THE
Emerging
Emerging
Technology
Technology
and Customer
and Customer
Engagement
Engagement
Mobile apps are
taking over!
Learn more about the trend on page 14.
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F F R A N C H I S E B U S I N E S S S E R V I C E S 2023 ISSUE 4
Can technology replace
the human touch?
Read more on page 16.
Emerging
Emerging
Technology
Technology
and Customer
and Customer
Engagement
Engagement
McLane Foodservice ofers its sincere gratitude to the
BUFFALO WILD WINGS franchisees for their years
of partnership and success in growing together.
© 2021 McLane Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
PROUD TO BE YOUR
WINGMAN SINCE 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FBS Board of Directors
James Bitzonis
Chairman
Roz Mallet
Vice Chairman
Ed Lynn
Secretary/Treasurer
Wray Hutchinson
Chairman Emeritus
Jenny Beaudoin
Director
Brian Carmody
Director
Steve Grube
Director
Mark Jones
Director
Bobby Pancake
Director
Larry Podlogar
Director
Christy Williams
Executive Director
FBS Editorial Board
Rachel Jackson
Editor-in-Chief
rachelj@myfbsonline.org
Allison McCallum
Managing Editor
allisonm@myfbsonline.org
Jared Johnsen
Communications Specialist
jaredj@myfbsonline.org
Tyler Ryan
Communications Copywriter
tylerr@myfbsonline.org
Advertising Sales
Jeff Reynolds
Director of Business Partner Relations
jeffr@myfbsonline.org
678-797-5163
Design and Layout
Kristen Thomas
KT Graphic Design
ktgraphicdesign@gmail.com
Headquarters
1701 Barrett Lakes Blvd. NW
Suite 180
Kennesaw, GA 30144
Phone: 678-797-5161
Fax: 678-797-5171
Franchise Business Services publishes The SCORE.
Any reproduction, in whole or in part, of the
contents of this publication is prohibited without
prior written consent of Franchise Business
Services. All Rights Reserved.
In keeping with our commitment to the
environment, this publication is printed
on certified, environmentally-friendly recycled
paper using eco-friendly inks.
Copyright© 2024
Printed in the U.S.A.
www.myfbsonline.org
ON THE COVER
How will growing technological advancements affect
business at Buffalo Wild Wings® sports bars? While the
full effects are still to be seen, striking a balance between
technology and good customer service is the best way to
set your sports bar up for success. Learn more on page 16.
COLUMNS
2
Chairman’s Column
DEPARTMENTS
4
FBS Member News
6
Calendar of Events
7
FBS Membership Benefits
10
One Topic: 10 Facts
12 Look, Listen, Read
FEATURES
14 Mobile App Takeover
by Tyler Ryan, FBS communications copywriter
16 Emerging Restaurant Technology – Is It the Solution To the Labor Issue?
by Jared Johnsen, FBS communications specialist
18 Team Up for Kids: 2023 Wrap Up
contributed by the Buffalo Wild Wings FoundationSM
20 The Five New Rules of Leadership
by Jim Sullivan, Sullivision
22 Common Employee Injuries and How To Prevent Them
contributed by Lockton Cos.
24 True Professionalism: The Core of Service Excellence
by Dennis Snow, Snow & Associates Inc.
26 Employer Work Rules Need Review in Light of the National Labor
Relations Board’s Strict New Standard
by Elizabeth Rice, Laner Muchin
28 Elements of The Entrepreneurial Mindset Series: Element No. 3:
Empathy and Fulfilling Customers
by Dan Coughlin, The Coughlin Co.
30 It’s Not (Completely) What You Think: “New Age” Management
Techniques
by Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro®
DIRECTORIES
8
Associate Member Listing
32 Advertisers Guide and Editorial Calendar
2023 Issue 4
2023 Issue 4
|
THESCORE
hile we had crazy infa-
tion, and still do, chicken
wing prices came down
considerably of huge highs in 2022 and
certainly helped our fnancial state-
ments. Most of us experienced fat sales
and slower transactions. We noticed
that takeout and delivery percentages
remained pretty stable, and we now
consider and expect it to be an extremely
vital and critical area of the business.
Stafng has been very difcult, especially
in the management area, and may be
causing some of us sleepless nights. Our
POS is still a mess, as is Blazin’ Rewards,
but fear not, as relief may fnally be in
sight! BWW® GO is growing, and as we
work towards an Integrated Expansion
Policy, we may be asked to brand our
takeout counters as GO in 2024 —
more to come on that ...
Tough the trials we face as business
owners may seem endless, we can say
that, without a doubt, the infuence of
Franchise Business Services (FBS) made
a diference for BWW franchisees in
2023. FBS is your partner in the Bufalo
Wild Wings business, advocating for and
representing your best interests to our
franchisor. We have strength in numbers,
and sticking together for a common
cause is our best chance at successfully
protecting our interests and assets.
As we look forward to 2024, there
are a lot of things on the horizon to be
excited about. Te 20th anniversary FBS
Annual Summit, April 22-25, will be
here before we know it! We plan to go
all out for this milestone event, so make
plans now to join us in Palm Springs,
California. We hope to see a great
turnout!
Tank you for another
great year. FBS and the
FBS Board of Directors
look forward to continuing
to serve you in the new
year. We hope 2024 brings
us peace and prosperity,
great health and a sound
exit strategy!
Safe travels,
Jim Bitzonis
Another year in our lives has come and
gone. Goodbye 2023, how will you be
remembered in terms of the restaurant
business and Buffalo Wild Wings®?
Jim Bitzonis
FBS Chairman
Letter From the Chairman
2023 Issue 4
|
THESCORE
MEMBER NEWS
eam Salisbury, one of High 5 Hospitality’s (H5H) eight
Bufalo Wild Wings® locations, achieved remarkable success at
the 2023 Blazin' Games fnale, which took place Oct. 10-12, at the
Bufalo Wild Wings Worldwide Convention. Te competition
and convention were held at the Gaylord Hotel in Washington,
D.C., and brought together Bufalo Wild Wings Corp. leaders,
franchisees, general managers and team members from across the
country to learn, connect and support each other.
Representing BWW® Salisbury were Joe Cahall (bartender),
Jenny Mlyniec (server), Chris Bragg (heart of house), Mark Hess
(heart of house) and Nick Connolly (general manager). One
of the highlights of the event was Jenny Mlyniec’s remarkable
performance in the Knowledge Bowl. Mlyniec faced of against
participants from the other Bufalo Wild Wings locations who
made it to the Top 10 of 2023’s Blazin’ Games, ultimately
defeating the reigning champion in a Jeopardy-style challenge.
Her remarkable achievement led her to secure the top spot
among over 70,000 team members worldwide.
Nick Connolly, general manager of Bufalo Wild Wings
Salisbury, expressed his enthusiasm for the team's outstanding
performance, stating,
"We had a blast learning,
connecting and supporting
Team Salisbury. Even
more importantly, our
BWW leaders had the
opportunity to bond and
connect. Jenny's win in
the Knowledge Bowl is a
source of immense pride
for our entire team, and it
exemplifes the quality of
service and commitment
that we aim to provide to
our guests."
Te team's success is attributed to the hard work and
dedication of all team members and leaders who staf H5H’s
sports bars. Bufalo Wild Wings Salisbury extends its heartfelt
gratitude to the entire team and the company's leadership for
their unwavering support. S
High 5 Hospitality Takes Home Top
Honors at Blazin' Games Finale
Jenny Mlyniec poses with her gold medal
from the Knowledge Bowl.
ufalo Wild Wings® franchisee High 5 Hospitality (H5H)
is never shy of an opportunity to help those in its respective
communities, and its Dover, Delaware, location is no diferent.
In November 2023, BWW® Dover, No. 3281, graciously
fed over 200 airmen who reside at the Dover Air Force Base for
a military appreciation event. Te base contacted this Bufalo
Wild Wings location asking for a food donation of wings and
sides, and General Manager Billy Notte was more than happy to
contribute.
“Since our location is right by the Dover Air Force Base, we
frequently partner with them,” Notte said. “We try to help out as
much as we can.”
Te event brought smiles and full stomachs to the military
members who were gracious for the meal they were provided.
Notte said the location wants to continue to support the Air Force
base and expand upon its charitable eforts with the group. S
High 5 Hospitality Serves Dover Air Force Base
Members of the 436 Mission Generation Group enjoying their meal provided by High 5 Hospitality.
THESCORE |
2023 Issue 4
MEMBER NEWS
Deliver the best on-premise
employee experience
To watch a 60-second video or talk to
our team, scan the code or visit up.show/ICTD
Increase Success of
Blazin’ Games
Improve Employee
Recognition & Retention
Achieve Greater
Operational Success
Grow Revenues via Server
Sales Leaderboards
his past October, team members at RSQ Foods’
Buffalo Wild Wings® No. 3296 in Milford, Connecticut,
welcomed a group from the Boys & Girls Club of Milford to
shadow team members and enjoy a day of fun and friendly
competition in the restaurant. Te kids were members of Torch
Club, described as the “club within the Club,” in which pre-teens
are encouraged to meet special character-development needs at
a critical stage in their life by participating in various excursions
into their community.
Te kids shadowed diferent team members, such as the
servers, cashiers and greeters in order to learn more about the
variety of roles present in the store. Tey were also given snacks,
wrote down some of their life goals and had a chance to take
pictures with a server sporting a signature bufalo suit.
Te Torch Club members were also taught about Team Up
for Kids, the Bufalo Wild Wings Foundation’s annual sports bar
fundraiser. All funds raised in the sports bars help provide access to
sports teams and programs, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America
is one of the partner organizations that help make it all possible. A
contest was held to see who could collect the most donations for
Team Up for Kids, and the group was ultimately able to encourage
customers to donate a grand total of $217.12 for the day.
“It’s a nice day, especially for the front-of-house team
members who get to have some fun and mentor the younger kids,”
said Nicole Basciano, the feld training manager at No. 3296. “Te
Boys & Girls Club is really important here in Milford, so we try to
work with them as much as we possibly can.” S
Te Torch Club members shadowed diferent roles in the sports bar to help
them gain real-world job experience.
RSQ Foods Hosts
Boys & Girls Club
“It’s a nice day, especially
for the front-of-house team
members who get to have
some fun and mentor the
younger kids.”
– Nicole Basciano,
No. 3296 Field Training Manager
2023 Issue 4
|
THESCORE
EVENT CALENDAR
design, engineering and manufacturing specifications of this p
Mr. Boston Premium Spirits in the
Well give guests the quality and value
they deserve in their cocktails.
Offering a complete line of spirits,
Mr. Boston is the least expensive
well for every category, every day.
Please Drink Responsibly.
©2023 Sazerac Company, Inc., Louisville, KY • Alcohol by Volume Varies by Product
BS is excited to host members April 22-25, for the 20th
Anniversary FBS Annual Summit! To celebrate this milestone, we
are making next year's summit even bigger, with more busi-
ness and fun packed into the week. With beautiful Palm Springs,
California, as the backdrop for this event, you won't want to miss
all of the activities in store.
Ninety-two percent of FBS members surveyed after
the 2023 FBS Annual Summit indicated that the summit is
important to their FBS membership. With this in mind, FBS
is curating an agenda fit to members' wants and needs based
on the 2023 FBS Annual Summit survey.
Stay tuned for future communications with the
registration link!
2024 FBS 20th Aniversary Sumit
April 2-25
Hyatt Indian Wells
Palm Springs, California
THESCORE |
2023 Issue 4
2024 marks the 20th anniversary of our premier member event, the
FBS Annual Summit! Join us in Palm Springs, April 22-25, for a week
packed with even more business and fun. Since 2004, FBS has hosted
an annual summit where Buffalo Wild Wings® franchisees, business
partners and BWW® Corp. leaders can come together and celebrate
our brand. You won’t want to miss this year’s Summit!
Advocacy
FBS is committed to protecting members’ best interests and their
assets. FBS is instrumental in influencing key decisions that support
the continued prominence of the brand and the financial interests of
franchisees. Our association has a unique structure that allows us to
collaborate with the franchisor through the Franchise Advisory
Council, a group comprised of FBS Board members.
FBS Annual Summit
Member Services
FBS curated an extensive suite of member services designed
specifically for franchisees like you. These services include a
proprietary health insurance program, a property and casualty
insurance program through co-broker Lockton Affinity, retirement
and 401K plans and more! Supporting your association through
these programs helps FBS continue to provide the best services.
We were with our prior P&C provider for many years and had not
shopped around for a while. We finally decided it was time for a change
and went through FBS to get a quote from Lockton Affinity, and they
were able to save us a substantial amount of money on our P&C. We are
now in our second year with Lockton, and they shopped our book of
business to many different providers, searching for the best rate and
coverage for our business. It’s great to know that LaHaise Management
has a partner in Lockton, and they are looking out for our best interests.
Dean Bachmeier, VP of Operations, LaHaise Management
2023 Issue 4
|
THESCORE
COMPANY
LEVEL
CONTACT
PHONE
Elevanta Health
Partner
Caroline McShane
memberservices@elevanta.com
678-797-5160
Green Dot Corp./rapid!
Partner
Steve McDonald
smcdonald@rapidpaycard.com
503-206-5144
Hall Financial Advisors
Partner
Kevin Knab
kknab@hallfa.com
866-865-4442
Lockton Afnity
Partner
Reid Robson
elevanta@locktonafnity.com
844-403-4947
Mize Restaurant Group, providing Elevanta
Payroll and Accounting Services
Partner
Stacy Higgins
shiggins@mizecpas.com
785-233-0536
X:3103
McLane Foodservice Distribution
Diamond
Lynn Modisette
lynn.modisette@mclanefs.com
972-364-2050
PepsiCo
Diamond
Marc Wolfson
marc.wolfson@pepsico.com
904-588-5401
Sazerac
Emerald
Candida Banti
cbanti@sazerac.com
415-302-0202
Retail Tech Inc.
Emerald
Shannon Johnson
sjohnson@retailtechinc.com
952-224-4327
Budderfy
Pearl
Mike Leatherwood
mike.leatherwood@budderfy.com
786-442-5065
Campari America
Pearl
Jess Hix Conlon
jess.conlon@campari.com
281-851-7755
Ecolab
Pearl
Paul Martin
paul.martin@ecolab.com
612-750-0759
Heineken
Pearl
Chuck Mathison
cmathison@heinekenusa.com
770-377-6959
New Belgium Brewing
Pearl
Kari Gladney
kgladney@newbelgium.com
419-280-6015
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Pearl
Nick Bunce
nick@sierranevada.com
520-405-1727
Te Wasserstrom Co.
Pearl
Matt Brown
mattbrown@wasserstrom.com
614-737-8314
UPshow
Pearl
Scott Axonovitz
scott@upshow.tv
419-261-1802
Accuserv Equipment and Lighting
Assoc. Mbr
Mike Tomas
mthomas@accu-serv.com
502-400-8677
Alliance HCM
Assoc. Mbr
Jennifer Gordon
jennifer@alliancehcm.com
281-825-4220
Altrua Global Solutions
Assoc. Mbr
Melode Smelko
melode@altrua.com
850-562-4564
American Beverage Market
Assoc. Mbr
Beth Borkosky
bborkosky@abmcocktails.com
601-383-8338
Anheuser-Busch
Assoc. Mbr.
Mike Bouche
michael.bouche@anheuser-busch.com
617-750-1924
Audio Visual Design & Install
Assoc. Mbr.
Jason Abbott
jrabbott@avdiusa.com
260-615-8995
Boston Beer Co.
Assoc. Mbr.
Gary Fragle
gary.fragle@bostonbeer.com
770-402-9850
C&T Design and Equipment
Assoc. Mbr.
James Bales
jbales@c-tdesign.com
317-654-3721
Craft Standard Enterprises
Assoc. Mbr
Michael Vacek
mvacek@craftstandard.com
515-505-5650
Daltile
Assoc. Mbr
Terrie Miller
terrie.miller@daltile.com
216-409-3153
Deschutes Brewery
Assoc. Mbr
Greg Owens
gowens@deschutesbrewery.com
678-770-7220
DRAS Cases
Assoc. Mbr.
Josh Flattum
josh@drascases.com
507-402-4812
E & J Gallo Winery
Assoc. Mbr
Gerald Sullenberger
gerald.sullenberger@ejgallo.com
214-727-1844
Federal Heath
Assoc. Mbr.
Greg Root
groot@federalheath.com
817-685-9075
Founders Brewing Co.
Assoc. Mbr.
Brendan Romero
romerob@foundersbrewing.com
202-486-6455
GOJO
Assoc. Mbr
Diane Collins
collinsdi@gojo.com
330-690-5421
ITW Food Equipment Group
Assoc. Mbr
Matthew Alexander
matthew.alexander@itwfeg.com
937-681-2718
Keurig Dr Pepper
Assoc. Mbr.
John Orgeron
john.orgeron@kdrp.com
678-333-2031
KNMarsh CPA
Assoc. Mbr
Kelly Marsh
kelly@knmarshcpa.com
970-217-9467
Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Assoc. Mbr
Tommy Hunter
tommy.hunter@lagunitas.com
847-363-0639
Levecke
Assoc. Mbr
Eric Lake
elake@levecke.net
972-839-7179
LG Electronics
Assoc. Mbr.
David Boerlin
david.boerlin@lge.com
760-415-7797
Magnesol
Assoc. Mbr
Sally Ruiz-Diaz
sruizdiaz@dallasgrp.com
908-892-6695
Mahoney Environmental
Assoc. Mbr.
Cameron Calhoun
cameronc@mahoneyes.com
910-465-6636
Manitowoc Ice/Pentair
Assoc. Mbr
Marlo Rogers
marlo.rogers@pentair.com
920-629-8222
Maximus
Assoc. Mbr
Kevin Haag
kevinhaag@maximus.com
301-332-6216
Micro Matic
Assoc. Mbr
Stanley Baron
stbar@micro-matic.com
347-234-1699
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