Back in 2015, celebrity chef David Chang opened a fast casual in New York City’s Lower East Side that showcased a secret menu item at his renowned restaurant Momofuku: a spicy chicken sandwich. Way ahead of the chicken sandwich wars perpetrated by the likes of Chick-fil-A and Popeyes, Fuku drew long lines and rave reviews for its high-quality sandwich — made with dark thigh meat — and its laid-back setting.
Eight years later, Fuku has cycled through several iterations, including brick and mortar and ghost kitchens. But it finally seems to have landed on one that’s led to fast growth, a model that its leadership hopes to get to $100 million in annual system-wide sales in five years: sports stadiums and arenas. Today, Fuku has about 30 concessions locations across the country, including at Madison Square Garden in New York, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Claudia Lezcano joined Fuku as CEO last year, bringing a resume that’s included marketing stops at Burger King and Church’s Chicken, as well as with the Miami Dolphins and Marlins. She joined the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches to talk about why Fuku is all in on this nontraditional growth strategy and how the company is improving its operations, branding, and service to maximize its stadium potential.
In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why:
- There is an opportunity to change the narrative around bad stadium food
- Forecasts are critical to capitalizing on your potential in a stadium or arena
- Unleashing the power of your brand begins with consistency
- The key to thriving in a sports venue is excellent operations
- Your brand should be the icing on the cake of the guest’s stadium experience
Contact Sam Oches at [email protected].
