Sponsored by MeazureUp
Maintaining consistent operational standards across multiple locations is a challenge for many operators. For Mark Sozanski, COO of Montana’s BBQ and Bar, overseeing 95 locations across Canada required a meticulous and efficient approach to internal operational assessments. Until recently, the process was largely manual, leading to inefficiencies.
Montana’s is also part of a larger organization. Recipe Unlimited owns and operates 20 restaurant chains accounting for over 1200 locations across Canada. It was important for both Sozanski and the operational leadership at Recipe to understand the performance of both Montana’s brand and the entire organization.
This was a challenge with the current store-level processes. Like other Recipe brands, Montana’s was using a paper-based system for food safety checks, line checks, and daily checklists, making corrective action and internal analysis challenging. In addition, each regional manager had their own system for tracking and recording information, which made it difficult to standardize processes and compare results across Montana’s brand and Recipe as a whole.
This led to a partnership with MeazureUp, who help multi-unit operators strive for operational excellence with their AuditApp and DailyChex modules. These tools streamline operational processes, enhance communication, and ensure consistency across all locations.
The AuditApp, used primarily by district and regional managers to conduct site visits, helps secure all communications with partners and restaurants, making information easily accessible in one location: “One of the early benefits of getting digitized with MeazureUp’s AuditApp was reducing our paper footprint, which we’re seeing significantly,” Sozanski says. Almost overnight, the inefficiencies of a manual system were mitigated: data was no longer siloed, fragmented communication was repaired, and the risk of critical errors was reduced.
After a couple of years of utilizing AuditApp, Recipe began rolling out Meazureup’s DailyChex module with some of their brands. DailyChex, which simplifies essential tasks like food safety checks, line checks, and daily checklists, was adopted by Montana’s, who saw some instant benefits: “For the entire organization, the simplification of our day pack with DailyChex has led to better adoption. Today’s leaders and workers live in a digitalized world, and we need to modernize,” Sozanski says.
The adoption of MeazureUp’s tools has led to several positives for Montana’s. First, by standardizing processes regional managers can now easily compare results across different locations. DailyChex simplified the previously complex day pack, making it easier for staff to perform tasks efficiently and leading to a higher adoption rate among employees who are more accustomed to digital tools.
Further, centralized storage of information ensures everyone can complete tasks to company standards. “Having everything on a mobile device and multiple people using the same app simultaneously has made things easier,” says Sozanski.
There were also cultural benefits that stemmed from the MeazureUp partnership. With uniformity across operational metrics and KPIs, Sozanski was able to work closely with his director of operations to review performance and address issues proactively. “It’s used to track and trace, not negatively, but to coach our teams to deliver a great experience for our guests in a simplified way,” Sozanski says.
By understanding problems at the store level, employee coaching became easier, helping Montana’s employees to stay focused on their goals: “Qualitatively – having something right on your phone that multiple people can do at once makes things easier. Printing off 7 days worth of paper and passing paper around was not effective. Everyone can be working on the same problem at the same time,” says Sozanski.
In terms of anecdotal improvements, Sozanski feels like Montana’s is operating as consistently as ever, which is essential for providing a positive customer experience at all 95 stores across Canada: “Using DailyChex, the checklists are getting done more often, which is creating consistency.”
The results speak for themselves – Montana’s now has a 98 percent checklist completion rate, with all locations engaged and using the system. “With 95 restaurants across Canada, we preach consistent execution. DailyChex helps us with that,” Sozanski says.
For other restaurant operators and franchisees facing similar challenges, MeazureUp offers a proven solution to modernize operations and drive success. As Sozanski’s experience demonstrates, embracing digital tools can lead to significant improvements in efficiency, consistency, and overall operational excellence.
Discover how MeazureUp can transform your business with digital tools today.
By Olivia Schuster
