Cicis has experienced consistent sales growth—including 16 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth through Q1 of 2017—as a result of the company’s revitalization strategy launched in 2013.
When Cicis CEO Darin Harris joined the company in August 2013, he immediately embarked on a listening tour, collaborating with franchise partners and guests, Cicis Support Center, and operations and marketing teams to identify opportunities for growth and to maximize guest satisfaction. The result was a comprehensive plan to refine brand positioning and improve food quality, menu variety and the guest experience.
“We have worked the past four years to reinvent Cicis through a fresh, high-quality brand experience that our guests have really embraced,” Harris says. “Our recent 16 quarters of same-store sales growth, despite industry headwinds and a challenging economic environment, is proof that guests are responding positively to our strategy.”
From Q1 2016 to Q1 2017, Cicis rolled out food quality improvements, new buffet offerings such as Stuffed Crust, Flatbread and Deep Dish pizza, and innovative limited-time items to add fun and flavor exploration.
A new store design, launched in 2016, has also resonated. By the end of the year, the company is expected to have nearly 40 of its 430 restaurants reimaged with its updated, modern look and service model. To keep pace with the company’s growth, Cicis recently moved its Support Center to larger quarters in Irving, Texas.
With a strong development pipeline of restaurant openings in place, store count is also heating up. The company has signed multiple development agreements with franchise partners representing more than 70 restaurant commitments in 12 states, with 15 corporate and franchised restaurant openings planned for this year.
“The Cicis Support Office has dramatically improved the value of franchisee investment in the Cicis brand with its focus on quality, guest perceptions and listening to franchisees as changes were considered,” says Shane Marlin, president of the Franchisee Advisory Council and managing principal of Marlin Restaurant Group. “There has never been a better time to be a Cicis franchisee.”
