FSR February 2023

OntheRise

the training, the front of the house, the social media, the real estate, the legal ity, HR—we have everything that a franchise needs to be successful,” Viv iani says. “We’re not just handing you off a brand and training you for a month and wishing you luck. You’re part of our operation, and although yes, you own

menu was slimmed to 35–40 items that are high quality, but easy to execute, Viv iani says. The chef adds that Chuck Lager is using co-packing partners to ensure consistency and using Viviani Hospital ity’s marketing and social media prow ess to create awareness. Viviani notes that he owns concepts ranging from

Going forward, Viviani says growth will primarily focus on franchising. As he puts it, it won’t do him any good to have 30 corporate units that are suc cessful and 20 franchised ones that are struggling. His goal is to help “franchi sees shine and make a killer amount of money to their bottom line while serv

THE CHUCK LAGER IN ORLAND PARK, ILLINOIS, IS ALSO A TRAINING FACILITY.

CHUCK LAGER

“We’re not just handing you off a brand and training you for amonth andwishing you luck. You’re part of our operation, and although yes, you own and operate it, we’re going to coddle you like you’re the first-born child.”

ing their communities.” As for Chuck Lager’s white space, Viv iani is unsure whether that number is 50, 100, or even 1,000 locations. However, he does know that it wouldn’t be pru dent to saturate markets and compro mise franchise territories. He believes Chuck Lager has a place in the top 75 U.S. markets but to different extents, like a half-dozen in Chicago but a few less in Tampa. Whatever size the brand ends up being, franchise health will remain a top concern. “I’m willing to open as many as I can without jeopardizing the territory that we already sell to the franchisees. So if that’s 500, that’s your answer. If that’s 1,000, that’s your answer,” Viviani says. “But [if] I have to question whether this location is too close or it’s going to mess stuff up for one of my current people that believed in us, the answer is [we’re] absolutely not going to do that.”

and operate it, we’re going to coddle you like you’re the first-born child.” Chuck Lager ranges from 4,000 to 6,500 square feet. Vivani says the con cept could fit into 3,000 square feet, provided the space includes an outdoor patio and is located in a strong market. The Orland Park store is 12,000-plus square feet because it features two kitch ens, an office space, and training facili ties. Viviani says a ground-up store can be built for under $2 million and that a unit can fit into a second-generation space for fewer than $1 million. In preparation for franchising, the

desserts and fried chicken to high-end steakhouses. The key to pleasing custom ers but still maintaining a certain price point and profitability is being smart about menu engineering. “When you taste our food, it tastes like a million bucks, but it doesn’t require a brain surgeon to be able to develop that,” Viviani says. “So my idea, espe cially post-Covid, is to be able to create incredible offerings withminimal effort. That’s why we are leveraging co-packing. That’s why we are leveraging our purchas ing power. That’s why we are leveraging our other restaurant expertise.”

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