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Boston Market COO Eric Wyatt on putting people first in times of crisis

How the brand is prioritizing employee and customer needs as it navigates the COVID-19 business environment

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

May 20, 2020

3 Min Read
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As part of Nation’s Restaurant News’ Stories from the Front Lines series, Eric Wyatt, COO of Boston Market talked with senior editor Joanna Fantozzi about how the more than 400-unit chain is striving to put people first during the coronavirus crisis. Here’s an excerpt of their conversation.

You were named CEO of Boston Market one month before the coronavirus crisis hit. How did you handle that?

I think there really isn’t a playbook for what we’re experiencing right now. I have been utilizing the resources we have in terms of my support group: my CAO and CFO have been instrumental in supporting how we lead rather than just trying to do everything myself. We do things like have field communications on every level, as well as our support center. To your point, this has certainly been a challenge as a new CEO but one that as long as you’re taking care of your people and ensuring they know you’re behind them, you’ll get through it. I found myself in stores this past Friday supporting our store teams by wearing gloves and masks and helping them with large catering orders for the Easter weekend.

Editor's note: This interview was conducted while Eric Wyatt was interim CEO of Boston Market. On May 18, Randy Miller was named president and Wyatt was moved back to his former role of COO.

Have you had to implement layoffs and store closures?

We had to take unfortunate but necessary measures to reduce our support center staff and field area manager roles. We closed a handful of restaurants across the country in the past 30 days to ensure we were operating the locations that made the most sense for us. We still have around 300 stores open and operating, and we just had a record-setting Easter holiday weekend in sales. We anticipated an uptick with so many people staying home, but we did not anticipate the extent that we had. It was our best Easter in company history. It really was great to be able to provide for the consumers and be able to support our employees with more hours and the ability to support their families with family meals.

eric-wyatt.jpgWhat has been the biggest challenge?

The first challenge was working through that initial sales decline as consumers were asked to stay at home. Our sales are about 30% down from what they were the previous month. We had to make sure we had the right balance of employee staffing and management oversight to support our stores. Once we got a handle on that, it helped position us for growing sales. The trend has actually been improving in relation to our competitors, especially the full-service restaurants. We’ve been able to execute a bit better because we had delivery and drive-thru in place already.

Can you describe your marketing strategy during this time?

We’re working on making sure we’re meeting consumer needs through increasing our marketing efforts: Utilizing text, eblast, our VIP email list and other online components to provide offers that are more family oriented. Our family meals are in abundance in terms of serving size and are ideally set up for leftovers. We’ve been able to approach through a marketing standpoint to let customers know what family meals we have. 

How do operators need to respond to this industry threat?

The best thing you can do is pivot as quickly as you can to meet consumer needs. I wish I had a crystal ball to predict how we come out of this, but for those that stay the course and keep food safety at their highest possible levels, it’s possible to come out of this.

It starts and ends with people. I think consumers will remember how you treated them and your employees during this crisis, and they will remember long after it’s over. We’re not perfect. We’re learning along the way. It’s like building the plane while you’re flying it. 

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at joanna.fantozzi@knect365.com 

This is part of our Stories from the Front Lines series

Read more about:

Boston Market

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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