Pollo Campero wants to more than double its US store count.
But first, it’s halving the number of miles workers walk each day.
The privately held Guatemalan chicken chain mapped how workers were moving around stores and revamped its restaurant design to allow people to work more efficiently.
It slashed the number of steps taken by the staff member who ensures orders are delivered promptly and accurately from about 18,000 per shift – or about 3.4 miles – to about 9,500.
“Every step you save adds to the bottom line and saves labor costs,” said Blas Escarcega, vice president of franchise development at Pollo Campero. The reduction can also result in faster service and happier customers, he added. Dollar savings from the new model are difficult to calculate, the company said, but the setup should also improve workers’ experience and reduce turnover.
The chicken joint’s initiative mirrors an industry-wide push for higher productivity as restaurants face elevated costs and picky diners. While many restaurants now say that staffing and turnover are back to pre-pandemic levels, the median base wage for restaurant workers was about 18% higher in March than three years ago, according to payroll data from establishments that use technology by Square.
Read more here from Bloomberg.
