And that disconnect is costing more than you think
I came up through operations as a multi-unit franchisee. My first job out of college was working the drive-thru line at a Chick-Fil-A. That operator DNA shapes everything we do. If a piece of technology doesn’t move sales, labor, or the guest experience I am not interested in it.
Everyone’s talking about AI and how to apply it in our industry. Much of the innovation is happening around menu personalization, drive-thru automation, predictive marketing, which is all great.
But we are in hospitality and I think that still the most powerful lever in a restaurant isn’t digital. It’s human.
It’s the team member greeting the guest.
It’s the person making the food.
The hourly employee who shows up, every shift, and carries the customer experience on their shoulders.
And yet, almost all restaurant tech continues to focus on the people outside the building rather than the people inside it.
Zigy focuses entirely on who is inside the 4 walls during every shift. And because we focus on sales and not cost-cutting, we are able to see a measurable lift in revenue. Zigy offers guidance and recognition that helps the frontline get better at their job and feel better doing it and get paid more as a result.
I know what you’re thinking: “My stores are in California. I can’t afford to pay hourly team members more.” That’s because your mindset is still focused on saving money rather than making it.
When your team understands the goal, knows why it matters, and sees that crushing that goal means earning $2–$3 more per hour on that shift, everything changes. You don’t just get compliance. You get ownership where the attitude of the store shifts from survival mode to a culture of winning the shift.
Sales skyrocket. Labor % drops. Everyone wins.
This past weekend, we opened our 52nd store.
From last year to this year, across the entire group, we’ve seen a 14% increase in revenue.
We do this every year not by accident. We focus on it. Our frontline executes it.
Do your stores grow 14% year over year?
If not, maybe it’s time to try a new playbook.
