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Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken launches prototype to roll out this year
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken has launched a prototype that will begin rolling out in stores in 2024. With dual drive-thru lanes and an online ordering pick-up area, the prototype focuses on functionality and better customer interactions.
January 26, 2024 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, a QSR chicken brand founded in Limo, Ohio, offers fresh, never frozen, chicken. The brand operates 130 locations in 12 U.S. states.
It recently unveiled, at its annual Family Reunion brand conference in Louisville, Kentucky, a restaurant prototype designed by Chute Gerdeman with plans to launch this year. The redesign offers a fresh look complemented by smart design elements to enhance the customer experience. It includes double drive-thrus and an online ordering pick-up area and more.
QSRweb talked to Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken CEO Ryan Weaver in an e-mail interview to learn more about the prototype and how it will impact customer service and the brand moving forward.
Q.What was the impetus behind the redesign? Why now?
A.The redesign was important to our nearly 60-year-old brand because we hadn't modernized our brand in over two decades, yet we make a best-in-class product. We wanted the quality of our branding and our physical assets to better align with the quality of our product. Hence, we decided to refresh the brand and a new prototype was a part of that, which we know will make the franchisees and customers' lives and experience at Lee's even better.
Q.Can you provide more details about the key features of the new restaurant prototype, such as the dual drive-thru, online ordering pick-up area and other smart design elements?
A.The dual-drive through made sense for our new restaurant as about 70% to 80% of our sales come from off-premise, including the drive-thru. We wanted to make the customer experience seamless and quick, which the dual drive-thru helps with. The online ordering pick-up area on the interior also allows customers to have a quick and easy experience where they can order at their own convenience and come and pick it up when it's ready without having to wait. Additionally, back-of-house design was done with efficiency in mind to help the staff's processes and allow for good speed of service. The standard restaurant will be about 2,400 square feet and 56 seats, but the design is flexible depending on the market needs.
Q.How do you believe the new prototype will enhance the overall customer experience compared to the existing restaurant design?
A. Since we're in the QSR industry, we know that customers, especially since COVID, want high-quality and delicious food but also want convenience and quick service, which is something we feel like the new restaurant will accomplish with the dual drive-thru and online ordering pick up area. We needed to optimize our process for the best customer experience. We went into multiple restaurants and observed customer's behavior and what they like and don't like so that's how we decided on what to incorporate in the new design.
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Photo: Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken |
Q.In what ways does the new design aim to streamline operations for both franchisees and the Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken brand?
A.The new design elements can be retrofitted into existing restaurants which is a big win because a lot of our existing asset base needs some modernization. We are a legacy brand and we embrace that, but that doesn't mean we can't be more modern at the same time. The back of the house design has also garnered a lot of focus. We hired an industrial engineering consultant to analyze employees' actions in order to maximize efficiency in the kitchen. The new design will streamline operations for both franchisees and the brand because again, we're optimizing our processes and trying to make it seamless for the franchisees, staff and customers. On the tech side, we're implementing AI voice order taking at the drive thru with a trusted vendor partner which leads to a more consistent customer experience, and a more efficient labor model.
Q. What was behind the decision to incorporate a dual drive-thru system and how it contributes to the efficiency of service?
A.The decision was easy to make because the dual drive-through system makes the customer's life easier by allowing us to take the order of two guests at once rather than just one. Allowing customers a better experience at our restaurants was something we prioritized when designing our new restaurants.
Q. What specific technologies or innovations are integrated into the new prototype to keep up with modern trends and customer expectations?
A. Other than the design elements that will keep up with the modern trends, the AI order taking at the drive thru is really a huge efficiency driver for us. We work with Hi Auto for AI voice order taking and have proven we can remove about five to six labor hours per unit per day. Using AI has not only helped with order accuracy but has also proven to grow topline due to the consistency of upselling.
Q.How flexible is the new design for adaptation to existing restaurants, and what are the key considerations for franchisees looking to convert their current establishments?
A.The new design elements can be retrofitted into existing restaurants and it is an extremely adaptable overall package. Depending on seating and drive-thru needs in the market, restaurants could be looking at more or less seating and square footage, but it all depends on what is needed. Existing franchisees are obviously going to be focused on the sales lift they can expect by reimaging and what that ROI looks like, which is why we are going to start by retrofitting some existing corporate restaurants to prove this out first.
Q. How will the modern look of the new prototype contribute to attracting new franchisees and supporting the growth of the Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken brand?
A. The investment we've made in our brand reimage and new prototype speaks to our alignment with both current and prospective franchisees. We have as much skin in the game as anyone through our corporate units, and we plan to reimage them to this new look as well to prove out the concept.
Q.Can you share insights into the thought process behind selecting Chute Gerdeman as the design partner for the new prototype, and how their expertise aligns with Lee's vision for the future?
A. Chute Gerdeman is an award-winning retail design firm who creates world-class designs and creates experiences for brands and customers. They have worked with some of the most iconic brands who have rebranded both in retail and the food and beverage industries, especially in the QSR industry. They understood and saw how we wanted to modernize and grow the brand and understood our vision of refreshing the brand while keeping our core values, which is something they were uniquely positioned to do given their work with some similar concepts. From the strategy to the design process and to the scalability, we were able to see Lee's future through together.
Q. With the launch scheduled for 2024, what steps are being taken to ensure a smooth transition for both existing and new franchisees, and what kind of support will be provided during the implementation of the new prototype?
A.We are ensuring our existing and new franchisees are learning the new "what" as well as the "why" and "how." We want our franchisees to feel valued and supported. By our corporate stores leading the way in this new prototype, we know the franchisees can see how it was done and why it's being done, which is important for them to understand so that they can translate that to the customer.
About Mandy Wolf Detwiler
Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.
An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.
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