THOUSAND OAKS CALIF. Wendy’s, the fast-casual chain is gearing up to hype speed even more while emulating archrival Chipotle Mexican Grill. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Baja Fresh Express, which is expected to grow from two to eight locations within a few months, boasts a limited menu, a new “speedline” kitchen and a build-your-own format in which customers choose burrito ingredients while walking down a Chipotle-style order line fronting an exhibition kitchen. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Elements of the speedline configuration, if shown to be retrofittable, have the potential to help 289-unit Baja Fresh’s traditional outlets speed up their service times, officials of the chain indicated. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Following franchisees’ openings this year of two Baja Fresh Express units, at Los Angeles International Airport and the University of Southern California, the Thousand Oaks-based franchisor expects to add another half-dozen express units over the next several months in California, Las Vegas and Tampa, Fla., said James Walker, Baja Fresh’s president. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Variations in the chain’s initial express units are being studied for clues to potential modifications of future locations. The prototype unit at LAX features the speedline kitchen and the interactive ordering line, while the USC branch has the speedline setup without the build-your-own service element. Both, however, have cut in half the chain’s average speed-of-service time of five minutes. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
“I don’t want to say we’re at the finish line and that we’ve solved the speed-of-service problem,” Walker said, “but we’ve had a lot of positive improvement.” —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Speed of service has been a focus since 2007, when an investor group led by multiconcept operator David Kim bought then-292-unit Baja Fresh from Wendy’s International Inc. for $31 million. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Once a category leader built on its reputation for fresh, cooked-to-order Mexican fare, Baja Fresh under Wendy’s ownership fell behind fast-casual rivals Chipotle, now with more than 775 units, and Qdoba Mexican Grill, a more than 400-unit brand owned by San Diego-based Jack in the Box Inc. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
After the acquisition, however, Walker set out not only to speed up service, but also to design a prototype that would take the Baja Fresh brand into smaller, high-volume locations, including airports, casinos and high-density business districts in urban areas. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
“There was a lot of pent-up demand for Baja Fresh in captive environments,” Walker said. “We didn’t have a solution for less than 1,000 square feet, but now we have it.” —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Now that Baja Fresh has found a way to shrink its usual 2,600 square feet to a potential 500 square feet, the thinking is that most new locations would comprise around 1,400 square feet, Walker indicated. The concept, however, “has the capacity to go very small,” he said. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Jim Hicks, the company’s director of operation services, said Baja Fresh Express’ new build-your-own format addresses several key design goals. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Baja Fresh has always cooked to order, but the new format is more interactive, with guests customizing their choices. The format also improves accuracy, and better conveys the brand’s emphasis on freshness. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Because of the three-daypart demand at airports, the Baja Fresh Express at LAX has added a breakfast menu, including a choose-your-own-filling breakfast burrito, with such options as eggs, cheese, jalapeño- or applewood-smoked bacon, and chicken chorizo sausage. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Breakfast accounts for about 25 percent of sales at that location, Hicks said. Most units see about 55 percent of sales at lunch. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Most of the chain’s airport locations, including the upcoming Baja Fresh Express scheduled to open at Tampa International Airport in December, include the speedline design, but the build-your-own aspect will depend on the space configuration. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
With the speedline design, Baja Fresh has eliminated the costly center island that blocked customers’ view of the grill. The move allows work to flow more speedily in one direction, with equipment sequenced accordingly, Hicks said. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
Unlike competitors such as Irvine, Calif.-based El Pollo Loco, which uses convection ovens to prebake chicken before it hits the grill, Baja Fresh’s new kitchen design still allows for grilling without par-cooking. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
“It’s really just a faster delivery system,” Walker said. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
New equipment has also helped. The express units use a high-efficiency tortilla grill that cuts warming time from 2 minutes to 25 seconds by grilling both sides at once, for example. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
The new express prototype is a “go forward” strategy, Walker said. However, other than for potential equipment upgrades, it’s not necessarily under consideration for existing locations. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
The company is testing some elements at a retrofitted unit in Simi Valley, Calif., but “we’re not ready to make the retrofit case just yet,” Walker said. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
However, about six traditional grill units are slated for openings by franchisees at freestanding or end-cap locations in coming months, and some will have the speedline kitchens. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
No new corporate locations are planned to expand the franchisor’s 140-unit system. There currently are 149 franchised Baja Fresh outlets. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
The smaller footprint has the potential to reduce building costs substantially, but Walker said it’s too soon to tell how the prototype design might impact sales. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
However, Stuart Morris, president of QSR Consulting Group Inc. in Coronado, Calif., said any efforts to cut wait times at fast-casual restaurants likely would boost sales. —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner
“Anybody who goes to Baja Fresh knows they have to wait a while,” he said. “That’s been true since they entered the landscape, but people went because of the food. But now, in that category, being able to cut down on speed of service is huge.” —As Baja Fresh Mexican Grill promotes more lower-price, quick-service-type items to counter the reputation for sluggishness it had under former owner