Operations

How this leading chicken chain is leveraging the fusion between QSR and fast casual

Navigating the rapidly blurred lines of fast casual and quick service, Slim Chickens stands out with the winning formula. In a dining landscape heavily shaped by speed and product quality, Slim Chickens seamlessly integrates efficiency without compromising on its quality of ingredients, restaurant décor, or level of service.

Photo: Slim Chickens

January 15, 2024 by Fast Casual

What was once an important distinction between the two players, Slim Chickens is grounded in its approach to a new era in the fast-casual category defined by technological solutions, authenticity and advanced operational functions.

Tech-driven convenience

With an innovative business model in place, Slim Chickens not only excels in its strong drive-thru, to-go, catering and third-party delivery services, contributing to over 70% of the chain's sales mix but also takes pride in its loyalty app and online ordering platform. These tools have quickly allowed the brand to engage and generate its strong following of 'Slimthusiats.'

While many goals and outcomes are the same for both quick service and fast casual, the difference lies in how technology is used. For Slim Chickens, its tech stack further enables interaction with its guests whether dining in or on the go.

To offer customers a seamless experience, limited-service brands are relying on their tech stacks to boost competitiveness and profitability. Where the demand for convenience is driven by an appeal to off-premise and digital adoption, drive-thru's have become a must-have for brands on this branch of the segment's evolutionary tree.

Uncompromised quality

The foundation of Slim Chickens is found in its core product, which is the essence of the specialty chicken category – hand-breaded, Southern-style, buttermilk-marinated chicken tenders. Complimented by 17 house-made sauces, the quality of ingredients is where the brand finds its ability to hit a variety of different flavor profiles.

Through Slim Chickens' growth, it has evolved to boast a differentiated menu that includes wings, craft chicken sandwiches, salads, wraps, chicken and waffles and mason jar desserts.

Focusing on food quality, accuracy, and speed, Slim Chickens spent time retooling its prototype, reengineering the kitchen, and moving around existing equipment. Today, through new communication methods, delivery, and connection, the brand has been able to keep efficiency and costs under control by focusing on drive-thru, service times and portability targeted at busy professionals.

Authenticity and an elevated dining experience

Priding itself on its southern hospitality, Slim Chickens' atmosphere was built for guests to feel right at home. With thoughtfully designed décor and music, Slim Chickens focuses on the community and geography of each store, capitalizing on consumer demand for experiential dining. While dine-in traffic has returned, off-premise channels also remain elevated. Restaurateurs are grappling with how to balance various business formats in a way that focuses on consumer satisfaction and its labor force — both groups with high expectations and standards.

By reconfiguring its restaurants' kitchens and parking spaces, the brand has been able to optimize flow for both its guests and its employees. By implementing new technologies in the drive-thru and adding staff armed with entry pads, the Slim Chickens experience remains effortlessly efficient and satisfying.

Whether guests opt to dine in, take out, or utilize the convenient drive-thru for a meal on the go, Slim Chickens' commitment to the fast-casual experience ensures consistent excellence in both time and quality. In this era, Slim Chickens establishes itself as a nimble leader, providing a dining environment that perfectly balances speed, quality and the joy of shared moments.

The winning formula

The COVID-19 pandemic inspired fast-casuals to adopt drive-thru's and delivery options, marking the beginning of a new era of restaurant innovation. Driven by technological solutions and new restaurant designs, Slim Chickens doesn't change — it adapts.

Today, Slim Chickens' AUVs are now around $3.8 million (of Group 1 in the 2022 FDD Item 19), driven by strong performances from restaurant openings and customer retention. This significant stride for the brandis attributed to the retention of proven operators, an efficient building format, resonate marketing, well-positioned locations, and the quality of its food – what the brand stands for overall.