BY JOANNA FANTOZZI
ALEX DUNN SWIG
F
our different CEOs of hot brands — Alex Dunn of Swig, Elisia Flores of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Steve Kislow of Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, and Liz Williams of El Pollo Loco — took the stage at CREATE: the Future of Foodservice during the CEO Conver- sations panel in Nashville, Tenn. to dis- cuss branding, leadership, and more. From Swig learning to lead the way in an entirely new category and Fire- brands figuring out how to navigate the temptation of raising prices, here are some key operations lessons. There are pros and cons to being the inventor of a category Swig is the innovator behind the “dirty soda” craze in Utah that has now spread to other regions throughout the Unit- ed States. But while it is a boon to be the first operator within a wildly popu - lar category, it can also be frustrating when competitors selling similar dairy- and-soda concoctions start popping up. “Swig created a category that is start- ing to come into its own,” Dunn said. “While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we’d rather they didn’t copy us, and people just came to Swig.” The challenge for category innova- tors is to make sure that their invention (like the dirty soda) continues to be as- sociated with the Swig brand, and not that consumers just associate Swig as one of many capitalizing on a trend. “Lots of people can have success in this space but we’re the fastest grow- ing,” Dunn said. “We’re working hard to make sure people can have the Swig experience wherever they live.” Stay focused on what you’re good at A lot of operators are paring down menus to simplify operations, but you don’t have to go that route if your menu is already simple. Swig sells a few snacks, desserts, and dirty sodas with 50 different topping options, with drinks starting at just a couple of dol- lars. “What we do is we’re going to stay focused on what we do and do it well,” Dunn said. “We focus on making sure we provide value – once a consumer comes and tries their brand and finds their drink, it becomes an important part of their day.”
ELISIA FLORES L&L HAWAIIAN BARBECUE
STEVE KISLOW FIREBIRDS WOOD FIRED GRILL
LIZ WILLIAMS EL POLLO LOCO
PHOTO CREDIT: EDIN STUDIOS
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