Secrets to Arby’s $3.5 million/year Store

Arby’s franchisee finds formula for success

The keys to their success can be summed up as:

• Hiring reliable employees, and nurturing them so they stay
• consistency of product quality (linked to employees)
• flexibility of franchisor to permit altenative and innovative store layout

Below are direct quotes for the article:

Lowe attributes much of the company’s success to hiring standards almost unheard of in the restaurant industry. The company has a turnover rate of slightly above 50 percent, unusually low for the industry. Before an employee goes to work for The Restaurant Co., they undergo a psychological profile, a drug test and a criminal background check, and that’s after having gone through several interviews.

…

Once the company hires someone, Lowe said, the processes in the restaurant are designed to help them be successful. The company conducts employee satisfaction surveys twice a year to help spot problems.

Restaurant employees also have the authority to solve a customer problem, up to $100.

…

“We are full-service guys running fast-food restaurants, so we look at things differently,” he said. “We focused on dinner, where a lot of quick-service restaurants focus on breakfast.”

The company supported that effort with innovative restaurant designs including carpet on the floors, softer lighting, granite countertops and wooden chairs. The Short Pump restaurant even serves beer and wine, although it’s a small part of the business, Lowe said.

“If you are really trying to analyze why our average unit volume is so high, dinner has a lot to do with it,” Lowe said. “Our lunch/dinner mix is about 50/50.”

Similar Posts:

• ‘Homework’ Key to Restaurants
• Franchisees say they support Friendly’s
• Bring Overseas Franchises to the USA
• Ground Round on Rebound
• Franchisees: Give Your Stock to the Best Employees