Getting operators up to speed with latest in e-business technology

As new technologies propel the rapid transformation of the workplace, restaurant executives are faced with new challenges and new opportunities. A session at the 41st annual MUFSO conference titled "Are you up to Speed? Increasing Productivity and Profits in an E-World" was dedicated to helping restaurant operators master the new e-universe.

Rob Grimes, chairman and chief executive of Rockville, Md.-based CynterCorp, moderated a panel of industry executives. The panelists were Jon Bridges, vice president and chief information officer of quick-serve operator Chick-fil-A Inc.; Brian Callahan, chief information officer of Taco Cabana Inc.; and John Butcher, vice president of marketing for Sizzler USA Inc. They brought their insight and considerable expertise to bear on the issues posed by the technology revolution in progress in the restaurant industry.

Bridges spoke of his company's three-pronged approach to leveraging the power of the Internet. The Atlanta-based Chick-fl-A is primarily a franchiser, and it has developed a suite of Web-enabled applications to support its hundreds of independent owner-operators. As part of its self-service ASP efforts, functions such as the payroll for 28,000 nationwide employees now are managed over the Internet, Bridges said, adding that thanks to e-power the company now can manage its payroll with only six clerks.

Chick-fil-A also maintains an Internet portal with both a business-to-business and a business-to-consumer interface, Bridges said. Operators can keep current on corporate happenings through a secure, persistent connection, while customers can dial in to find a store location or nutritional information. Chick-fil-A also is using the Internet for supply chain management, Bridges explained. The company participates in digital marketplaces and is looking at ways to automate replenishment.

Butcher of Sizzler USA explained that the Internet is a crucial tool in the Culver City, Calif.-based company's efforts to reposition itself in the restaurant marketplace. Sizzler's Internet strategy has three phases, Butcher said. The company currently is developing a Web site that will include both B2C and B2B functions. Plans call for features ranging from a franchisee bulletin board for operators to downloadable coupons for diners. Butcher said Sizzler next intends to utilize the Internet for database marketing by collecting customer information for later use in special promotions. In the final phase the company hopes to sell steaks on line, Butcher said.

Taco Cabana's Callahan said the return on investment should be the determining factor in deciding whether to deploy a new technology. The San Antonio-based Mexican restaurant chain is committed heavily to the Internet, Callahan said, adding, "All Taco Cabana restaurants have Internet access, with close to 85 percent using a DSL connection." The company maintains both a Web site for its customers and a virtual private network for corporate personnel and franchisees.

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