Chris shares his experience in marketing leadership at Hard Rock Café and Cracker Barrel, which led to him spearheading one of the fastest-growing full-service restaurants in the U.S. His story is a testament to the value of innovative leadership, effective branding, and employee well-being in creating a unique work-life balance within the competitive restaurant industry.
Key Takeaways:
• Chris discusses how his background as a former Chief Marketing Officer shaped his leadership style and brought the voice of the consumer into the boardroom.
• Chris shares how First Watch strategically adopted technology, from Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) to online waitlist management, without compromising the personal touch that defines the brand.
• Chris touches on First Watch’s “We Hear You” initiative, where leadership connects directly with employees to gather feedback, understand challenges, and continuously improve the work environment.
• First Watch has over 500 locations – Chris talks about the importance of tenure, employee engagement, and maintaining high operational standards.
• First Watch has unique operational hours (closing by mid-afternoon) foster a healthy work-life balance, helping attract and retain top talent in the industry.
• Chris recounts his iconic Y2K marketing campaign that “owned” Times Square, a move that made waves and even sparked unexpected interactions with rock legend Keith Richards.
• Chris reflects on the “everyone out of the pool” meetings— open forums for brainstorming strategies to influence creative problem-solving and flexibility within the leadership team.
Schatzy, Jimmy, and Chris jump into “Trivia Tuesday”, “Hot or Not”, and “Branded Quick-fire,” where Chris shares his thoughts on hospitality trends, and the trio buzz around tech, operations, and leadership.
