Technology

Webinar unveils secret sauce for franchise success: Standardization

Sam Gerace, CEO of Lineup.ai, and Michael Schatten, VP of operations at fast-casual brand Carrot Express, talk about standardizing operations to increase profitability, offer guests a consistent experience and give managers clear expectations.

Photo: Adobe Stock

October 11, 2023

In an era where the restaurant industry's profit margins hover at a mere 3%-5%, the need for precision and consistency has never been more critical. Whether you're overseeing a single location or an expansive franchise network, standardized processes are the secret sauce to ensure a consistent customer experience and drive profitability.

That was the key takeaway that emerged from the recent webinar, "How to Motivate Franchise Operators to Follow Standardized Processes and Why You Should," sponsored by Lineup.ai and hosted by Networld Media Group.

The webinar featured insights from Sam Gerace, CEO of Lineup.ai, and Michael Schatten, VP of operations at Carrot Express, a fast-casual restaurant brand that promotes healthy lifestyles. The event delved into the advantages of implementing standardized processes across multiple franchise locations, offering a roadmap to building revenue and enhancing profitability.

Standardizing processes results in more revenue, lower expenses and bigger profits, according to Gerace.

"Standardization really means that if you're going to do the same thing multiple times, you should design the best way to do it and then do it that way every time at every location," Gerace said.

Carrot Express, which provides handcrafted meals to guests, has a large and creative menu. But the brand also thrives on standardized processes. Schatten said he doesn't see standardization as limiting his options.

"Standardization and having systems, processes and procedures — things like that — is absolutely critical in order to maintain food quality (and) in order to maintain service," he added. "It really does to maintain the quality of operations."

Schatten said adding systemization only helped improve the business and did not impede on daily operations.

"The core reason I was really hired was to bring years and years and years of best practices, policies, procedures, systems, etc. to really take the restaurant from good to great," he said. "I'm proud to say the last couple of years, myself and the teams out in the field, our executive team, we've certainly hit those benchmarks and we're moving forward."

As the restaurant industry continues to face challenges, the webinar insight underscored that the path to success lies in the adoption of standardized processes, ensuring customers enjoy a reliable and high-quality experience, regardless of the location or daypart in which guests visit. With the wisdom shared by industry leaders, franchise operators are better equipped to navigate the complexities of the foodservice world and maximize their profitability.

To watch the webinar in its entirety, click here.