On today’s episode of The QSR Experience Show, Bobby speaks with Stephanie Hoppe, Chief Marketing Officer at Cicis Pizza, a restaurant chain offering all-you-can-eat pizza buffets. They discuss how to create consistent experiences for customers across locations, and why simplifying operations plays a key role in bringing more value to customers. They also talk about how data can help drive customer initiatives like loyalty programs, why focusing on one concept is what leads to success, and how AI and automation will play a role in the future of the QSR industry.
Topics discussed:
- How Cicis Pizza grew to 280 locations and what sets the brand apart in terms of service and value.
- How to create consistent experiences for customers across locations, and why taking an ops-first mindset for marketing will help achieve that goal.
- Why sometimes doing a deep dive into the data may hold you back from launching new marketing efforts and experiments.
- How the QSR industry is evolving, and how independent businesses, challenges to consistency, and concept focus are key trends.
- How technology can help you learn more about your customers and drive new initiatives like loyalty programs.
- Advice for QSRs that want to scale, including being wise about choosing your franchisees and why location is key.
- The role AI and automation will play in the future of QSR.
“From an innovation standpoint, make things very simple, very straightforward. They have to be a ‘wow’ for the guest, but they have to follow the same procedures that we utilize for all other pizzas, etc. They have that muscle. They know that. So you just put something, a new ingredient in versus a whole new procedure, you’re going to have much more consistency. And so we have an ops-first mindset in all of our marketing programs because quite honestly, if operations can’t execute it, it’s not worth doing.”
“The other thing that I’ve really noticed is focus. … New concepts that do something really well. That’s where casual dining has gotten into some trouble, because they’re trying to do a little bit of everything and you become nothing.”
“There’s so much technology out there with the ability to understand who your guests are. … It can really give you a clear picture of who your guests are, how often they’re coming. You can become very targeted in your marketing. Laser focused. But that takes time and that takes data. It takes investment.”
“How do you really utilize your four walls and your equipment to maximize the profitability? That can come at the expense of your execution of your core brand, so you really have to be careful.”
“The less your staff has to do, the more technology can enable them to focus on the guest. That’s another piece that we’re going to see a lot of growth in.”
