Newk's recipe for success: Fresh, fun and friendlyNewk's recipe for success: Fresh, fun and friendly

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When customers enter a Newk’s, they are greeted by friendly employees, an open kitchen and a large round table filled with condiments, cheeses, breadsticks and oils to personalize their meals.

“Basically, it’s a fun environment,” said Newk’s co-founder and CEO Chris Newcomb.

It’s these factors that help inspire the restaurant a True Loyalty score of 54 percent, the seventh highest score of the nearly 200 brands in the survey.

And that’s without any sort of loyalty program, Newcomb said.

“People like to go where they are appreciated, and I think the main thing we strive for at Newk’s is to make our guests feel appreciated because they have a whole lot of choices of where to spend their money,” he said.

To help customers feel appreciated, each employee is trained “P, D & C,” which stands for performance development culture. Employees welcome each guest and often know the regulars by name.

The brand also receives high marks for freshness, taste, made to order and premium ingredients. The fast-casual chain focuses on sandwiches, soups and salads made with premium and often imported ingredients.

“We don’t really brag too much about [those premium ingredients]” he said. “I think the guest can tell through the taste of the food that they’re getting. It tastes fresh. We’re grilling the chicken; we’re grilling the steak. It just brings a different flavor profile.”

Imported items include mortadella, salamis, capers and olive oil.

Speaking of capers and olive oil, those are two of the many condiments diners can find at Newk’s popular round table. That setup fills many roles for customers: It’s a place to socialize, customize and get a little something extra — for free. 

At these round tables, “people stand around and talk to their friends,” said Newcomb.

Those customers tend to chat about Newk’s outside of the restaurants as well, the survey reveals. More than 60% of customers surveyed said they have recommended the brand.

Contact Gloria Dawson at [email protected]

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