Shea Bodet, MBA

Unlocking the Future of QSR Guest Experiences: Delve into the Impact of Technology 🚀 In the fast-paced world of QSR, speed, convenience, and quality reign supreme. But what truly drives customer satisfaction beyond just good food? Our latest blog explores the tech-driven revolution shaping guest experiences. Discover why over 60% of diners believe technology enhances restaurant convenience and how it influences return visits, especially among the under-45 demographic.📱 Based on insights from our survey on Consumer Perceptions of Restaurant Tech, we analyze what factors truly matter to QSR patrons and how technology is reshaping their choices. Ready to uncover the game-changing insights? Let's explore together! #QSR #GuestExperience #TechImpact

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I talk to a lot of multiunit operators with high-volume stores... And during peak time, there are 12-15 employees in the restaurant. That's 30-40 people on payroll. If they did $2.9M - the sales volume of the closest Pepper Lunch Restaurants to me, in Irvine - that would equate to $96K-$72K per employee (assuming they're all full-timers). That's pretty good. But if you do the math, that doesn't leave much left over to pay COGS, rent, royalties, G&A, benefits, and other line items. This meme is for fun - but if you're looking to franchise that's set up to be more productive, consider Pepper Lunch's: ✅ Unfair advantage ✅ Unique service model, and ✅ Tech done well 🔥 Their induction system heats an iron plate to 500 degrees within 70 seconds. 🔥 Their proprietary cast-iron plates maintain heat at 200 degrees for up to 30 minutes. If food stays hot longer = customers enjoy us more. 🔥 Because there's no human cooking (the equipment does all of it), a staffer simply assembles the food and sends it out. Customers get their food in 2-3 minutes and staffers can work on the next item. Incredible throughput, ease of operations, and customer enjoyment. Because of these 3 facts, you only need MAX 6 people in the store. Yes, six. That's 15-20 people on payroll. At $2.9M, each employee produces $145K-$193K in revenue. That'll give you room to pay your staff more (you'll no longer be victim to the $20/hour situation); spend on marketing; invest in more stores; and build a profitable organization. I can talk about this all day. If you or someone is interested in learning more about franchising with us, DM/comment! Troy Hooper Mark J. Bailey Dana Hathaitham Jonathan Whiteside

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Few QSR brands, let alone ones with nearly 900 locations open 24/7, 364 days a year, can serve burgers that are made-to-order when ordered, using 100% pure, never-frozen beef in each store, every day.    But Whataburger is no average QSR brand. Founded with a goal to serve burgers so big they need two hands to hold and so good that after one bite, customers say, “What a burger!” the San Antonio-based chain plans to grow beyond 1,000 stores by 2026. In order to keep pace to achieve its growth goals, Whataburger needed to scale operations across all 800+ restaurants. Whataburger's Senior Manager of Restaurant Operations joined Crunchtime’s Ops Summit 2023 to share the impact that Crunchtime's Operations Execution Platform (Zenput) has had on Whataburger: https://lnkd.in/evEZYS6u

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In Part Two of our series, we explore California’s minimum wage increases, offering tailored insights for the restaurant industry. Learn how to navigate wage hikes, create value platforms and use price reductions to stay competitive: https://lnkd.in/ess-Zdc7 #RestaurantPricing #MinimumWage #restaurantindustry #fastfood

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Seasons change, but your food business doesn't have to. Adjust your menu & market fresh, seasonal produce to keep diners coming. Utilize slow periods for staff training & menu experimentation. Stay connected with your community year-round. #FoodIndustry #SeasonalSuccess #RestaurantTips

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A dual set of expectations doesn't have to put immense pressure on restaurant leaders in the way it may seem on the surface. The way I have navigated this conundrum at Happy Joe's 🍕 is by holding close to the tenets of servant leadership. When leaders focus primarily on serving others, they can satisfy multiple responsibilities and be there for their team in ways they are needed at critical times. #RestaurantIndustry #Leadership #ServantLeadership

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Why Recognizing Your Team Makes All the Difference in Restaurants (This summary is based on an article by Danny Klein, Editorial Director at QSR/FSR) As the restaurant industry bounces back from COVID-19, keeping your team engaged and motivated is more crucial than ever. Here’s a summary of Danny Klein's insights on why a culture of recognition goes a long way in restaurants. Recognition: A Simple but Powerful Tool Did you know that 64.3% of restaurant employees say more recognition from management would boost their engagement? Yet, 25% rarely receive any feedback. Regularly acknowledging your team's hard work can make a huge difference in morale and productivity. Communication: Keep It Clear and Frequent Good communication is key. Most employees prefer in-person chats, pre-shift meetings, and written notes. But don’t overlook the power of digital tools like team communication apps for quick updates and schedule changes. Opportunities to Grow: Keep Your Team Climbing Career growth is a big deal. Companies like Chipotle and CAVA have nailed it with their internal promotion programs, showing that developing talent from within keeps employees happy and loyal. Offering clear paths for advancement can really make your team feel valued. Financial Perks: Show Them the Money Financial incentives like same-day pay or tip payouts are game-changers for many employees. And perks like staff meals, discounts, and flexible schedules can make your team feel appreciated and more satisfied with their jobs. Benefits That Matter Today's employees want benefits like health insurance, paid time off, and retirement savings. Offering these can help you attract and keep the best talent in the business. Training: Make It Short and Sweet When it comes to training, less is more. Most employees prefer training periods of one to two weeks, with hands-on learning from managers and shadowing experienced staff. Clear outlines and efficient programs ensure everyone gets up to speed quickly. Quick Tips for Managers: Have regular career chats with your team. Look at your internal talent pool before hiring externally. Be clear about what skills are needed for advancement and help your team develop them. Wrapping Up: Creating a culture of recognition, good communication, growth opportunities, financial perks, solid benefits, and efficient training can transform your restaurant into a place where employees love to work and thrive. #Branding #Marketing #Leadership #Restaurants #Management #Fractionalcmo #Coaching 

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CA was first to go to $20, but this is going to spread to the rest of the US in the coming years and that's ok. The truth is that it's all just math - not hard to overcome the adjustments to operating / pricing / tech / etc to navigate through this just like every other challenge brands face to maintain their economic promise to shareholders; while also maintaining their promise to consumers in their quality / value / service levels. Silver lining here is that a significant percent of customers just got a ~25% raise and they're sure to spend a material amount of that on food away from home. In fact, I'd expect in the shorter term (until the broader economy inflates up) that brands that threaded this needle right not only will flow healthy margins as they always have, but now on increased traffic. Everything is an opportunity in life depending on how you respond.

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Getting sober in the restaurant industry can be a unique challenge, but it's certainly possible. Here are a few strategies that some individuals have found helpful: 1. Seeking support: Find a support network that understands the challenges of the industry. This may include attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or similar support groups specifically for individuals in the food and beverage industry. 2. Creating a sober environment: Surround yourself with supportive colleagues or friends who respect your decision to be sober. Avoiding environments where alcohol is prevalent can also be beneficial. 3. Developing healthy coping mechanisms: Find alternative ways to cope with stress and pressure. This could involve practicing mindfulness, engaging in physical activity, pursuing hobbies, or seeking therapy to address underlying mental health issues. 4. Communicating openly: Share your journey with trusted coworkers, supervisors, or employers. By opening up about your sobriety, you can create a supportive work environment and potentially find accommodations that foster your well-being. 5. Self-care and balance: Prioritize self-care practices, such as getting enough rest, maintaining a healthy diet, and engaging in activities that bring you joy. Establishing a work-life balance is crucial for your overall well-being. Remember, everyone's journey to sobriety is unique. It's important to identify what works best for you and to seek professional help if needed. Your determination and courage in facing and overcoming these challenges are truly inspiring.

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Remember the headlines when Wendy's introduced dynamic pricing? The concept wasn't new but sparked conversations about its role in the QSR space. Why? Customers got cranky about restaurants increasing prices—but that’s because they saw only a single facet of the practice, and not the full value of strategic pricing in exchange for other value like time savings or convenience. Here's a short clip of these and other coveted insights from The Fast Casual | #QSRSUMMIT conference we attended in June. So if you missed it, you can tap open our blog and get the most meaningful lessons from emerging QSR brands that we found inspiring and actionable for digital solutions in the space - including, the sometimes controversial subject of dynamic pricing. Have a listen and read on! https://lnkd.in/eWUjJnac Amanda Starr Beth Warren Rodrick Glass Jason Adams Dayna Shedd Kristin Roubie Kyle Auffray Jordan Orlick Andrea Varrone David Schultz Kris{ten} Estes, PMP Jason Donnini Bart Massey Alan Brawn Lee Summers Steve Cushing #digitalsignagefederation #digitalsignagesolutions #CMSsolutions #QSRtechstack

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Here’s a comprehensive guide filled with inspiration, tips, and tricks to help #restaurant owners and managers make the most of #MemorialDay weekend!

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Major QSR's are falling behind their competitors. Staying ahead of the curve is a tall task for QSR's. In an ever-evolving market, businesses are constantly striving to revolutionize dining and provide their customers with an efficient, engaging, and convenient ordering process. Digital drive-thru menu boards are a game-changing advancement that is transforming the industry. Not only do they enhance the customer experience, but they also streamline operations for businesses. From displaying the order price to featuring specialty products with eye-catching movement, digital drive-thru menu boards are a significant improvement over traditional menu boards. * * * Learn more about digital drive-thru menu boards at the link below: https://hubs.la/Q02tPQ2g0 #menuboard #QSR #Digitalsignage

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Restaurant accounting 101 this week is going to focus on Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) and Objectives and Key Results (OKR's). These are ways in which you can break down the complexity of items on your P+L (or even not on the P+L) into building blocks that make up those items (KPI's). Think looking at targets for employee turnover, guest satisfaction (reviews or surveys or both), food cost by week, labor costs by department by day, guest counts by meal period, menu categories sales by day part by week, reservation counts, private dining bookings etc. These are a great way to help your team focus on these key metrics (as what you measure matters). You can even build compensation plans around attaining or exceeding targets for these KPI's. The one thing you don't want to do is have a hundred of them that everyone on the team needs to monitor as if you measure too many things none of them matter (we as humans don't do well with that much split attention). OKR's are usually focused outside of strictly financial items and in many cases break down process creation and/or adherence. They oftentimes have a financial component to them (as ultimately the goal of the company is to deliver profit and returns for shareholders). These goals are usually ambitious longer term results and OKR's provide a great way to break those big gnarly items into bite sized chunks so that you and the team can show and monitor progress there. Both KPI's and OKR's are important for creating organizational alignment, tracking progress and encouraging team engagement. Reviewing them as a team (or with certain departments within the team) on a regular cadence is key for utilizing these tools effectively.

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Topics of interest from the National Restaurant Association show floor. The four topics Alicia Kelso will be zooming in on are labor solutions (cost, retention), operational efficiencies, marketing, and sustainability. http://ow.ly/LPvK105sQFh

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I'm curious to see what other restaurant operators are seeing with their alcohol sales. There has been a lot of discussion about a rise in non alcoholic beverage sales and a focus on more people drinking less. At the same time Tequila continues to boom with beer and wine both seeing large drop offs in sales (nationally). There is a huge opportunity to offer a great NA program and there are a lot of great options there from Athletic Brewing Co. to Seedlip Drinks etc. I'm seeing more and more restaurants doing some sort of house made soda with interesting seasonal flavors and fresh herbs etc. In many cases these drinks aren't significantly less expensive than their alcoholic versions. What are you doing at your restaurant? Do you place huge importance on getting a liquor license at your new locations?

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