Dive Brief:
- Smashburger has expanded its chicken sandwich lineup with two refreshed grilled chicken sandwiches, the company said in a Wednesday press release.
- The fast casual chain added the Grilled Chicken Avocado Club and Deluxe Grilled Chicken sandwiches to its menu to provide additional high-protein options. The chain also added a selection of limited-time offers, including a New York Pastrami Smash, New York Pastrami Big Dog and two seasonal shakes.
- Smashburger posted same-store sales increases of 7% during the second quarter. This was driven by traffic of 10.4%, said Jollibee CEO Richard Chong Woo Shin, during an August earnings call when he was serving as CFO.
Dive Insight:
The new sandwiches come with a whole muscle chicken breast filet. Its prior chicken sandwiches were based on a smashed chicken product that was formed, smashed, seasoned and grilled, similar to its smashed burgers, Smashburger CEO Jim Sullivan said, adding that this product was “well received by guests.”
Smashburger’s menu decisions are all data-based and depend on a deep understanding of consumers’ lifestyles, Sullivan said. In terms of menu development, Smashburger brings products to market tests in a limited number of restaurants to ensure it works from an operations standpoint. It also collects live data on guest feedback and purchase habits, he added.
Smashburger begins the rollout of a new product two weeks before launch, shipping raw materials to restaurants ahead of time and then training employees a week prior. The company prepares workers using its training program, called Opus, and then shoulder-to-shoulder, on-the-line training.
“Every person will be certified by position and certified in the builds of these products before we go live with the public,” he said.
The new product launches follow a rollout of various strategies to improve the brand’s performance. Over the past two years, Smashburger has reworked the fundamentals of its business, according to a separate press release.
Smashburger has improved restaurant operations and customer experience and strengthened its digital channel execution, per the press release. It has worked to improve visibility on third-party platforms, rolled out targeted pricing actions, upgraded its field leadership and improved training for hospitality, speed of service and order accuracy.
Much of its focus has been on people, and ensuring that employees are in the right place at the right time and are equipped with what they need for restaurants to perform well, Sullivan said, adding that it has reduced the complexity of its restaurants so workers can focus more easily on fundamentals.
The fast casual chain has also been careful when taking price given ongoing beef inflation to ensure it can offer everyday value to guests, Sullivan said. Deploying more chicken products also helps offset cost increases. The company also added a $4.99 everyday value tier to its menu last year to expand its value proposition alongside its signature core products.
Last summer, the chain deployed its Summer of Smash campaign, which involved “us reclaiming our birthright and getting back into premium innovation,” Sullivan said. The company has since slowed down the number of products it rolls out, though the new menu items it has added have performed well, Sullivan said.
“We've been able to enjoy growing both revenue and traffic in the restaurant since that launch,” he said.
