Official Fried Chicken

OFC Serves Up a Contactless Approach to Concessions So Fans Don’t Miss a Minute of the Action

Official Fried Chicken (OFC) is a Minnesota-based quick service restaurant concept specializing in, you guessed it, fried chicken. They take pride in a small but specialized menu allowing them to focus on what they do best. OFC isn’t your typical QSR concept, though. They are using technology to change the QSR dining experience to make it more convenient for their guests, and more streamlined for their staff. They are doing this through contactless ordering and handoff – guests order online or via kiosks and pickup their order via food lockers.

While the OFC team is all-in on food lockers and fully understands the benefits for their guests, their previous food locker system wasn’t quite meeting their needs when it came to features and functionality. Many of the processes were very manual and time-consuming which led to operational inefficiencies and longer ticket times.

When OFC was invited to open a location at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, they were thrilled. That excitement soon turned to worry when they realized their current food locker system would not be able to support the type of volume they were going to see at an MLB park. Nor was it going to allow them to achieve the ticket times they knew they needed in that environment.

OFC founder and CEO, Jared Brewington, quickly set out to find another food locker solution that would meet their needs from a hardware, software, and partnership standpoint. Long familiar with fellow Minnesota-based company, Cargill, for their food ingredients, Brewington was delighted to learn that Cargill was using its industry expertise to develop innovative technology solutions for foodservice operators. After speaking with Chekt venture lead, Nate Shrader, and learning more about the solution and the support, it became clear to Brewington that he had found the right food locker system for OFC.

AT A GLANCE

Challenges

Strained labor force
Longer ticket times
Operational inefficiencies

Results

Reduced labor needs by 1 shift (12% labor savings)
Shortened ticket times by nearly 30%
Streamlined staff responsibilities
Increased throughput potential

“We had a version of pickup technology, but we broke it. Going into Target Field, I knew we needed something different and Chekt has been outstanding for us. We are seeking to create the restaurant of the future and Chekt has been integral in bringing that vision to life.”

Jared Brewington, CEO

Official Fried Chicken

It didn’t take the OFC team long to see the impact that Chekt had on their operations and fan experience. Starting at the home opener, the staff quickly noticed that the Chekt system was designed specifically for foodservice operators using the knowledge that only industry experts have. Features like the confirm load button and automatic order assignment were game changers for the OFC team. In fact, with the Chekt system removing so much of the strain on their staff, they were able to reduce their staffing needs by 1 shift - a labor savings of 12%. They also saw their ticket times go down by nearly 30% per order which led to the opportunity for increased order throughput.

For fans, OFC was the buzz of the ballpark, not only for their mouthwatering chicken but for the differentiated end-to-end experience. Fans can order from their seats via the MLB app, get a text notification when their order is ready, pick up their order from the Chekt system and get back to their seats, barely missing a play! Fans also delighted in the "wow" moment of seeing their pod light up and unlock before their eyes. A moment that is not only memorable, but one that further ingrains the OFC brand experience.

All in all, Chekt has helped the OFC team create labor efficiencies and streamline operations while creating a delightful and seamless pickup experience for their guests. The reduction in labor costs and increase in transactions has had a positive impact on the bottom line for the concept. Not to mention the fact that the brand loyalty generated by the winning combination of convenience and delicious fried chicken has left all the other concession green with envy.