In today’s ever-evolving restaurant industry, staying ahead of the curve requires not only maintaining excellent food quality but also enhancing operational efficiency and guest experience with cutting-edge technology. A noteworthy example of this transformation is Blaze Pizza, a brand that has significantly evolved its operations, spearheaded by its CTO, Chris Demery.
The Journey of Blaze Pizza
Blaze Pizza began its journey modeled after Chipotle’s successful line-order system. The core idea was allowing guests to customize their pizza right before their eyes, choosing from 34 different toppings at a fixed price. This business model primarily catered to a lunchtime crowd, but the onset of COVID-19 brought unforeseen challenges, leading to a necessary shift in operations. What was once 65% lunch business shifted to a more family-oriented, 70% dinner-centric model due to evolving consumer habits post-pandemic.
Tackling Technological Challenges Head-On
Upon joining Blaze Pizza in 2021, Chris Demery recognized the need to revamp the existing technology stack. With outdated systems in place, a strategic overhaul was necessary to support the brand’s future trajectory, especially as consumer behavior continued to change rapidly. Blaze Pizza decided to implement a flexible, cloud-based point of sale (POS) system, namely Qu POS, facilitating efficient and innovative operations throughout its 270 locations.
Operational Innovations and Guest Experience
One of the significant operational innovations Chris introduced was placing a point of sale at the beginning of the service line. This strategic move allowed Blaze Pizza to gather valuable metrics on make times without disrupting the guest experience. Combined with a new kitchen display system, the brand could now assess both make time and wait time, providing actionable insights to improve guest service.
Moreover, Blaze Pizza tackled the challenging balance of in-person and online orders by optimizing labor based on historical and predictive data. With two make lines and tailored staffing strategies, Blaze ensures that both digital and in-person guests receive timely and quality service.
The Future: Enhancing Guest Interaction and Convenience
Looking ahead, Blaze Pizza aims to further personalize the dining experience by employing customer data to better understand and anticipate guest needs. Chris Demery envisions a future where operational ease and guest satisfaction are seamlessly integrated. Part of this vision includes rapid responses to customer feedback, striving to move from the current 32-hour response time to something more immediate, like the innovative “pizza 911” concept, which allows customers to resolve issues almost instantaneously.
Conclusion
Blaze Pizza’s journey exemplifies the dynamic intersection of technology and traditional dining, showcasing how careful advancements can transform a brand’s approach to serving its guests. By strategically leveraging data and open systems, Blaze Pizza positions itself not only as a leader in fast-casual dining but as a vanguard of innovation in the restaurant industry.
For those curious about these technological changes in action, Blaze Pizza invites you to experience their innovation firsthand in their restaurants. Additionally, Chris Demery is open to engaging with those interested in learning more about Blaze’s journey or restaurant technology in general through LinkedIn or industry conferences.
Stay Connected
To keep up with Blaze Pizza’s continuing journey in technological innovation and operational excellence, follow Chris Demery on LinkedIn or reach out to him directly at chris.demery@blazepizza.com. Engage in industry discussions and insights by attending gatherings like FS Tech and Murtec, where both Chris and fellow industry leaders often share their experiences and foresight.
Transforming dining into an art fused with science, Blaze Pizza stands as a testament to how technology can create a sophisticated and seamless guest experience.
