Operations

Fast Casual Top 100 brands share these 3 traits

September 3, 2020 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

For the past 14 years, FastCasual has recognized the industry's leading brands in its annual Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers report. Sweetgreen, a 104-unit salad chain, topped the 2020 list, Chicago-based Wow Bao earned the spot last year, Freshi came out on top in 2018, Blaze was the winner in 2017 and Dickey's was No. 1 in 2016. Although these brands hail from different regions and serve food that literally could not be any different, they have three things in common. They are each:

1. Innovative.
2. Adaptable.
3. Obsessed with brand culture.

Sweetgreen
Since it first opened in 2007, Sweetgreen has pushed the envelope in all three areas. It was one of the first in the industry to develop a mobile app several years ago and in 2018 created "Outpost," a lunch-pickup program that delivers cuisine at set times to specific areas in which customers have requested via online request form. Now available in nearly 1,000 locations in nine cities with more than 100,000 users, common locations are office buildings, apartment complexes and fitness centers.

Sweetgreen rolled out a mobile app in 2016 and has since been making improvements to it. Provided

Showing its ability to adapt, Sweetgreen began using Outpost locations to help feed frontline workers when the pandemic emerged in March. Also, it quickly moved to a digital-only service model implementing operational upgrades that the team had been planning to roll out slowly over the next year.

"We've obviously had to change so much of the experience and how we operate, but it moved us to a fully digital model when COVID hit," said Chief Concept Officer Nicolas Jammet. "From that crisis mode, we really pivoted quickly in thinking about how, 'Okay, how can we use our time and our energy to help those that are most in need right now.'"

To make sure employees understand and live its culture, Sweetgreen has invested in employee training. For example, it partnered with Wisetail to create Sprout, a mobile app that trains staff without interrupting production. The app tracks schedules, hosts training videos with a gamification component and serves as a way for employees to communicate with management.

For example, if an employee has an issue, they send an email to the "gardener," whose job is to field concerns and questions.

"We have (built) a culture with it," Operations VP Amy Jones-Hom said. "They can celebrate when they finish their module. Their leader will know and can post a picture or emoji."

Employees, who use Sprout only via iPads or desktops while they are in the store, have their own accounts that not only show them a clear career-development path, but also track their training progress and award them points as they complete modules.

Good communication, of course, is just half the strategy. The other half is about creating a family atmosphere with an inclusive environment.

The chain, for example, gives all employees five months of paid parental leave and also pays them to volunteer in their communities.

Doug Sutton, president of Steritech; Andy Raabe, CFO of Wow Bao; Geoff Alexander, president of Wow Bao; and Cherryh Cansler, VP of Editorial, Networld Media Group celebrate Wow Bao's win last year at the 209 Top 100 gala in Chicago.

"That's part of who are at Sweetgreen, so we pay them to (volunteer)," said Jones-Hom, who described how the company has an online "deed board" that shares community events. "If staff take a day off work, they get paid to go, millennials get nervous and shy. Getting them out there helps them, but even one day hurts their paycheck to go volunteer, so we pay them," he added. "It's just making a better place at the end of the day."

Wow Bao

Although last year's Top 100 winner, Wow Bao, has company-owned stores, airport locations, a frozen retail grocery line and is in sports stadiums and on college campuses, the 12-unit chain is probably best known as an innovator in technology.

It rolled out kiosks more than a decade ago, for example, and many locations now feature fully automated front-of-house customer experiences. The POS integrates with desktop and mobile-app ordering, the back-of-house solution integrates with accounting and inventory management, and each team member has access to an online training portal that includes videos and evaluations.

Innovation, adaptabilty and its dedication to brand culture have also been on full diplaly this year as Wow Bao has added licensed and pop-ups locations inside grocery stores as well at TD Garden in Boston, music festivals and the Hyatt hotel. Lastly, in a move that is truly unique, the chain has made some of its menu items available to any restaurant interested in offering it to customers via carry out or delivery.

"We believe that every kitchen can be a third-party kitchen for Wow Bao," President Geoff Alexander said during an interview with FastCasual.

Wow Bao was No. 6 on the 2020 list.

Freshii
Freshii caught the judges' attention in 2018 as one of the fastest-growing health and wellness brands in the world, opening its first 200 stores faster than Starbucks, Dominos Pizza and even Subway.

By making superfoods such as kale and quinoa convenient and affordable, Freshii launches new menu items every 90 days and was on a mission to make its packaging more sustainable. Technology has been playing a big part in Freshii's success for years. It created global intranet platform that connects all franchisees with HQ initiatives to a mobile app that lets customers purchase their meals without cash. It also relies on tech to build positive relationships with all stakeholders in an authentic, supportive and seamless way, according to Founder Matthew Corrin.

FastCasual's editorial team has released its annual list of the industry's most significant brands, awarding Freshii the No.1 spot.

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza
Judges awarded Blaze the top spot in 2017, citing its innovation not only in technology but also in menu development, sustainability and marketing. It was an early adopter of mobile, for example, rolling out its ordering and payment app out in 2016, and leaned heavily into social media, signing a multi-year endorsement deal with NBA All-Star LeBron James that same year. Since then, Blaze — which ranked 12th on this year's list — hasn't wavered on its commitment to innovation, adaptiblity or brand culture, launching various programs and products to fuel growth.

In Q2 last year, it introduced a plant-based protein option with its spicy chorizo. In the summer, it became the first national pizza concept to offer a Keto Crust, and in the fall, it entered into the digital commerce game, building a full-on delivery and carryout ecosystem. Last year it rolled out a new frictionless website, providing guests with a more convenient and seamless ordering experience, and during the onset of the pandemic, the 350-unit chain launched make-at-home pizza kits.

Dickey's Barbeuce Pit
Like Sweetgreen, Wow Bao and Blaze, Dickey's, which topped the 2016 Top 100 list and also made this year's, is known as a technology leader in the restaurant industry. With a proprietary POS and arsenal of artificial intelligence tools, the Texas-based Dickey's chain has evolved over the years to best serve its guests whether it's creating new twists on classic barbecue favorites or offering multiple delivery options for guests' convenience. In 2019, this meant adding the first new permanent menu items in 10 years: Pit-Smoked Wings in eight new flavors complemented by a flavor and size expansion to their fan-favorite ribs.

The Dallas-based restaurant company, which first started as a family owned joint in 1941, has since grown to over 500 locations in the U.S. and United Arab Emirates, and the pandemic hasn't slowed it down. Dickey's unveiled an enhacned e-commerce site in April and has seen traffic soar 122% compared to the previous period. In fact, the company reported in May that it had its highest day in digital sales ever recorded.

Kelly McWilliams of Taylor; Jim Bitticks, EVP of operations and training at Blaze Pizza; Juan Lopez, director of training at Blaze Pizza and Cherryh Cansler, director of editorial of Networld Media Group, pose at the Top 100 gala in 2017.

"Now more than ever, we are focused on our digital resources as a way to connect with guests," said CEO Laura Rea Dickey. "Due to the current crisis, we are operating in a new digital-first landscape, so it's imperative that we make it a seamless experience for everyone."

To see which brands made this year's Top 100 list, download the free Top 100 report.

About Cherryh Cansler

---

Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

Connect with Cherryh:

Included In This Story

---

Oracle

Oracle helps ambitious food and beverage providers transact in new ways, prioritize guests, and deliver great experiences. With Simphony Cloud, an open and extensible digital transaction platform, NetSuite for business management, and CrowdTwist for loyalty, thousands of operators worldwide automate operations and elevate personalized guest experiences with Oracle.

Request Info

Learn More