Instead of plowing forward, sometimes it's necessary to take a step back, halt growth and re-evaluate a restaurant brand's internal systems. Andy Unanue took just that approach when he purchased the four, small quick-service brands that now make up Trufoods.

Beginning in 2007, the franchising company acquired Pudgie's Famous Chicken and Wall Street Deli as well as the franchising rights to Arthur Treacher's Fish And Chips (Nathan's Famous retains the intellectual property rights). The following year, Unanue brought in Ritter's Frozen Custard. Following those purchases, he recruited the company's management team, including Gary Occhiogrosso, chief development officer for Trufoods.

Having grown up with several of the brands, Occhiogrosso was glad for the opportunity to help the QSRs reach their full potential.

"I saw it as an opportunity to take something that people know of and love — and good food — and really reimage it and rebrand it and re-launch it to franchise community," he said. "It was an opportunity to get involved and put these brands back on the map."

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Each of the brands had its own history. most having grown only to retrench. Still, each was recognizable and had awareness in its key markets — and Unanue saw that with the right operations system and a strong business plan, the brands could grow.

Improving the brands

Occhiogrosso and the Trufoods management team drilled down into the operations of each concept and made improvements to cut costs and make them more attractive to potential franchisees.

They began by returning each brand to its core values while also developing a product development and marketing strategy. On the menu side, each brand now has a cohesive program focusing on its core offerings plus regional specialties. Several of the brands also developed new offerings, including Ritter's recently launched probiotic frozen yogurt.

To improve the franchise model, Trufoods worked with its suppliers to get high-volume pricing and decrease its cost of goods sold. The company also improved its support and training for franchisees as well as developed a standard equipment package and a value-engineered buildout to reduce startup costs.

Trufoods also launched a co-branding program, pairing Pudgie's Famous Chicken with the seafood brand Arthur Treacher's, and Wall Street Deli with Ritter’s Frozen custard. The company is sweetening the co-branding program by offering a reduced fee for the second brand.

To facilitate lending in today's tight credit market, the company has worked with various lenders and leasing companies to create a business plan and lay the foundation for franchisees.

The company's goal is to triple the size of each brand over the next three years, primarily through franchising.

"Now that we've got the operating systems in place, we feel that's a realistic number at this point," Occhiogrosso said.

Here's a look at the various brands:

Pudgie's Famous Chicken, founded 1981
Locations: Seven in the New York tri-state area
Service model: Carryout/delivery
Signature product: Skinless fried chicken plus various sides, such as spinach and sweet potatoes
Innovations: Re-launched the brand's chicken wings in original or boneless as a featured product, offering five different sauces, including various heat levels.
Social media: www.facebook.com/ILovePudgies

Ritter's Frozen Custard, founded 1948
Locations: 30 units, mostly in the Midwest
Target expansion areas: Indianapolis, Houston, Ohio, and existing Florida markets
Service model: Walk-up order window with outdoor patio seating or inline with carryout/dine-in
Signature product: Frozen custard made on site
Innovations: High quality probiotic frozen yogurt to meet consumer demand for healthy products
Social media: www.facebook.com/ILoveRitters

Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips, founded 1969, with Wendy's founder Dave Thomas among the founders
Locations: 26 along the East Coast as well as in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Target expansion areas: Ohio and Pennsylvania as it co-brands with Pudgie's
Service model: Carryout/dine-in
Signature product: Batter-dipped fish 'n' chips
Innovations: Fish taco, scheduled to launch in July, to target younger demographic
Social media: Facebook group page

Wall Street Deli, founded 1967 as Stand N Snack, renamed Wall Street Deli 1987
Locations: 22 units, concentrated in Washington, D.C., and Virginia as some in Utah and Denver, mostly non-traditional
Target expansion areas: Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York metro area, non-traditional
Service model: Non-traditional offers carryout, standalones offer carryout/dine-in
Signature product: High quality New York-deli style sub sandwiches
Innovations: New Newport, N.J. location leans toward fast casual in décor and seating package, focus on co-branding with Ritter's
Social media: Facebook page

*To view a slideshow of images from Trufoods' brands, click here.

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