Jason Rusk gave the keynote address at the Fast Casual Executive Summit in Denver Aug. 13. Rusk spoke about the rapidly evolving world of fast-casuals, and how innovation is paving the way for great things in the industry.
Jason Rusk is the EVP of restaurant operations for Wonder Group Inc., a VC-backed food-tech startup company with the goal to be an super app for meals, bringing high quality food from check-backed restaurants.
Rusk gave the keynote address at the Fast Casual Executive Summit in Denver, Colorado on Oct. 13. The Fast Casual Executive Summit is operated by Networld Media Group, owner of Fastcasual.com, QSRweb.com, PizzaMarketplace.com and FoodTruckOperator.com. It delivers two and a half days of seminars and workshops for fast casual industry leaders.
In his keynote address, Rusk said the world is changing and brands need to change with it or get left behind. After spending 30 years in the restaurant industry, Rusk has identified disruptors in the fast casual industry that are evolving and adapting with changing consumer wants and needs.
“Our industry has a long history of adapting and changing,” Rusk told a full ballroom of Fast Casual Executive Summit attendees. “The world is changing all around us, and we have to be able to lead our people into the future. We have to lead them through the change.”
A look back
He said the birthplace of the restaurant was in Paris in 1765, which started as soup kitchens. With the Industrial Revolution came fine dining spearheaded by the head of the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain. In the 1950s, QSRs were born and expanded through the 1970s with the rise of drive-thrus, and in the 1980s, consumers had more money to spend and wanted better quality. Experimental dining became popular, as did casual dining. The 2000s saw the rise of fast casuals for consumers with busy lifestyles and the drive for customization.
Fast causal dining is expected to double in revenue in the next few years “so that change is still happening,” Rusk said.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and the world changed in an instant, seeing the rise of social distancing, restaurants closing, contactless ordering and the increase in third-party delivery, which is commonplace in today’s post COVID world. Today, the industry is struggling with rising costs and a changing consumer.
“All of you here in this room have actually disrupted and been a part of this disruption in the restaurant industry,” Rusk said. “And that is a really interesting thing to think about.”
Today’s consumers
So what are consumers looking for today? Rusk said convenience, different cuisines, affordable dining, high quality and less friction. His company, Wonder, is filling those customer needs today. Wonder is a superkitchen that can produce dozens of different cuisines with quality, convenience and choice, he added. With fully integrated kitchens, 30 restaurants can partner with top chefs under one roof, with tech and recipes built for consistency.
“The world is changing all around is and consumers are changing because of it,” Rusk said. “We must be able to adapt to grow.”
Wonder has a tight delivery radius, locations that offer dine-in or carryout and flexible kitchens that can adapt to future pallet. Kitchens produce all major cuisine types, from fast casual to fast fine, striking out the “No Veto Votes.” Wonder has even paired with Walmart to provide a smaller footprint with up to 10 cuisines. Some 550 SKUs can be produced out of one kitchen.
Consumers are driving change, not the industry, Rusk said. Wonder uses “technology to precisely and accurately produce the food consistently over and over and over again with our team members.”
Orders are being produced to order as they come in. Equipment is put on rails and can be pivoted overnight and can create a new cuisine the next day.
That’s important because consumer palates are evolving.
“We have every major cuisine type across fast casual and fine fast, or fine dining prepared fast, which means at all price ranges,” Rusk said. “The consumer gets total customization (and) total control, and you can order multiple restaurants in one order.”
The brand had 10 locations by the end of 2023 and will have 25 more by the end of this year.
Industry disruptors
Today major disruptors are unseating legacy players. What happens when you don’t become a disruptor? When you don’t change and stay status quo? Rusk pointed to the digital camera, which disrupted Kodak with its analog film, and Amazon to Sears. Amazon looked at the long term of its customers, while Sears looked at the short-term needs. And Uber upseated taxis.
“When we think about what it takes to displace established players and create new ones, sometimes it’s too close to us to think that this is going to happen to us,” Rusk said. “That’s exacting what has been happening to us all around us. … It’s what fast casual has been doing to casual dining.”
How do companies make sure they’re on the right side of disruption? Sony took a risk with the digital camera against Kodak’s film, Rusk said. Uber innovated while taxis stayed status quo and didn’t incorporate things like technology into what it is they did.
“I’ve said this before and I think it’s true,” Rusk said, “the world only moves forward. It doesn’t move backwards and it’s easy to say, ‘just do what you do and do it really well and stay status quo’ but the truth is disruption is coming and our industry is poised for yet another disruption.”
Rusk shared two specific rules that ensure restaurants stay ahead of the game. The world is changing, and we must be able to adapt, he said, and that restaurateurs must lead their people through it.
Leadership is the only way restaurateurs can get employees and consumers to change, he added.
“People are more important than the process of change,” he said.
There are three principles that help leaders do their jobs accurately. The first is to lead with love, Rusk said. Push people to be their best with their best interests in mind.
Second, do the right thing no matter how hard it gets.
And finally, following the golden rule. Treat others the way they want to be treated.
“If you do these three things,” Rusk said, “it will help usher in the next generation of restaurant leaders.”
About Networld Media Group
Founded in 2000, Networld Media Group is a leading media communications company specializing in digital media, events and associations in the technology, restaurant, banking, and retail industries. It’s media brands include ATMmarketplace.com, DigitalSignageToday.com, FastCasual.com, KioskMarketplace.com, QSRweb.com, RetailCustomerExperience.com and RewardsThatMatter.com. Events under the Networld umbrella include the Fast Casual Executive Summit, the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit and the Self-Service Innovation Summit.
###
