to tell people what to do if you don’t know what to do yourself,” he says.
Galardi took jobs across the organization, from operations to development to marketing. He started with the latter, which proved a natural extension from Galardi’s background. Additionally, this was during the “rise of the millennials,” and the best way to reach them, Galardi says, was to market to himself. He created a “Visionary Department” in 2014 that amplified social media, digital, and outreach. They’d connect with events—concerts, Supercross, music fes-
founder Mike Smith. The Hot Dogs for Homeless Tour visited 20 cities and raised $200,000. It gave away more than 40,000 hot dogs. Another end result—seven people inked matching tattoos of a skateboarding hot dog. Galardi got one on his left arm.
Interestingly, the notion of a Wienerschnitzel tattoo isn’t all that crazy, he says. Galardi has seen them often. CMO Doug Koegeboehn once even walked into the office and pulled his pant leg up to reveal Wienerschnitzel’s famed pole. “He’s like, please don’t ever fire me,” Galardi jokes.
This kind of loyalty struck Galardi from the moment he rejoined the company. “People live and die by this food,” he says.
And now he’s tasked with guarding it. Under Galardi’s time as president, same-store sales jumped 42 percent. Digital sales ballooned 400 percent. This past year marked the brand’s 11th consecutive run of comps growth.
Wienerschnitzel’s unit expansion in recent calendars, however, has been mostly stagnant. Galardi says it’s a product of some external realities—construction costs and the landscape being what it is—and a footprint with perhaps too many variations. He says the chain is working to develop a modular concept to lower costs and improve scalability.
Meanwhile, Wienerschnitzel continues to explore technology and become more efficient. It implemented third-party delivery pre-pandemic and worked on packaging and streamlining off-premises. The company teamed with Olo to build out its website for mobile ordering. “I think it jumped us probably five years, at least, in the first year,” Galardi says of COVID.
He also oversees 13-unit Hamburger Stand and Tastee Freeze, which Galardi Group acquired in 2003. The latter has four units, but is on the menu at nearly all Wienerschnitzels.
AGE: 34
tivals—and meet guests by handing out product and talking about the legacy chain. The goal being to get in front of a younger demographic while remaining loyal to a core guest who has stuck around for generations.
Through this, the brand brought the average age of its consumer down from 49 to 44.
Galardi’s marketing role tailed into another position, which carried over into another. And he kept asking questions and figuring things out. One outlet Galardi wanted to explore was philanthropy. Then the company’s chief visionary officer, he ignited a program called, “Hot Dogs for Homeless,” partnering with Skate for Change
Galardi believes both have legs to grow, especially overseas. Hamburger Stand, in particular, appears to be the company’s most viable vehicle, just given the product’s familiarity with international consumers (the hot dog isn’t quite an established daypart outside of America). It incorporates Wienerschnitzel’s menu, which typically mixes about 49 percent of sales.
As Wienerschnitzel’s growth unfolds, Galardi will continue to drive his father’s legacy forward. At 33, he’s a young CEO by most measures, in addition to being the founder’s son. “I think definitely in the beginning, when I was in my mid- and early-20s, I would show up to meetings and people would think I was there to set up the projector, bring them coffee,” he says. “Now, I’ve established a good relationship with vendors and franchisees.”
Jennifer Lewis graduated from college and dove into her family’s business, overseeing 10 Las Vegas McDonald’s. When Lewis’ parents retired, she began to look for a fresh chapter and found Chronic Tacos. Lewis’ purchased her first store in 2015 in the Palms Hotel and Casino.
Soon, corporate took notice. They asked her to join as franchise support manager and assume direction of a portfolio of units. Lewis developed strategic plans and spearheaded a COVID response that centered on ground-level support and communications, particularly with mandate tracking and federal aid. In 2022, after four years, Lewis was named Chronic Tacos’ director of operations. “I feel the most important part in my role is building strong relationships with our franchisees,” she says. “Gaining their confidence is fundamental. Especially, operating in a time of uncertainty, providing franchisees with strong support helps them maintain high levels of confidence and in turn deliver on our brand promise.”
Being an owner/operator established credibility quickly. “The franchisees I support have an appreciation for the fact that I can see things from their perspective,” Lewis says. “I look at myself as a liaison, providing an ,
WIENERSCHNITZEL’S COMP SALES HAVE GROWN 11 STRAIGHT YEARS.Of all the major brands, Wendy’s has arguably created the most distinctive voice across its social media and other digital interactive channels. Known for a razor-sharp wit tinged with a bit of snark, “Wendy” has become a character in her
“Referring to Wendy as ‘her’—that’s our goal. We know we’re a brand, but at the same time, we really more so look at Wendy as this cultural influencer,” says Kristin Tormey. As social media and gaming manager for Wendy’s, Tormey is largely responsible for shaping that voice and persona across platforms, from Twitter and Facebook to TikTok and Twitch. She also manages multiple agency partnerships with the brand to ensure consistency.
“When it comes to matching the tone, that’s a lot of work,” she says. “You just have to be aware of what’s going on out there, whether it’s what’s in the news, what’s in the industry, what’s going on on each platform, and how that tone is.”
Case in point: Every January, Wendy’s hosts a Roast Day, where Wendy takes to Twitter to grill people. It’s become a
fun tradition that engages fans, but at the height of the pandemic, the
“So instead of roasting, we did a little bit of toasting with a campaign called GroupNug,” Tormey says.
GroupNug encouraged Twitter users to tag someone who could use a boost, and then Wendy’s would spotlight them via the social media platform. Tormey says the swell of responses led to shoutouts to first responders, nurses, firefighters, family members, friends, and more. Fans could also use a code to get a free four-piece chicken nugget order.
Tormey started at Wendy’s five years ago, when Wendy’s social presence was focused almost exclusively on Twitter. Since, she’s been a driving force behind taking the brand into not only new socialscapes like TikTok, but also
In summer 2019, “Wendy” began playing Fortnite on the game-streaming platform Twitch. Most recently, the chain entered the Metaverse in early April. Through virtual reality, fans could explore a branded park that included a Fanta soda fountain and a basketball court called the Buck BiscuitDome (the latter was especially timely given it coincided with the final games in the NCAA’s March Madness tournament ). It’s difficult for Tormey to name a single achievement she’s most proud of during her tenure at Wendy’s. However, there is one that stands out. In 2019, Chance the Rapper tweeted a daily affirmation that implored the brand to bring back its Spicy Chicken Nuggets, which had been absent from the menu for two-plus years. The timing was ideal; Wendy’s had been having discussions about bringing the item back.
After talking to the higher-ups, Wendy’s issued a challenge: Get Chance’s tweet up to 2 million likes, and the Spicy Chicken Nuggets will return. It only took about 36 hours to reach that goal.
“It was like watching a slot machine; it just kept going up and up in real time,” Tormey says.
open channel of communication, providing reassurance in knowing that their feedback plays a huge part to the success of our brand.”
KRYSTAL
AGE: 28
Kaitlin Stoehr found the marketing bug as an 11-year-old watching Season 1 of “The Apprentice.” And she discovered a perfect outlet in restaurants. In high school and college, Stoehr immersed herself, including a stint covering the overnight shift at a Steak ‘n Shake corporate training location.
Her corporate path began at Focus Brands, rising from intern to marketing coordinator to marketing specialist, and, lastly,
brand manager. After four years, she took on a post as manager of national calendar and activation for Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Her first day? The start of COVID lockdowns. During the crisis, Stoehr helped grow sales and roll highperforming LTOs. She then joined Krystal Restaurants in her current role, which is the second-ranked member of the marketing team. “Though Krystal is celebrating its 90th year, it embraces young leaders and new ideas,” Stoehr says. “We operate closer to the mindset of a startup than a traditional brand, which enables us to experiment and implement programs at a rapid speed.”
In less than a year, Stoehr helped the iconic burger chain introduce a new website and app with branded delivery functionality, implement digital menuboard testing with AI tech in select drive-thrus, partner with Butter. ATL, 2Chainz, and Victor Cruz as part of a rebranding, team with Southeastern Conference athlete influencers on sponsorships, select a new agency of record,
and debut LTOs, including Country Fried Krystal and Shrimp Po’ Boys. She is also leading initiatives to launch an optimized menu with new architecture and designs, as well as four ghost brands with one in-pilot testing.
CEO
SHOOTZ HAWAIIAN
AGE: 33
Shootz Hawaiian sprung up in Southern California’s Rodeo 39 Public Market in September 2020, right in the thick of COVID. But Harold Isaac Walters was used to betting on himself. He dropped out of high school in 2006 and grabbed odd-jobs where he could. A little over a decade later, he started a digital agency and ecommerce brand. Although it succeeded, Isaac Walters wanted to expand
PIZZA HUT MARKETING
AGE: 31
Amanda Rather began her career with Yum!’s pizza icon as a social media copywriter. Today, she oversees TV advertising, a role that began in early 2021 just as Pizza Hut started to unveil a new creative campaign, “Spirit of the Hut”—a continuation of the chain’s nostalgic, yet modern approach in recent years. Rather produced five TV campaigns to strengthen brand linkage and relevance within her first 12 months. “Learning to navigate the ins-andouts of TV production during the pandemic has been challenging,” she says. “But it’s been a rewarding, unique experience to be part of a brand that has undergone its own transformation at a time when the whole world is changing.”
company’s social and PR strategy and rebuilt its “hometown partnership” strategy as Caribou turned focus to local impact.
“I believe small moments that ‘fill your cup’ throughout the day, matter,” Alexson says. “One of these moments for me always includes—quite literally—a great cup of coffee in the morning, while other moments are shaped dayto-day by authentic connection and experience with others. I feel lucky to have spent the past four years at Caribou Coffee, a brand
Before assuming her present title, Arp served as off-premises marketing manager for two years. That stretch coincided with the pandemic, which put Arp in the heart of the industry’s most visible transformation: she was charged with advancing strategic growth outside Your Pie’s four walls. Pre-COVID, 15 percent of the company’s business came off-premises. It ballooned to more than 80 percent at peak.
In Arp’s tenure with Your Pie, the chain scaled from fewer than 15 stores to more than 70. “With the acceleration of growth in the off-premises space over the past two years, the mindfulness to the owners and our guests has been more important than ever,” Arp says. “I look forward to keeping that mindset throughout the rest of my career.”
whose purpose is to create daymaking experiences that spark a chain reaction of good.”
and was presented with an opportunity to launch a restaurant with childhood friends Nolan Perez, Christian Solomona, and Michael Dancel. “I took the leap, and eventually my knowledge of tech and internet marketing became increasingly valuable as we went through the pandemic, and the digital needs for the restaurant quickly became a necessity,” he says.
During the pandemic, Shootz Hawaiian “absolutely killed it,” Isaac Walters adds. They’re now opening a second location in Ontario Ranch, California. Along with his partners, Isaac Walters also debuted a Latin-Asian fusion quick-serve called Buenos Migos and is looking to bring a cookie shop, Sweet G’s, to market this year.
Going back further, Rather’s ascension took her from copywriter to social strategy, where she led the aforementioned process of reshaping Pizza Hut’s image. Rather implemented robust KPI reporting to improve content on multiple platforms and channels, and continued to listen to feedback, which earned her a reputation as a leader with a customer-first mindset. Perception of taste, high quality, relevance, and value have all climbed 3 percentage points among existing customers and those now aware of the classic chain compared to 2018.
CARIBOU COFFEE
AGE: 33
Since joining the coffee chain in 2018, Kayleen Alexson’s purposeled strategy and creative mentality have been central to Caribou’s outreach, especially as it begins to expand from a regional to national concept. Her team re-focused the
Nearly every function under Alexson was reimagined during COVID. Directives amplified around teams, guests, and storelevel needs. They prioritized giving back and, in Minneapolis during the George Floyd murder, where Caribou is based, she played a lead role in rallying conversations.
“Are we saying that coffee can change the world?” she says. “No, we’re not. But the people connecting around that coffee just might.”
SENIOR OFF-PREMISES
YOUR PIE
AGE: 26
Leah Arp has been with Your Pie since she was 18. She’s held roles from training manager (helping open 63 locations across 17 states) to franchise support manager—a job that gave her oversight of 22 restaurants while also being asked to coordinate training and marketing for all new store openings.
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
PURO GUSTO
AGE: 24
Puro Gusto is a relatively new entrant to the restaurant landscape, having opened December 15, 2021, in Washington, D.C. A week later, daily sales were nearly half of projections. And then, Omicron took hold. Figures plummeted and downtown D.C. business crawled.
That’s when Bryce Iapicca got to work. He adjusted hours, shifted channels, reduced staff, and grappled with a 10 percent decline in sales (versus anticipated figures). Further, he was now directing a team that hadn’t had enough time to embed itself in company culture. Despite all of it, three months later, sales were back on the mend and Puro Gusto maintained the original team it opened with.
“There are many different F&B concepts in the U.S.—coffee shops, bars, quick service, fast food, fine dining, and so on,” Iapicca says. “To me, the most exciting part of Puro Gusto is bringing a new type of concept to Washington, D.C. that will eventually be franchised
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AGE: 32
Candice Beck, Chipotle’s director of social and influencer, describes her group as a team of “culture hunters.”
In August 2020, the company became the first restaurant to surpass a million followers on TikTok. Chipotle says it was also the first fast casual to partner with the social media platform for the lid flip hashtag challenge, resulting in more than 100 million video starts.
“We aim to meet our fans where they are and deliver authentic content endemic to each platform that supercharges our super fans,” Beck says. “We saw incredible potential with being an early mover on TikTok and tapping into the Gen Z audience. We were patient as we waited to strike when we had a unique insight and the right opportunity to show up on the platform in an engaging way.”
As one of the first restaurants on the platform, Beck helped Chipotle listen, experiment, learn, and build relationships with creators and discover influential fans.
This momentum led to the Chipotle Creator Class, a group comprising mostly Gen Z influencers that create Chipotle content and meet up to three times per year for virtual brainstorming sessions.
“We work exclusively with authentic Chipotle fans, and we recognized there was an opportunity to partner with creators in a bigger, more impactful way,” Beck says. “We designed Creator Class to build long-term relationships with creators who were already talking about Chipotle, recognize their genuine fandom, support their unique and individual goals, and give them first opportunities for campaigns.”
For Beck, the key to building engagement is finding a uniquely Chipotle angle that resonates with fans and builds community. In 2021, she oversaw Chipotle’s “Burritos Or Bitcoin” campaign, which involved contestants having 10 tries to guess a six-digit code to win a free burrito or up to $25,000 in Bitcoin. Four million unique users joined the contest, with an average duration of 815 gameplays per second.
Then as part of its 21st annual Boorito Halloween event, Chipotle officially entered the metaverse with a virtual restaurant on Roblox, an online gaming platform. The activation shattered records, with more than 1,600 mentions and 4.5 billion earned impressions, resulting in the highest digital sales day in history on Halloween.
“We are always looking for opportunities to bring value to new communities and tap culture,” Beck says.
throughout the U.S. Our version of the all-day Italian café marries quality food, value priced, excellent service, and retail grocery [food and alcohol] brings together the best of Europe for an American audience.”
Iapicca has worked in quick service since he was 17, starting as a high school junior helming the register of a pizza chain.
SENIOR FRANCHISE MANAGER
BLAZE PIZZA
AGE: 32
Andrew Verhagen arrived at Blaze in 2021 as franchise manager. He grew up in the industry around his family’s pizza concept and honed his franchising knowledge with Bojangles. Over the past year, Verhagen led a variety of strategic initiatives to support Blaze’s franchise efforts, which resulted in more than a dozen commitments for new store developments. Additionally, he assumed a lead role in the sourcing, analysis, and launch of Blaze’s new website and digital strategy.
“Having experienced the franchise world from both the franchisee perspective and now the franchisor, I’m encouraged by and delighted to be among the new generation of executives leading these great brands,” Verhagen says. “While the pandemic certainly had its challenges, it’s clear that consumers are now more than ever demanding both exceptional products and service from brands they know and love.”
“Specifically, for development, this is an exciting time to be partnering with existing franchisees to grow their business as well as cultivating new franchisees with fresh perspectives in new markets,” he adds. “There also happens to be a paradigm shift in the day-to-day of franchising utilizing a more data heavy and analytical approach to achieve goals. The era of a handshake over a highball is transforming into software with seltzers, some-
thing our younger generation has naturally been able to employ to enhance the strategic efforts of leadership.”
AGE: 28
Ross Groeneweg will always remember March 16, 2020, as the last day Pizza Ranch served its buffet before COVID19 shutdowns began. It was also his 26th birthday.
Groeneweg quickly met with employees one-on-one to update them and also ask how many hours they would need to get by amid the shutdowns. A general manager at the time, his peoplefirst approach to the crisis proved a winning strategy. In 2020, his restaurant posted the top sales increase, and he was awarded
This past January, Groeneweg was promoted to chief people and strategy officer after starting at the brand as a dishwasher and dough roller nearly a decade earlier. It was also a meaningful accomplishment, given that his father, Adrie Groeneweg, is the company founder and president.
“I appreciate that my father never pushed me to choose Pizza Ranch for a career. He allowed me to choose, even directly challenging me when I said I wanted to work in Pizza Ranch,” he says.
KAHALA BRANDS
AGE: 33
Prior to joining Kahala Brands, Courtney Maxedon was well-entrenched in the toy and comic book world. But for as different as the
See
sector might appear, the lessons from that time have proved invaluable in her role of vice president of interactive marketing.
“During my time at McFarlane Toys, I was ‘on the ground’ so to speak, activating marketing strategies to cultivate that customer and brand connection/loyalty,” she says. “Tactics like influencer outreach, licensor promotions, real-time social engagement, and our own version of a loyalty program really gave me hands-on experience in all digital aspects.”
After a brief pause on marketing at the start of the pandemic, Kahala Brands, under Maxedon’s direction, pivoted to digital media, with that budgeting increasing 230 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year. The increased investment allowed its brands to not only strengthen customer ties but also glean data insights; both continue to pay dividends.
TRAINER
JPC PIZZA (Domino’s Franchisee)
AGE: 33
“Load and Go,” it focuses on quality and speed of service out of the oven. The concept is going global. Essentially, just as much emphasis now centers on loading pizza as when it comes out, gets boxed, and prepared to leave the store. It involves new positions and streamlined operations for drivers and Domino’s postbake team. Deliveries are getting to customers 5–10 minutes faster. Drivers are making more money. Teams are able to produce more with fewer workers. And jobs have become easier during peaks.
AGE: 35
As the first dedicated public relations manager at Firehouse Subs, Liz Slobodian was essentially tasked with shaping her own role and responsibilities when she first joined the company. Nearly a decade later, this proactive approach continues to expand the scope and ability of
Brands International completed its acquisition of the sub chain.
SERVE HOSPITALITY GROUP
AGE: 32
Salem Najjar came to the restaurant world with more financial savvy than most. He spent the early years of his career as a business tax consultant at the consultancy Deloitte, and that knowledge proved a major boon when he became a Tropical Smoothie franchisee in 2015. His company, SERVE Hospitality Group, has since grown to 14 units (six of which opened within the last two years), and an additional 19 stores are already in the pipeline. On average, his cafes turn out EBITDA margins of 26.4 percent.
But while SERVE Hospitality benefits from Najjar’s analytical mindset, the restaurant industry has changed the way he approaches business.
Zone. As real estate manager for the West Coast, Bloom works with franchisees in some of the country’s toughest markets, including Los Angeles and Orange County.
“It was [and still] is incredibly difficult to open new restaurants during the pandemic,” says Dennis Watts, vice president of real estate for Capriotti’s and Wing Zone. “Sara’s calm and persistent approach was successful in breaking down roadblocks and helping us succeed.”
He adds that under Bloom’s leadership, sales at new stores have outpaced legacy units by 25 percent. “I struggled throughout most of my life to find a field to specialize in, but I have always been interested in placemaking, city planning, and land and space development, so the real estate role has felt like a natural fit,” Bloom says. “I am proud to have achieved this growth while also becoming a mother to my son who was born in July 2020.”
Kyra Butler’s rapidly ascending Domino’s career began as a delivery driver at 18. After a five-year hiatus, she returned as GM, opened new locations, and was soon promoted to supervisor, where she grew her store count to 12 locations. Butler also served as the company’s trainer for the past two years, and her oversight includes 45 restaurants today.
Recently, there’s been a gamechanging innovation. Along with Ryan Raymond (one of the GMs Butler supervises), Jayden Casev, and Syndney Boone, and the help of the franchise organization, she helped pioneer an entirely new system in 2021 for Domino’s that’s been adopted as operating procedure. Called
Now the vice president of public affairs, Slobodian has built an internal team of 10, guided the brand’s media coverage, liaised with government affairs, and served as the point person on the crisis management team—a responsibility that has demanded much of her time over the past two years. “I’m proud to have built a completely internal PR team that never rests on our laurels as we service a franchise community of more than 400 small business owners every day,” she says. “As a storyteller and communications leader, I have the best job in the world: telling the Firehouse Subs story while being an advocate for our brand and each of my team members.”
Most recently, Slobodian managed all internal and external communications as Restaurant
“Since getting into franchising, I’ve learned that trusting your gut is an important part of leadership,” he says. “When making decisions both big and small, it’s good to have all the data, but how you feel about a particular outcome should factor into your decision as well.”
REAL ESTATE MANAGER
CAPRIOTTI’S AND WING ZONE
AGE: 32
Even before the pandemic, the real estate market had become more cutthroat, and it’s only intensified since then. That’s what makes Sara Bloom’s role so invaluable to sister brands Capriotti’s and Wing
SWEETFIN
AGES: 33 AND 34
The film industry and mortgage loan sector hardly seem like ideal breeding ground for fastcasual success, but that’s exactly how poke concept Sweetfin got its start. Back in 2015, cofounders Brett Nestadt and Seth Cohen (now CEO and president, respectively) saw an untapped market for premium raw fish in a more relaxed setting. As Cohen points out, full-service sushi restaurants could be found on just about
every block in Los Angeles, so the duo knew the market likely had an appetite for poke bowls, too.
“We felt that poke was the next-generation of sushi, or sushi 2.0, because it combined all of the familiar flavors of sushi but the dish could be customizable, portable, and more accessible due to the lower price point,” Cohen says. Over the past seven years, the brand has expanded to 14 locations across L.A., Orange County, and San Diego. Corporate-owned locations are also on tap in Arizona, Texas, and other states over
SENIOR BRAND MANAGER, SMASHBURGER
AGE: 30
It! ad campaign wherein burger fans who “smashed” some goal, rewarded themselves with a burger. Scott Johnson, former VP of marketing for Smashburger, credits Romme as an integral part of Smashburger’s recent doubledigit sales growth after five years of declines.
“Emily’s hard work ethic and strategic thinking skills shone during the pandemic as she consistently steered Smashburger into positive directions for sales growth and overall brand awareness,” Johnson says.
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OMNICHANNEL BOJANGLES
AGE: 29
After graduating from Indiana University with a degree in business management, Ryan O’Keefe returned to his home state of New York to start working for a startup company. Eventually, he realized his heart was in the hospitality industry and made the leap to Focus Brands in 2017.
When Emily Romme joined Smashburger in February 2020, she hit the ground running. After nearly three years running marketing and branding at Denver restaurant group, Lotus Concepts Management, Romme had already embedded herself in foodservice and used that knowledge to take the fast casual’s marketing to new heights.
Early in the pandemic, she worked with internal and agency teams to launch the fundraising campaign, FeedtheFrontliners, which culminated in 30,000 hot meals for healthcare workers and first responders across 25 states.
On the menu side, Romme managed the launch of the Smoked Bacon Brisket Burger, which was the chain’s first new item in two years. It also coincided with the video Smashed
As Bojangles’ senior director of omnichannel, Sergio Perez has constructed a digital experience that gives customers multiple ways to engage and order through a device. In 2021, he and his team rolled out a new mobile app and website to support order ahead and curbside pickup functions. The platform facilitates coupon redemptions, favorite orders, mobile pay, and location information. The customer experience was amplified even further with realtime order status, personalized menu views, one-click ordering, and an upsell engine to fuel average check.
Perez says the restaurant experience now transcends the
In his first role at the company, O’Keefe oversaw the development of the Carvel brand in the Northeast and Florida markets. Since then, he’s taken on more responsibilities and now directs franchise sales in the Northeast for all seven brands under the Focus umbrella. He also helps manage Focus’ Southeast sales team.
O’Keefe works with Focus’ existing franchise base and is constantly seeking prospective operators. In addition to finding new franchisees, O’Keefe is also the one to help them acclimate to the culture and operations at Focus—something that plays well to his strengths.
“I’m a relationship person,” he says. “I’m service-oriented.”
During the pandemic, O’Keefe added more responsibilities to his plate. Instead of selling the brand to potential franchise partners, his attention was partially diverted to existing stores, which were struggling to stay open. “That
Some of his new duties included educating partners about the various assistance programs and essential services that could help their business weather the storm.
“Those were some incredibly difficult times,” he says. “It was a very emotional rollercoaster for a lot of folks. All of our teams and departments were forced to make pretty quick adjustments at the drop of a dime, and I truly feel the organization did an exceptional job managing what we were able to control.”
These efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Focus named him Chairperson of the Year in both 2020 and 2021, which is awarded to the top salesperson in the company. He says his accomplishments wouldn’t be possible without a strong foundation at Focus.
“What I do on an individual basis comes with a lot of assistance, support, resources, and capabilities from other departments,” he says. “It’s a team effort.”
four walls and no longer begins and ends when a consumer vis-
Looking forward, O’Keefe says he is excited about the collaborative efforts between Focus’ seven brands. “We’re looking very closely at bringing another brand into the portfolio, and that’s something we’re very excited about,” he adds. “I think the sky is the limit for us.”
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its a restaurant and eats the food. That’s why he helped Bojangles launch the NFT Supremes campaign, with a microsite called, “Chickenverse.” The site features work produced by local artists, which has led to increases in Bojangles’ web traffic.
“The restaurant experience is now an omnichannel experience where the real world meets the digital world, where brands can generate demand and relevance by creating new ways for consumers to engage, experience, and transact, and where food does more than make people full,” Perez says.
Casey Hilder has played an integral role in the marketing strategy behind Starbird, a young quickservice concept that’s seeing same-store sales trending above 20 percent through 2022. This includes the launch of the chain’s TikTok account, which grew to 25,000 followers in only six months. Recognizing the importance of measuring digital marketing performance, Hilder was also instrumental in building a custom advertising dashboard that allowed his team to analyzes results across Google, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Hilder believes digital represents the future of restaurant marketing. Using that mindset, he implemented a loyalty program at the start of 2020 and grew Starbird’s web and mobile app usage to more than 90,000 users, which accounted for 25 percent of streetside restaurant sales.
“There’s a certain synergy between marketing and technology that’s more crucial now than ever before, especially as every customer acquisition strategy is now automated and executed through our tech stack,” Hilder says.
(Largest U.S. Master Franchisee)
AGE: 31
Anchal Lamba, a first generation Indian American, was obsessed with bubble tea growing up and the idea of owning a business. So once she graduated from Fordham University, she negotiated the U.S. franchising rights for Gong cha, a global bubble tea concept. She was 24 years old when she opened her first store in Flushing, a neighborhood in Queens, New York. Since then, Lamba has opened 80 locations across the Northeast and Texas and has plans for 30 more by the end of 2022.
In light of COVID restrictions, she launched an e-training system to enable virtual learnings and rolled out third-party delivery and pickup to meet customer demand. Lamba also ensured franchise development remained on target by helping subfranchisees with site selection through long-standing real estate partner-
BUSHFIRE KITCHEN
AGE: 28
After a five-year career on Wall Street, Oliver Barwin left New York and made his way to Southern California to lead his family’s concept, Bushfire Kitchen. He did so in March 2020, when the restaurant was flipped upside down by the COVID pandemic.
Under Barwin’s leadership, the fast casual transitioned to Toast’s POS system and began offering curbside pickup, direct delivery, and an enhanced online ordering platform to drive off-premises sales. The chain also implemented a number of software and technology products designed to improve operational efficiency and the customer experience, like a new website, third-party POS integration, accounting software POS integration, kitchen display screens, customer order status automated texting, automated email marketing, and digital gift cards.
with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for the brand’s 12 days of casual and its customers raised more than $5,000 for the hospital.
In another effort, he allowed
mobile app to nominate their favorite nonprofit to receive 2,000 meals. After hundreds of submissions, the brand worked with organizations to give away 10,000 meals across the U.S. PilkingList campaign, helping nominated teachers receive much-needed school supplies. At the time, it was the chain’s most engaged social campaign in brand history.
“Long gone are the days of simple product marketing as brands will have to continue to immerse themselves in culture and be transparent about their social impact beyond their product,” Pilkington says. “Whereas data used to lead, it is now more of a complement, as intuition and serving the community in various ways supersedes any trend.”
RUSH BOWLS
ships and market planning with a new AI platform.
“In the past two years, the industry has been challenged in ways we could’ve never imagined,” Lamba says. “Looking toward the future, as a leader in my organization and the industry, I know how critical it is to stay nimble, flexible, and ready to meet our customers wherever they are. At the same time, never losing our focus on our key strategic goals; fueling our growth and supporting it with product innovation and cutting-edge marketing and loyalty initiatives.”
“The restaurant industry has changed more in the past two years than it did in the past 20,” Barwin says. “To be a successful leader in the ‘new age of restaurants’ means to always embrace change, proactively invest in technology and people, and uncompromisingly provide highquality products with top notch hospitality and service.”
BRAND MARKETING MANAGER
RŌTI
AGE: 33
Mark Pilkington has been known to use his marketing talent to give back to the community. In December 2021, he led an initiative to partner
AGE: 28
Eric Gilson went from managing a company-run restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, for more than two years to becoming a jack of all trades who oversees finance, training, operations, and a variety of other tasks. He makes himself available to his team at all hours of the day, assisting with everything from a simple menu update to an all-out store flooding.
During the pandemic, he remained up-to-date on all unprecedented changes and effectively communicated business adjustments with the corporate team and franchise network. That includes the implementation of a completely remote training program to ensure company employees and new
franchisees stayed safe as they opened stores.
“With so many transformations occurring in the industry, I believe there will be incredible opportunities to intertwine technology with brand strategy to help increase operational efficiencies, and provide every guest with their own personalized customer experience,” Gilson says. Rush Bowls has roughly 35 stores in 19 states.
FAT
AGE: 31
Taylor Fischer, responsible for Fatburger, Johnny Rockets, Elevation Burger, and Yalla Mediterranean under the FAT Brands’ name, refused to let macroeconomic factors disrupt her marketing efforts. Weeks before an LTO launch at Johnny Rockets, she was forced to pivot twice due to supply chain and labor shortages. Rather than put the innovation on hold, she went to the test kitchen and helped formulate the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Shake and Trix Shake for National Cereal Day. The desserts have outperformed many of the top flavors at the restaurant.
Additionally, while Fatburger became one of the first chains to introduce Impossible chicken nuggets, Johnny Rockets, acquired by Fat Brands in late 2020, had no immediate plans to do so. In a matter of months, Fischer and her team changed that.
“Coming out of the pandemic as a marketer, I think it is imperative for the industry as a whole to focus on reinvigorating relationships with our guests and ensuring that the perceived value of our restaurants is stronger than ever,” Fischer says. “While we found touchpoints to communicate with our guests during the height of the pandemic, there is nothing stronger than the in-restaurant social connection.”
AGE: 31
Kelly Cooke started as a marketing manager at Charlotte, North Carolina–based Salsarita’s in 2015. Since, she’s been instrumental in many of the brand’s biggest initiatives, including developing its drive-thru, launching a proprietary app, and rebranding from Salsarita’s Fresh
Last year, Cooke was promoted to CMO after having helped navigate the company through the tumult of the pandemic.
“The best part about my job is the relationship with our franchisees,” she says. “I love being someone they reach out to in confidence when they have a challenge to overcome or just want to hear my thoughts. There is nothing better than hearing from a franchisee that the marketing initiatives you put in place helped him/her increase sales.”
Cooke has also been involved in partnering with charitable causes. She helped reinstate Salsarita’s partnership with No Kid Hungry five years ago, which has since raised more than $50,000 through the restaurants’ donation
NOODLES & COMPANY
AGE: 34
Before joining Noodles & Company in late 2016, Danielle Moore had cut her teeth at one of the biggest names in fast casual— Chipotle—as a communications manager. She brought those learnings to her new company, where she has
spearheaded a number of innovative marketing campaigns.
Most recently, Moore led Noodles’ TRUFF Mac initiative, which was the brand’s first-ever partnership with a CPG brand. That campaign, which launched last year, received more than 194 million impressions across various channels, making it one of Noodles’ most successful campaigns in the company’s
“I’ve always believed that the best moments in life happen around the table,” she says. “Growing up, Noodles was one of those tables for me. I grew up dining on Buttered Noodles after dance practices and eating Wisconsin mac and cheese with my grandparents on the weekends. And now I am privileged to share that table not only with my kids, but also with thousands of team members and millions of team members through my role.”
CEO
RUSTIKA CAFÉ AND BAKERY
AGE: 28
In his role as chief executive, Marco Reznick has helped grow Rustika Café and Bakery from a single location to four, with a fifth opening this year. But long before he was leading the brand from the top, Reznick worked on the ground level of the restaurant, which his mother, pastry chef Francis Reznick,
“The best part of my day is being able to work with my family and serve our community through Rustika Café and Bakery,” Reznick
Specializing in both European and Latin American baked goods, Rustika has become a celebrated staple in the greater Houston area, with its cafes serving everything from breakfast crepes and empanadas to its renowned cakes, which have previously been voted the city’s best by the
Over her four-year tenure, Brooke Perry has played a significant role in shaping the brand identities of Original ChopShop and bellagreen, two better-for-you fast casuals, which have a combined 25 units. Among her accomplishments at the sister brands, Perry has helped optimize the Chops app and loyalty program, which led to 37 percent of 2021 orders being placed by loyalty
“At Original ChopShop and -
fast commitment to building the brands while also doing right by
very much ahead.”
With a boost from Perry’s various marketing initiatives, Original ChopShop reached record annual sales in 2021 ($36 million) and $2.4 million AUV, all while dealing with supply chain and pandemic-
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
TERIYAKI MADNESS
AGE: 32
After starting out as an office coordinator, Alison Satriana worked her way up to executive director of development at Teriyaki Madness as the brand
expanded to 110 units across North America and locked in 260 signed contracts for future locations.
“Teriyaki Madness has helped me grow,” Satriana says. “We get to express who we truly are each and every day, and that is impor-
Even during the pandemic, when many restaurants were struggling to keep the lights on, Satriana’s leadership helped guide Teriyaki Madness through various challenges, resulting in 30 new openings. Over the course of her tenure, the company has expanded into seven new states
DISTRICT TACO
AGE: 34
Chris Medhurst has been with District Taco for a dozen years. Shortly after the brand’s inception, he was hired as the first general manager
and has been climbing the ranks ever since as it grew to 15 locations in the D.C. metropolitan area and Philadelphia. Last year, District Taco inked its first franchise deal, with plans to open 150 units over
“Working for District Taco has been amazing. They’ve given me more responsibility than I ever dreamed of, and I feel like I’m really able to make a difference for my coworkers and our customers,” Medhurst says.
During the pandemic, Med-
hurst managed the company’s financial operations, doing everything from negotiating with landlords and vendors to utilizing government assistance programs. Not only did all locations stay open, but District Taco was also able to keep its employees on payroll with benefits for its salaried staff and much of its hourly workers.
NINA Blumenstock ASSISTANT CONTROLLER JERSEY MIKE’S FRANCHISE SYSTEMS INC.AGE: 28
Unlike many in foodservice, Nina Blumenstock didn’t come up in the restaurant world. Armed with a degree in accounting, she spent two years at the consultancy Ernst & Young before moving over to Jersey Mike’s in 2017. As the assis-
tant controller, Blumenstock has managed the financing for systemwide store retrofits—a $125 million investment for the brand. She is also the sole preparer of financial statements and reporting requirements for Jersey Mike’s quarterly and annual reports and works directly with the company’s chief
“When I talked with Walter Tombs about joining Jersey Mike’s, he said, ‘Trust me.’ I am grateful that I did,” Blumenstock says. “It blows my mind how much my life has changed just within the past two years.”
Indeed, the past two years have been pivotal for Blumenstock on both a professional and personal level. At the height of COVID, she helped create financial projections to guide Jersey Mike’s through months of uncertainty and assisted franchisees with the Paycheck Protection Program. She also became a first-time mom. q
BY KARA PHELPS
Customer and employee safety and security have taken the spotlight more than ever.
Enormous shifts in the quick-service restaurant industry have taken place over the last two years due to COVID-19, ongoing labor shortages, and the avalanche of issues they have caused. Through it all, the safety and security of customers and employees have remained top priorities.
part of safety,” says Lianne Neufeld, territory manager at Solink Corporation . “It is no longer just security that makes customers feel safe in a restaurant, but also the cleanliness and that employees are following all the procedures. You’re also no longer responsible for the safety of the customer just when they are inside the building, but on the outside of the build-
ing as well because the ‘order online and service to your car’ stream has become a major factor. So, a lot of quick-service restaurants never had cameras outside, but now they do.”
Customers are more conscious of safety issues now. “In recent surveys, the number one response from guests on what’s important to them was safety,” says Joe DTiQ “Creating checklists around food safety, store cleanliness, and employee protocol are all part of the daily routines of restaurants today.”
Aside from the health and safety aspect (which has been universal), the security
a bigger toll on employees than custom-
ers. “Fewer patrons in-house—and less increased active threat situations, putvice president of retail sales at 3SI Security Systems remote locations with late store hours were especially vulnerable.”
COVID-19, armed robbery continued to pose a threat to quick-service restaurecently ranked restaurants as the eighth
“Many of the standard practices and procedures like guard services, video recording, panic alarms, time lock safes,
cash drops, and safe rooms were updated as the focus to protect employees and cusnational director for signature brands at Genetec, Inc. “An increase in proactive response via interactive, real-time video monitoring was noted as chains sought to assuage employee concerns.”
Restaurant operators managing multiple locations or chains are grappling with a wide variety of issues at the same time, from an increase in crime in some regions to drive-thru lines that are busier than dealing with non-standard security infrastructure that creates maintenance challenges and training issues resulting in poor safety compliance,” says Sean Foley, senior vice president of enterprise security at Interface Security Systems. “False alarms, security camera blind spots in expanded drive-thru areas and parking lots, and legacy access control systems are the primary challenges operators need to overcome.”
When it comes to restaurant security, one of the most basic missteps is also the easiest to correct. Propped-open allows easy access for foul play and puts employees in a precarious position that McBride, audit services manager at
can be educated about the dangers of open doors.
Of course, another perennial security vulnerability is cash. “Cash is always an restaurants can keep sizable amounts of cash on hand. Store hours, as well as late-night and 24-hour drive thrus, while convenient for the customer, can creowner-operators.”
Operators should take strategic action to protect their locations and their employees from external threats. “Many chains have eliminated employee bank drops by management in favor of armed courier pick up—and if they haven’t, they should,”
the unit is another advisable move, as robbers don’t like the open visibility.”
Internal threats shouldn’t be over-
taurant security. “A substantial labor shortage and higher-than-benchmark
tenured, trusted employees,” says David Barclay, vice president of marketing at Tidel. “Unfortunately, this has elevated the
“Smart” technology solutions can help lower the risk associated with cash exposure—both inter-
taurant security relating to cash handling is to reduce the number of times cash is touched,” says Kurtis Johnson, director of product management for cash and logistics at Fiserv. “Smart cash handling can optimize store labor because deposited notes can be validated, denominated, deposited, and secured in one single step right at the point of sale.”
Technology can help restaurant security professionals reduce shrink, free up employee time, and create a safer and more secure environment for employees and customers alike. “As with any technology, new and improved features
intuitive dashboards, reports, POS integration, or even custom-developed platforms for quick-service restaurants to
intelligence ( ) and exception-based management tools,” Barclay says.
AI-enabled cameras have made a big splash in the market recently. AI tools can dramatically improve threat detec-
system to not only record the scene but alert users of possible threats such as cash registers being opened when no customer is present or people entering areas they shouldn’t be in,” says Steve Symonanis, vice president of marketing at Big Dog Surveillance Systems ities is vast.”
Ultimately, all of these new precautions are still about maintaining trust. At the most basic level, customers and employees need to know they are safe. “Your guests will base their future decisions to dine with you on their most recent perception of your commitment to their personal safety and expectations,” says Elizabeth Maly, executive vice president of sales at Envysion, a Motorola Solutions company. “Focus on service and quality and, above all, safety to maintain the customer loyalty on which your restaurants depend.” SC
“False alarms, security camera blind spots in expanded drivethru areas and parking lots, and legacy access control systems are the primary challenges.”
Cash handling in quick-service restaurants has always been a complex logistical dance that carries significant risk. Problems arising from typical cash management practices—like ensuring employee safety, the threat of theft, and inefficient time sinks—have long been considered unavoidable or just “business as usual.”
cash management,” says Brandon Dieter, senior director of commercialization at Brink’s. “Many business owners overlook this cost since they’re not receiving a monthly invoice for it, but the cost of cash comes from several areas: your employees’ -
cost increases as cash transaction volume increases, and is further compounded for multi-unit operators and enterprise businesses.”
moment it exchanges hands at the purin the register until transferred to a safe service pickup. “All of these steps involve human interaction and the risk of human error, and consequently have inherent security threats and vulnerabilities,” says Brandon Dixon, director of national account sales at Guardian Protection
Since COVID-19 began, operators have shortage has created enormous challenges when it comes to cash handling.ees and managers to count, authentiJoseph Gnorski, executive vice president of
retail markets at Glory Global Solutions. “It employees for any job in the restaurant, so it means operators have to ask fewer
lenge for the industry to tackle.”
As a result, the pandemic has accelerated the rise of mostly cashless self-service payment options—a much more novel concept in the industry before COVID,
they can now be found virtually any-ees for other tasks while also easing customers’ COVID-related fears.
“In addition to cashier-facing and backinvesting in self-service solutions, such as ordering and payment kiosks, to expedite the customer experience and minimize employee interaction,” says David Barclay, vice president of marketing at Tidel
“The sheer amount of time for employees and managers
The perfect recipe for simple cash management.
Fast access to cash
Register and request credit for your cash deposits in-store, place deposits into your included smart safe, and get nextday credit to that cash in your bank account
Reduce theft and shrinkage
Deposits are insured by Brink’s once they are dropped into your in-store smart safe
Eliminate bank trips
It can be time-consuming and a potential safety risk to transport cash back and forth from the store to the bank.
Not to mention, wasting time waiting in lines and paying deposit fees that banks charge.
BLUbeem enables you to register deposits in-store, drop them into an on-site smart safe, and access next-day credit
Keep your employees on-site
Our smart safe enables you to register deposits from within your store, so no more sending employees out to make deposits at the bank
Brink’s messengers will collect the contents of the smart safe. The deposited cash is taken back to a Brink’s vault and counted. Any variances in the deposit registered vs. actual cash deposited will either be added or withdrawn from your business’s bank account
With the BLUbeem app, you can reconcile registered deposits quickly and easily pinpoint the reporting information you need with filters. You can even place your change orders from within the app for greater convenience and efficiency (fees apply)
No one caters to your cash management needs like BLUbeem. Talk to us today.
has become particularly critical given today’s labor market. We anticipate more of these solutions to integrate technologies that accept and dispense cash in addition to the non-cash payment methods
still see a larger percentage of cash daily sales than most other retail establishments. For the foreseeable future, at least,
what their cash position is in their store at any given time, and reconciling their
senior vice president of retail business development at Loomis. “If a restaurant has smart safe technology, it allows their managers and employees to stay in their restaurants so they can focus more on
major chains, advancements in technology and lower price points have opened up the practice to smaller chains. “Weators purchasing cash recycling devices for use at the point of sale as well as intions eliminate cash drawers, speed up transactions, and free up employee time from managcash recycling means the restaurant can reduce armored car pickup, change orders, and virtu-
Automating cash management allows operators to reduce many of the risks once considsafety, reducing labor costs, and reducing cash shrinkage. “In
solution that uses smart devices like smart safes or cash recyclers can address a number of other -
cash is here to stay. “Some restaurants are going entirely cashless, but that can be hard for a lot of quick-service restaurants as their clientele are more likely todent of sales at Solink Corporation service restaurants are bringing in a lot of technology—not just for security, but also in the kitchen, at the drive thru, and genexperience.
Smart safes are designed to help operators reduce the daily hassle of cash management. “Smart safes are changing the way restaurants handle cash by eliminating the need to drive to banking centers to make a deposit, enabling them to consolidate many banking relationships down to one, giving them the ability to know
in the quick-service restaurant space continues to grow. Smart safes can provide uptick in deployments over the last two more brands seeing the value that smart safes provide their store environment— greater security, increased accountabilgreater levels of cash intelligence across
agement for cash and logistics at Fiserv. “Namely, these devices provide immediate counterfeit detection, a secure vault for cash storage, timely access to funds through provisional credit, deposit accuracy, and reconcilement and
the tight margins that quick-service restaurants typically operate under, every lit--
ritory manager at Solink Corporation. time it would take to uncover and recoverwhile. With new security technologies, even $2 discrepancies can be found fast
“ With new security technologies, even $2 discrepancies can be found fast enough to
Solink Corporation
procedures can still minimize the risk of at Envysion, a Motorola Solutions company “Operators put policies and procedures the discrepancies in proper discipline and
“Miscounting cash, not recording properly, and not having enough staff members to reconcile are the biggest challenges for operators today.”
Interface Security Systems.
National Loss Prevention Solutions. “Customers
DTiQ
From ensuring store security and identifying suspicious POS transactions to verifying that COVID-19 policies are being followed and even gaining a better grasp on customer behavior, the potential ROI on camera technology, video analytics tools, and other technology is higher than ever before. As restaurants introduce new video systems and other cutting-edge platforms front and back of house, operators are taking full advantage of the possibilities they offer to better understand their restaurants and fine-tune operations.
-
ligence ( )-based cameras with powerful edge analytics goes beyond pure security,” says Sean Foley, senior vice president of enterprise security at Interface Security Systems. “No longer a ‘cost of doing business,’ security cameras and infrastructure can provide quick-service restaurants with a wealth of business and operations intelligence that informs and validates decisions from restaurant layout to cus-
COVID-19 has substantially altered thetomers. “One of the biggest changes is that in-store dining has been substantially reduced,” says Steve Symonanis, vice president of marketing at Big Dog Surveillance Systems operators to rethink security and surveilplus cameras in dining rooms.” no longer necessary, of course—brands refocused on other areas.
“We are now seeing additional cameras being added in the drive-thru areas,”
eras are being placed at the pay window and the food pickup window. In addition, customers are adding more dedicated license plate cameras to help ensure order accuracy.”
As a result of the increased drive-thru cameras, additional monitors are being
added to surveillance-system packages to properly monitor all of the cameras.
Automated technology has become more prevalent in the last two years as quick serves worked to solve pandemicrelated challenges. “Many restaurants that retained a dine-in option pivoted to a kiosk ordering system, thus eliminating cash and human interaction and increasing the consumer perception of dining in a safe, secure environment,” says Brandon Dixon, director of national account sales at Guardian Protection. “COVID-19 also increased consumer awareness of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( ) requirements regarding strict guidelines
Additional cameras and monitoring devices are being added in the kitchen and drive-thru areas.
patrons, and cash handling procedures. A restaurant’s adherence to CDC and its company’s own guidelines, combined with the presence of video surveillance, likely enhanced consumer perception and appreciation of security. Simultaneously, video surveillance served as a managevariables.”
concerns that, if not exactly new, are getcustomers, busy and hazardous drive-thru lines, and “smash-and-grab” crime. Some solutions like GPS tracking devices and virtual guards.
“Many operators are opting for alternatives to traditional security methods like cameras and alarms, choosing instead to implement covert security solutions like GPS tracking to identify and appre-
Restaurants are deploying virtual guards with interactive remote video monitoring capabilities designed to overcome the limitations of legacy CCTV monitoring and onsite security guard deployment. “It’s fascinating just how runs when both employees and guests
know a virtual security guard presence is always on hand,” Foley says.
Surveillance around cash handling has cultures of accountability. “Strategically placed surveillance cameras now allow owner-operators to not only see currency as it’s changing hands, but it also gives them the ability to see the exact dollar amounts of the cash or the name on the credit cards,” Symonanis says.
Camera technology can now take on more than ever. “Operators are adding or adjusting camera views to ensure that the entire path from each POS to the safe or
auditing,” says David Floyd, president of National Loss Prevention Solutions. “Newer
higher resolution also allow more area to be seen with fewer cameras.”
Even security systems are no longer designed purely for traditional secu-
rity purposes. “Smart” technology can be strategically deployed to keep watch over other maintenance-related issues that, due to labor shortages, employees may no lon-
) and the sophistication of connected devices means companies should expect their security systems to provide more than security
director for signature brands at Genetec, Inc
lighting, or HVAC systems, for example, can all be consolidated and visualized in an open architecture security platform to provide insights useful to the business in other arenas.”
Analytics tools open up new possibilities to gather intelligence. “Technologies such as video analytics can help restaurants identify anomalies promptly without
video analytics-enabled cameras would be to understand customer behavior. Insightserences, and speed of service can be accurately measured to optimize restaurant layout, seating arrangements, and ordering experience.”
When it comes to security, cash handling, and beyond, new solutions are changing the game for many brands. -
ogy,” says Joseph Gnorski, executive vice president of retail markets at Glory Global Solutions savings that can be extracted from the cash handling process beyond the solutions most commonly used today.”
Introducing new technology doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul of existing systems, either. Rather, new technologies can coexist in an ecosystem of whole. “Many of today’s technologies are designed to serve as a complement to one says.
From tightening security practices to improving customer service, all of these innovations can have a dramatic impact on the customer and employee experiSC
“The growth of the Internet of Things (IOT) and the sophistication of connected devices means companies should expect their security systems to provide more than security capabilities.”
101 Lindenwood Dr., Ste. 200 Malvern, PA 19355
800-523-1430
3si.com
3SI Security Systems provides effective security solutions that recover assets, help police apprehend criminals, and provide peace of mind to our customers. We combat crime at thousands of financial institutions and retailers worldwide through technologies including GPS and GNSS tracking, cash staining, and staff safety and operational apps.
330 Lexington Dr. Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
800-598-2370
bigdogsurveillancesystems.com
For over 20 years, Big Dog Surveillance Systems have empowered businesses to protect investments, improve safety, help with training, and mitigate loss. Big Dog systems are completely customizable, subscription-free, and can be viewed virtually anywhere on any device. Consult with our team to design a system for your specific business needs.
1801 Bayberry Ct. Richmond, VA 23226
us.brinks.com
Brink’s cash management solutions enable merchants to digitally register cash deposits in-store and get next-day credit to their bank account of choice. With our digital cash management solutions, take advantage of detailed insights and hassle-free cash management that helps you minimize bank fees, bank trips, and theft and shrinkage.
111 Speen St., Ste. 550 Framingham, MA 01701
800-933-8388
dtiq.com
DTiQ is real-time intelligence for real-world savings. DTiQ’s industry-leading performance improvement and loss prevention solution combines next-generation video technology and transaction analytics with expert-managed services to help stop losses, increase profits, and improve customer experiences.
7237 Church Ranch Blvd., Ste. 406 Westminster, CO 80021 877-258-9441 envysion.com
Envysion, a Motorola Solutions company, is the leader in managed video software solutions for quick-service restaurants—syncing your surveillance video and POS data to deliver real-time insights into all your locations, giving you your time back so you can focus on what matters. Protect your business, brand, people, and profits.
255 Fiserv Dr. Brookfield, WI 53045 fiserv.com
Fiserv provides consulting expertise and integrated technology solutions across the entire cash supply chain and is uniquely positioned to help your organization drive down costs and focus on your business. We deliver industry-leading, customer-centric technology and services—making us your ideal partner for cash supply chain management.
2280 Alfred-Nobel Blvd. Montreal, QC Canada
H4S 2A4
866-684-8006
genetec.com
Genetec, Inc., a global technology company, has transformed the physical security industry for more than 25 years. Today, it develops solutions to improve security, intelligence, and operations. Its flagship product, Security Center, is an openarchitecture platform that unifies IP-based video surveillance, access control, automatic license plate recognition, communications, and analytics.
3333 Warrenville Rd., Ste. 310 Lisle, IL 60532
800-527-2638
glory-global.com
By automating the movement of cash, Glory helps retailers release their staff to focus on customer service, reduce cash shrinkage, and improve operational efficiency. We offer a complete portfolio of modular solutions at the point of sale, back office, or both—scalable for every location.
174 Thorn Hill Rd.
Warrendale, PA 15086
800-776-8328
guardianprotection.com
Guardian Protection is a premier provider of smart security solutions for commercial, multi-site, and residential customers. More than a quarter million clients trust Guardian’s award-winning monitoring services and specialists. Founded more than 70 years ago, Guardian is headquartered near Pittsburgh and offers its services throughout the U.S.
3773 Corporate Center Dr. Earth City, MO 63045
877-947-1515
interfacesystems.com
Interface Security Systems is a leading managed services provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS, and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises. We improve security, streamline connectivity, optimize operations, and reduce IT costs, maximizing ROI for the nation’s top brands.
2500 CityWest Blvd., Suite 2300 Houston, TX 77042
713-435-6700
loomis.us
As a leader in cash distribution across the U.S.— with nearly 200 branch locations, more than 10,000 employees, over 3,000 vehicles, and more than 43,000 SafePoint locations serviced— Loomis is proud to provide cash handling products and services to retail businesses nationwide.
312-819-4900
nationallps.com
National Loss Prevention Solutions is a leader at bringing technology-based security solutions to our clients. With experience spanning several industries, NLPS has the expertise and the focus to integrate the best technology-based security solutions with the client’s current business systems.
110-390 March Rd. Ottawa, ON Canada
K2K 0G7
888-817-6546
solink.com
Solink is the leader in video security for businesses of all sizes. Solink’s hardware and software is purpose-built for business owners, IT, and security teams. With more than 10,000 locations, Solink provides customers with peace of mind for security and operations. Solink is a trusted partner for the world’s most respected brands.
2025 W. Belt Line Rd., #114 Carrollton, TX 75006 972-484-3358 tidel.com
Tidel is a leading provider of cash management solutions that empower organizations to better manage their daily cash operations, reduce risk, and increase profits. Since 1978, customers have relied on Tidel to provide the most innovative and reliable solutions that help secure, optimize, and streamline their cash environment.
There’s a lot more to this movement in quick service today than flipping the iPad around.
BY JUSTIN ROBERTSAs restaurants across the country grapple with one of the toughest labor markets on record, more and more quick-service restaurants are choosing to add tipping to a list of perks that entice workers back to their posts.
And they’re doing so amid a major staffing crisis. With more than 1.7 million job openings across the U.S. in the leisure and hospitality sector, it’s more difficult than ever to find employees. Seventy-eight percent of restaurant employers told The National Restaurant Association recruiting and retaining employees was their top challenge in the past year.
Tipping may be the answer counter-service concepts need. Category giants like Panera Bread and Starbucks have embraced the idea, offering tip options within their mobile apps. Then there’s Sonic Drive-In, which introduced digital tipping to more than 2,000 locations in 2021. In a matter of months, the company brought in nearly $12 million in tips—boosting employee morale and income ( and garnering positive publicity that could encourage more employees to apply )
From immediate recruiting results to longterm culture plays, here’s why tipping is becoming a movement across the sector in 2022.
If you’re like the majority of restaurants today, you probably have a “Help Wanted” sign in your window. Quick serves that jump on the tipping bandwagon now have a significant competitive advantage over other employers when it comes to hiring.
That’s because short-term benefits touted by some other brands, such as temporarily boosting wages or adding hiring bonuses, don’t always work to attract the right new hires to your restaurant. Candidates know they’re just that—short-term gimmicks—and not only are they expensive to replicate; they probably aren’t compelling enough to improve retention long-term.
Tip enablement, on the other hand, provides an instant benefit to both employees and employers. Launching a tip program has little impact on a business’s bottom line, so there’s no need to rethink it or roll it back as market conditions change. That means your staff will see an immediate, sustainable boost in their take-home pay that other restaurants without tip enablement simply can’t offer.
According to research firm Black Box Intelligence, turnover costs restaurants more than $1,800 for general employees—and up to $8,000 per manager. With so many restaurants offering shiny hiring incentives, it’s no wonder retaining employees is just as challenging as hiring them. Once bonuses and other benefits run out, there’s always another bonus employees can chase from the restaurant down the street.
But as many operators know, with razor-thin profit margins, raising wages isn’t always easy. That’s why adding tipping is a win-win for you and for your employees. When quick-service restaurants enable tipping, they can significantly increase the earnings of hourly workers, far beyond what revenue constraints allow— and give them a reason to stay beyond a 90-day bonus window.
The biggest difference between an hourly wage and hourly-payplus-tips—your employees now have a financial incentive to deliver a better performance.
with a lower AUV than fellow quick-service players because of lower costs, like not requiring a kitchen.
The brand has presences in the largest metro markets the U.S. has to offer, such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and Washington, D.C. There is precedent for Joe & the Juice to move out of bigger cities, however. The brand has been in the Danish market for multiple decades and eventually moved to rural locales, and Nørøxe thinks something similar could happen domestically with the chain entering Midwestern towns. But that would take about 10 years, the CEO says.
Because of Joe & the Juice’s portability, the brand also plays well in nontraditional travel outlets like airports and railway stations. The chain’s ability to provide convenience led to a number of conversations around drive-thru, which is a channel the concept is currently experimenting with.
To build culture and leverage supply chain benefits, Joe & the Juice will continue to build inside existing markets. Nørøxe says the idea is to cherry pick the best sites in Chicago and Southern California instead of being in a situation where the company needs to find 20 new sites in a certain region. “We can pick up some of the trends on the West Coast and then take them with us to New York, to London, thereby getting impressions from many different trends out there to really ensure that we also have the fresh new products for tomorrow,” Nørøxe says.
“… If for one reason or the other many people are focusing on Chicago and driving up rents, then OK, let’s focus on New York the next 18 months,” he adds.
Although units are thousands of miles apart, Nørøxe says the company digitally manages operations from headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, whether the locations are nearby or on the West or East Coast. Also, the most talented employees will travel between stores to ensure alignment of culture and find the best workers in the area.
The goal for 2022 is to build between 35–40 units and increase that pace for 2023. At press time, Nørøxe called March the best month in history, despite Q1 typically being a low-performing season. q
an extra penny per dollar on each customer purchase. For Wes Rowe, who owns and operates Wesburger, a San Francisco chain that serves up classic burgers and fries, integrating Zero Foodprint’s 1 percent upcharge into operations was a no-brainer.
“It can be financially prohibitive to give back," Rowe says. "In our case, switching to grass-fed beef is an extreme measure; our costs would go up and the customers would not appreciate that for the most part."
Signs are placed within Wesburger that include information about Zero Foodprint and the upcharge, but Rowe says customers typically do not seem to read the signs or ask about the extra 1 percent. Like Rowe, Boulder, Colorado, Subway franchisee Tim Schiel says customers are typically willing to pay an extra penny on the dollar for Zero Foodprint’s efforts.
Despite signage that explains the program as well as highlights the customer’s option to refuse the extra charge, he has not yet encountered a customer across his five stores who has opted out in the year since he integrated Zero Foodprint into his operations. While Schiel’s units have actively composted and recycled for over a decade, he says Zero Foodprint offers a less intensive way to boost the sustainability of his units.
“In restaurants you’ll see a trash can, a recycling can, and a compost bin, and then you figure out what’s going where,” Schiel says. “And this is where that customer education comes in; the hardest part of the whole process of sustainability is educating the general public."
Schiel says he would like to see Zero Foodprint integrated into Subway locations across Colorado and the nation—a sentiment in line with Myint’s own optimism. Myint is hopeful a national fast casual such as Chipotle or Shake Shack will apply the 1 percent upcharge for sustainability in the future, even if they choose to channel the earned funds back into causes independently of Zero Foodprint.
“You’re taking climate action,” Myint says. “You’re doing it not by planting a tree in Ethiopia, but by helping a local farm grow better food. So that should resonate. It’s almost like a table-to-farm movement instead of a farm-to-table movement.” q
Once financial needs are met, employee performance comes down to three major elements:
Purpose: Employees have to be able to answer the question, “Why am I here?” beyond a paycheck. Quick service may not be as high-touch as full-service hospitality, but there’s still an element of great service—and enabling tipping allows your team to draw the connection between what they do and what they earn.
Autonomy: Employees who feel a sense of ownership and accountability over their role are much more likely to stay. Unlike hourly wages, tips revolve around how they show up to work each day, giving them more autonomy and authority over their performance.
Value: Every teammate wants to know that they’re valued by their company and that they have a path toward long-term career growth. Whether that’s moving from working on the line to managing a restaurant location or helping them start their own business someday, they can take more pride in their work when they know that how they perform ties back to what they earn.
Increasing take-home pay through tip enablement represents a major opportunity for employers. And it doesn’t have to look like a tip jar: Increasingly, it’s possible to use digital payout solutions and other technology that integrates directly with your payroll or POS to make cashless tipping and tip distribution easier than ever. While tip enablement programs might look different from one chain to the next, what matters most is that they are secure, compliant with complex tipping regulations—and most importantly, structured in a way that benefits essential, frontline hospitality workers. Restaurants struggled to hire and retain employees for years prepandemic. There isn’t a silver bullet—but quick serves need to come up with longterm, financially viable solutions. Digital tipping, enabled by technology solutions and the rise of mobile applications, could be an integral piece of the puzzle. q
For more information on these companies, visit www.QSRmagazine.com/connect/
Bid Vita ..................................................6 bidvita.ai
Cattlemen’s .........................................23 855-552-9797
www.McCormickForChefs.com/Cattlemens
Cholula .................................................... 9 866-972-6879 | www.cholula.com
Energy Solut ions .................................21 714-787-1098 | caenergywise.com/instant-rebates
Ferrero ................................................33 800-408-1505 | ferrerofoodservice.com
Ghirardelli ............................Inside Front 800-877-9338 | ghirardelli.com
McCain .............................................10, 11 800-938-7799
mccainusafoodservice.com/delicious-anywhere
Mood Media ...........................Inside Back 800-345-5000 | moodmedia.com/qsr
Mother Parkers ....................................19 905-279-9100 | Mother-Parkers.com
NorthAmerican Bancard .......................39 866-481-4604 | NYNAB.com
Perdue ............................................13, 15 888-737-3832 | perduefoodservice.com
Ready Access ......................................40 800-621-5045 | ready-access.com
RF Technologies ...............................5, 63 800-598-2370 | rfdrivethru.com
S-NET ..................................................63 844-986-1949 | qsr.snetconnect.com
SONIC ..................................................31 Sonicfranchising.com
Tropical Smoothie ..................................3 770-609-2987 | tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com
Vito Fryfilter ........................................37 847-859-0398 | vitofryfilter.com
Welbilt ................................................29 800-424-2411 | garlandgroup.com
Xenial .....................................Back Cover 855-936-4251 | xenial.com/solutions/drive-thru
SMART CHAIN .................................................42 - 60
Big Dog Surveillance ..........................53 800-598-2370 | bigdogsurveillancesystems.com
Brinks ................................................47 Blubeempayments.com
DTiQ ..................................................51 800-933-8388 | dtiq.com
Envysion ............................................57 877-258-9441 | envysion.com
Genetec .............................................45 866-684-8006 | genetec.com/transaction-finder
Glory Global Solutions ........................59 800-527-2638 | glory-global.com
Loomis ...............................................49 713-435-6700 opt.2 | www.loomis.us
National Loss Prevention ....................55 312-819-4900 | nationallps.com
Tidel ..................................................43 800-678-7577 | tidel.com
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What was your first job?
I was a “sandwich artist” at Subway when I was 16.
What’s your favorite menu item at WIO? Classic wings cooked extra crispy and tossed in our Honey Blues sauce, with a side of our Loaded Street Corn.
What’s your favorite cuisine aside from wings? Growing up in Connecticut it has to be New Haven Style pizza. Who inspires you as a leader? Ray Dalio. He inspires me through his use of the “radical transparency” methodology. He developed a system that encourages all members of the team to speak freely and give honest feedback regardless of their rank or tenure in the company. The end result is a meritocracy where the best ideas win out and bad ideas are constantly tested and thrown out in favor of better ones. What he found was that by focusing on finding the best solution as quickly as possible, rather than the ego-driven solution, companies can grow and scale exponentially faster than their competition.
What’s the best piece of advice that other restaurant executives should hear? Rather than focusing energy on improving your weaknesses, surround yourself with talented people whose greatest strengths are your weaknesses.
What are some of your interests outside of work?
Mountain biking, hiking, playing drums, listening to podcasts and cooking.
Ihad no idea that one day my life would revolve around chicken wings. It all started back in my teenage years in Waterbury, Connecticut, when my friends and I would get together to watch football on Sundays, which of course meant wings were going to be consumed. The only problem? There was no place to get good takeout wings near us. Someone would have to drive over 30 minutes to the closest good wing spot, usually a sports bar that didn’t specialize in to-go orders, meaning we’d be eating cold and soggy wings by the time we got back. Eventually, I started making my own wings and wing sauces, even developing a recipe for the perfect blue cheese to dip them in. One day, a friend said to me, “Ya know, the wings you make for us are better than the ones we drive to go pick up, why don’t you just open a wing spot near here?”—and thus, Wing It On! was born.
A year later, we launched our first Wing It On! in Waterbury on a budget of only $40,000, a lot of which came from saving up on my end and some wonderful friends and family members who invested and chipped in to help build the first location. Very quickly our little 760-square-foot restaurant had reached its capacity and customers began asking if more were on the horizon. I started thinking that Wing It On! was a concept that could scale. Eventually we standardized and documented the system and began recruiting operators who believed in our brand mission just as much as we did. Two years later our second location opened. Recently things have started to take off—we’re now at 10 locations including one food truck and have over 20 stores in development. The next few years will see us growing across the country to bring our famous “wings n wiches” to legions of new fans. q
