Jason Rusk, SVP of operations for Wonder and a former Red Robin executive, will discuss growth and leadership in the evolving world of fast casual restaurants.
As innovation and scale become more important than ever to the success of restaurants, leaders must learn how to lead brands into a new age, said Wonder SVP of Operations Jason Rusk, who is headlining the Fast Casual Executive Summit, Oct. 13-15 in Denver. The former Red Robin executive will lead attendees in a conversation about growth in the evolving world of fast casuals during his Sunday keynote, “Ushering in the Future of the Restaurant Industry and Its People.”
“I hope that people walk away and realize that change is elevatable and that consumers are driving that change,” Rusk said in an email interview with FastCasual. “We must as an industry adapt to what people are looking for, using technology to support while improving the guest experience and not forget that it starts with our people.”
Wonder, an 11-unit food hall concept created by former Walmart eCommerce CEO and Jet.com founder Marc Lore, emerged five years ago. Its initial plan was to cook and deliver food via 500 food trucks from chef-driven brands, such as Tejas Barbecue, Yasas by Michael Symon and Fred’s Meat & Bread, but Lore scrapped the mobile kitchens last year to focus on building what he calls a “mealtime super app” via brick-and-mortar locations centered around pick-up and delivery.
The company, which has raised $900 million in venture capital and was valued at nearly $3.5 billion last year, opened its first location within Walmart in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, and will focus expansion plans on New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Openings are coming soon to the East Village as well as locations inside Walmarts in Teterboro and Ledgewood, New Jersey.
Although operating Wonder as a mobile restaurant business was working, Rusk and his team discovered last year that replacing the mobile kitchens with physical locations offering delivery and pick-up as well as dine-in options would allow them to scale in a more capital-efficient way.
How it works
Unlike standard virtual kitchen models where restaurant brands hire and train their employees, Wonder operates as a vertically integrated model, meaning it controls every step of the process from the sourcing and preparing of food to the cooking, delivery and in-app experience. Also, Wonder works closely with its chef and restaurant partners when recreating dishes.
“We get approval every step of the way,”CEO Daniel Shlossman said. “This ensures that when our employees are making these dishes to order, they come out consistently and to the chef’s spec every time.”
As for revenue sharing, there are no ongoing royalties; all partnerships follow the same framework.
“Our deals consist of a cash payment upfront and equity (stock) in Wonder for the licensing rights of the brand in perpetuity,” Shlossman said. “This creates a win-win situation whereas Wonder grows, so does the chef or restaurant partner’s value gained from the deal. And it enables a situation where all of these incredible chefs and brands do what they can to help Wonder succeed. It’s a true partnership.”
Focusing on his time at Red Robin and Wonder, Rusk will dive into specific challenges of growth, leadership best practices and workforce development, teaching attendees:
- How to think about growth and margin as consumer needs continue to shift and evolve.
- How to use technology to make execution more consistent and easier.
- How to lead the next generation of team members.
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.
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