Angry Chickz’s Mike LaRue on Franchise Expansion Strategies and Maintaining Guest Connection

In this episode of The QSR Experience Show, Mike LaRue, Vice President of Franchise Development at Angry Chickz, shares his extensive experience in franchise development, in particular the ins and outs of when to start franchising and when to continue to expand. He emphasizes the importance of selecting the right partners and the lessons learned from emerging brands. 

Mike also discusses the critical role of maintaining personal guest interactions to stand out in the competitive QSR industry that is leaning into technology more heavily every day. Additionally, Mike offers insights into the future landscape of quick service restaurants, highlighting the balance between technology integration and preserving the guest experience. 

Topics discussed:

• The importance of selecting the right partners and reaching multiple locations before considering franchising.
• Lessons learned from working with emerging brands and understanding what not to do in franchise development.
• Maintaining personal guest interactions to avoid becoming a commodity in the competitive QSR landscape.
• Developing a comprehensive onboarding process for franchisees to ensure smooth operations and consistency across locations.
• Proving a successful labor model even in challenging labor markets, essential for franchise growth and sustainability.
• Balancing the integration of technology, such as kiosks, with maintaining a personal touch in guest interactions.
• Strategies for expanding into new markets, including understanding psychographics and demographics to select the best locations.
• The significance of operating numerous corporate locations to refine and prove the business model before franchising.
• The role of community engagement and the impact it has on differentiating a brand in the marketplace.