Fresh off announcing a renewed focus on franchisee profitability and growth, Mexican-inspired chain The Burrito Bar has smashed its single-day sales record.
A sustained run of growth across all days of the week has helped to reposition the brand as a leader in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) space, however it’s a heritage promotion that is delivering the strongest returns.
Since launching in 2011, The Burrito Bar’s 25c Wing Wednesday has served as a staple offering, but as popularity grew, questions were raised over the viability of the promotion. The Burrito Bar general manager Shaun Butcher said a major part of the chain’s restructuring process was ensuring that franchisees made the most of the increased traffic.
“While 25c Wings Wednesday is one of the original Burrito Bar promotions and has always been very popular, we have been working hard with our franchise partners to build their capacity on this day of the week to ensure they can cater to the larger than ever number of customers wanting to join us,” he said.
“We have also been negotiating new supplier arrangements to reduce COGS, streamlining restaurant operations for greater efficiency and upskilling our franchise partners and their teams with better training and support.”
The Burrito Bar restructuring
It’s been a lengthy journey for the QSR chain to get to this point. The emergence of delivery aggregators and third part operators hit The Burrito Bar hard, but a careful approach to growth and a revitalised business plan has helped franchisees to traverse the competitive landscape
Butcher said the single day sales record is tangible evidence that The Burrito Bar is delivering on its promise to improve franchisee profitability.
“Our franchise partners have been becoming increasingly profitable with the dramatic lift in sales across all days of the week over the last 18 months,” he said.
“I can advise that Wings Wednesday sales are up 35 per cent compared to the same time last year, with customers currently buying approximately 8 tonnes of chicken wings each Wednesday across our 31 restaurants.”
While in-store promotions have helped The Burrito Bar to cut through the noise, it isn’t the only implementation the chain has introduced. Butcher reveals the brand is also rolling out a series of new technological advancements to improve franchisee conditions.
“We are introducing new technologies to help franchise partners manage their businesses more effectively, and are currently forming some new and exciting partnerships to help drive increased return from their existing restaurant space,” he said.
The Burrito Bar 2020
The new single day sales record is the perfect way to usher in a new year, one that Butcher reveals is destined to be headlined by growth.
“We are expecting to start 2020 with an exciting partnership announcement that will add substantial value to our partners,” he said.
“In the early part of 2020 we are going to be taking the brakes off expansion for the first time in 18 months, with new restaurant openings currently being planned across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast and regional Australia. We will also be launching our app in the first half of the year and an exciting new menu to further expand on our diverse food and beverage offering.”