Here’s an interview with Sally Smith, CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings, the casual dining restaurant chain.
I spoke with Sally during the research for my new book, Extraordinary Experiences: What Great Retail &Restaurant Brands Do, and in the book I highlighted the Buffalo Wild Wings for ignoring trends because I was fascinated to learn about how Sally and her team set out intentionally to break the rules of the industry, make unconventional decisions, and carve out a unique path for the brand. We cover a lot of ground in our conversation. See the highlights below.
Take a listen to learn what makes Buffalo Wild Wings a great brand.
(Sally, thanks so much for so generously sharing your time with me and my readers and listeners.)
02:00 “if you can break and industry rule, you can often gain competitive advantage”
04:40 why they created the Guest Experience Captain position in their restaurants
12;20 how they overcame the challenges in changing the way they charged for chicken wings
14:46 “my job as CEO is to think about the long-term”
16:45 the inside scoop on the decision not to air the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight
21:26 why they bring every restaurant manager candidate to corporate headquarters for an interview
Related:
- Extraordinary Experiences interview with Cheryl Bachedler, CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
- Extraordinary Experiences interview with Jeffery Sears, CEO of PIRCH
- Great Brands Ignore Trends
Original Post: http://deniseleeyohn.com/bites/extraordinary-experiences-interview-sally-smith-ceo-buffalo-wild-wings/
