QSR May 2023

DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS

Stacking the Deck with Tech Multi-brand platform WOWorks seeks streamlined operations to unlock further growth. BY SATYNE DONER

chisees love it.” In guest retention and acquisition, PUNCHH has offered improved support. It allows for direct messaging between the guest and the brand, a sharpened loyalty pro gram, and the ability to run promotions. Mark believes PUNCHH and the data it provides are the future of what cross-brand loyalty looks like. “The biggest benefit of PUNCHH is that we can really know the guests,” Mark says. “It’s all about the data and using it to help all our brands.” The refined loyalty program uses customer data to find correlations between WOWorks offerings and invites guests to visit co-brand locations, thus strengthening the relationship between customers and restaurants. Additionally, WOWorks is using technol ogy to ramp up its virtual brand presence. An example of this venture is Soupworks, a virtual extension of Saladworks. “We put Soupworks on third-party partners and it’s done extremely well,” Mark says. “So, what we’re looking at now is our first phase of doing this same thing with our other brands

WOWorks is adding tools to improve the customer experience.

W OWorks, a company full of better-for-you restaurants, put itself in a prime position for growth in 2023, with one of its most important ventures being renewed tech nology integrations. These new partnerships include QU, OLO Rails, OLO Dis patch, PUNCHH, and World Pay. The updates will improve operations for WOWorks’s point-of sale systems, menu management platforms, third-party delivery options, payment processing, and customer loyalty programs. As of now, four of six WOWorks brands have moved seamlessly onto one tech stack, with plans to integrate Zoup! Eatery and Bar beritos later this year. The company acquired the two chains in 2022 for an undisclosed amount, joining Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, and The Simple Greek. The tech stack upgrades are proving beneficial for employees, customers, and franchisees alike. “We have several franchisees that own multiple brands, so for them to be able to have one system operationally is a major win for them,” says Kyle Mark, CIO of WOWorks. “Cross-brand fran

and focusing in on those lesser-known aspects that we offer.” Phase two of WOWorks’s virtual brand integration will include launching the latest items, which either need to be tested or would not work in a brick-and-mortar environment. Either way, Mark sees these ghost concepts as an additional segment of revenue. In other instances, WOWorks will team with outside sources, like Virtual Dining Concepts. “We’re partnering with other companies like Virtual Dining Concepts for some of their pieces that we can offer in-store,” Mark explains. “We’re doing a pilot phase with Cake Boss right now, and that’s a major initiative for us.” WOWorks’ technological transformation didn’t come without skepticism. Marks explains that at first, franchisees were hesitant to rip out their systems in favor of a new one. There were con cerns about employee training slowing operations, but the result was far from it. “With this new technology, we were focused on ease of use,” Mark says. “It was fun to watch employees pick up on it immediately.” Multi-unit franchisees are among the first to experience the

WOWORKS

84

MAY 2023 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com