Ops Excellence Awards Finalist Spotlight: SPB Hospitality

Selecting the top five finalists for the 2024 Ops Excellence Awards was an incredibly challenging task, given the outstanding quality of nominations received. Crunchtime extends its sincere appreciation to every organization that participated and applauds the remarkable progress so many teams have made in advancing operational excellence.

The finalists—BBQ Holdings, Five Guys, Jersey Mike’s, SPB Hospitality, and Triple T Hospitality—were recognized for their exceptional dedication to operational excellence. These organizations have successfully leveraged technology and collaboration to address challenges and consistently exceed expectations.

Here's a closer look at SPB Hospitality, the 2024 Ops Excellence Award Winner.

Ops Excellence Awards Spotlight: SPB Hospitality

SPB Hospitality manages a broad portfolio of brands and stands out for its innovative approach to restaurant management and commitment to delivering exceptional dining experiences. Their expertise in running both casual and fine dining establishments ensures operational success and a consistent, high-quality guest experience across all locations.

Background and Challenges

• Using 3 different tools for inventory management and food cost control was inefficient and fragmented—SBP needed one streamlined platform to consolidate the stack
• Previous scheduling tools were cumbersome and time-consuming; corporate team lacked visibility into labor costs and controls 
• Previous LMS system was fractured, piecemeal, and lacked cohesive reporting for compliance
  
  

Results

Inventory Management

• Saving an estimated $7 million with an average 1% reduction in food cost, including several specific brand examples:
  • Logan’s Roadhouse (108 locations) reduced food cost by 2.1% and COGS by 1.9%
  • J. Alexander’s and Stoney River (50 locations) reduced food cost by 1.32% and COGS by 1.57%
  • Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom (42 locations) reduced food cost by .75% and COGS by 1.0% 
• Reduced inventory time by 50%, improving quality of life for managers
• Reduced waste with efficient and consistent prep

Labor Management 

• Saving an estimated $1 million annually by keeping hourly labor costs flat during challenging economic times that saw wage hikes across the industry 
• Reducing time to take inventory by 50%, improving scheduling efficiency, and enabling tracking of compliance training
• Consolidated to one labor platform for increased accountability

Learning & Development (TalentLink)

• All brands have instant access to recipes, SOPs, updated training materials, and ServSafe training certifications in one place

Operational Intelligence

• The powerful tools and reports within Crunchtime support departments in various ways:
  • Culinary–Costing tools ensure every menu innovation falls within the brand’s cost basis
  • Marketing—Menu mix and gross margin reporting help design menu layouts that increase profits
  • Supply Chain--Consolidated purchasing reports identify SKUs that can be cross-utilized among brands to increase purchasing power and lower COGs
  • Accounting–PBI integrations and vendor orders bring accounting in-house, resulting in a $1M annual savings
  • Human Resources–Time card and audit reports ensure payroll is accurate
    
    

Future Plans and Goals

SPB hopes to continue to leverage all the tools within Crunchtime to grow in units, reduce costs, and increase profits

• Transitioning franchisees onto Crunchtime
• Expanding Crunchtime into 2 new concepts: Amada Tapas & Wine Bar and Village Whiskey
• Exploring transitioning the Krystal brand to Crunchtime, consisting of 121 corporate & 157 franchise locations

By consolidating tools, streamlining processes, and leveraging Crunchtime solutions, SPB has not only improved efficiency and reduced costs but also empowered its teams to deliver consistently exceptional dining experiences across its diverse portfolio of brands. 

At the 2024 Ops Summit, SPB Hospitality emerged victorious, as voted live by all attendees. This honor underscores SPB's dedication to innovation, collaboration, and operational mastery, setting a benchmark for excellence in the restaurant industry. Congratulations to SPB Hospitality on this incredible achievement.

Leading up to Ops Summit 2024, Crunchtime customers were invited to submit nominations for Crunchtime’s 2nd annual Ops Excellence Awards. This program honors the outstanding achievements of restaurants and groups that have harnessed the power of Crunchtime to achieve unparalleled operational excellence. Awards nomination requirements included explaining how their organization has harnessed the power of Crunchtime solutions to manage profitability, deliver great customer experiences, and successfully grow their multi-unit operations.

Representatives from all five finalists took the stage at Crunchtime’s 2024 Ops Summit to present their success stories. Their achievements underscore impressive leadership, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to operational excellence in a highly competitive landscape.

To learn more about all of the 2024 Ops Excellence Award finalists, click here.