• LEADERSHIP •
take price and are now much closer to that fine-dining category,” Kislow said. “Price is part of the value equa- tion, but it’s not the whole thing. We try to offer value through the type and quality of food that we offer and the quality of a polished-casual dining experience.” With that goal in mind, Kislow said that they don’t really lean into dis- counting or LTOs, and instead might offer a three-course meal for a spe - cial price. Create hype when entering a new market One of the most challenging parts of being an emerging or even a mid- sized brand is how to introduce new potential customers to the brand. El Pollo Loco prefers to do that as or- ganically as possible through people who become fans and want to pro- mote the brand naturally on social media channels. “When we go into a new market, it’s about educating consumers and driving awareness,” Williams said. “There are so many ways we can do that, whether it’s social media or dig- ital media-- the fans love hyping up the brand and there’s a huge oppor- tunity to leverage that.” Williams said that it’s not really the same if you hire influencers or out - side marketers to hype up the brand: “When something goes viral, it’s just so much more special than when it’s too produced,” she added.
Franchisee culture is paramount If an operator chooses to franchise, franchisees can make or break a com- pany culture. That’s how Elisia Flores feels about running L&L Hawaiian Bar- becue, which is 100% franchised. “Our edge is the franchisees we bring in,” Flores said, adding that she makes every franchisee—even the ones that live far away on the main- land—visit Hawaii before opening up their store. “When you think about foundational Hawaiian values — you hear aloha and ohana — we live it ev- ery day.” Flores said it’s just as important for potential franchisees to fit in with the family-first, and community-centric culture, as it is to be a financial fit. “I look for the franchisee that’s com- ing in and telling me these stories of wanting to open this up for their kids or bring the brand to their communi- ty,” she said. “That’s what we look for.” Not taking price can be a differentiator As pricing continues to be a hot topic of debate, with some operators choos- ing to raise their prices to combat other high costs, and others opting to delve into deep discounting, it can be a tough decision to remain steadfast in your pricing strategy instead. This is exactly what Firebirds has tried to do in the face of a tough consumer envi- ronment. “I think a lot of others in the pol- ished-casual space have started to
NRN EDITORS REFLECT ON CREATE
Be bold and lead with empathy The CEO Conversations panel closed out with each other four CEOs discussing their leadership strategies, and two words kept coming up. Kislow said it is important to lead with empathy, while Dunn emphasized boldness and confidence: “One of the things I regret looking over my career is that I wish I would have been more bold,” Dunn said. “It took me a while. I would think things in my head and be embarrassed to say them out loud. I’m now bold in es- tablishing what can be.”
UNLOCKING A BRAND’S POTENTIAL While founders are the beating heart of a brand, CEOs bring valuable outside perspective — and they often have to make the tough decisions on how to grow. Hear from the CEOs of some of the most exciting restaurant companies in foodservice today about how they’re steering their respective brands, leveraging their extensive restaurant expertise.
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