??? Room For Seconds Weekly: How Geoff Alexander Is Elevating Fast Casual with Wow Bao ??
Craveworthy Brands
Growing a diverse portfolio of brands into an unbeatable proposition for consumers and prospective franchisees.
On this episode of Room for Seconds , Craveworthy Brands CEO Gregg Majewski sat with Wow Bao Founder Geoff Alexander at the National Restaurant Association Show 2024 . Drawing from his extensive experience in various sectors, Alexander, a seasoned veteran in the restaurant industry, has masterfully bridged the gap between fine dining and Quick Service Restaurants (QSR).
??Key Takeaways
?? Bringing Fine Dining Lessons to Fast Casual
“I think the lessons you learn in fine dining, the lessons you learn in the higher end, you can bring those to QSR and fast casual, and the really good brands bring elements to that. If you look at Chick fil A and what they do from a service standpoint, that service standpoint is the gold standard, but that is not fast casual or QSR service. Somebody brought that idea to it. And if you look at wow bow over its time, I think there's been moments of service points where we've identified to set us apart from other concepts based on the learnings we've had from these higher end dining.”
Geoff Alexander has been in the restaurant industry for a while. Spending time in various sectors has given him the unique ability to take lessons from the fine dining space and implement them into the Quick Service Restaurant space.
?? The Responsibility of Leadership
“The thing that I take the most seriously about my responsibility is people are counting on me. Whether it's my investors, whether it's my family, or it's the employees, there is a responsibility to these people that every day I wake up with and every day. I go home to bed with that. What more can I do for those people? It's not about me, because if those people are successful, I'll reap those rewards. My job, my life, my work balance, work life balance will all get better. But the most important thing, the two most important things is advice I would give to anybody. You chose this industry for a reason. Don't ever forget what that reason was; passion, fun, and so on. And don't ever forget the awesome responsibility. Awesome because it's great, but awesome because it's huge that you have those that are putting their trust in you. The responsibility is tremendous.”
Leadership has its obligations. For Geoff Alexander, the biggest, most awesome responsibility is that there are people who rely on him and trust to play a role in their livelihood.
?? Forward Thinking and Early Adopters
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“But what we do, we try to find things that are cool, that are front and center, that are forward thinking. That is, that will get noticed. Right. You can go out and spend a lot of money in marketing and you don't know if it works or doesn't work. Press is free. And if you take risks, if you try something before someone else does, do it smart. Right? And be prepared for the headache that comes with, to be prepared to apologize if it doesn't work. But the press that you can garner, the opportunities to come, whether it's being on your podcast or asked to speak at a conference, or responding to somebody who found you because they want to learn more about that opportunity. That's why we're forward thinking. That's why we're early adopters of trying things out. Because the thing you do not want to get caught up on in this industry is thinking about today.”
Wow Bao is not afraid to be first to market. Geoff Alexander’s willingness to take risks and be an early adopter of technology and new items has helped open doors and provide opportunities for Wow Bao to receive publicity on a larger scale.
Tune in each week for compelling conversations and insights from leaders like Gregg Majewski as we navigate the realms of growth, innovation, and meaningful connections. Subscribe now to stay informed and inspired!
??Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/qsN9sm-Xm2U
??Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7q71fIZdiMzbg9kyYGXTWg?si=gSMMP6G5Tl2_oQQzmufbEw
??Read the blog: https://media.craveworthybrands.com/blog/how-geoff-alexander-is-elevating-fast-casual-with-wow-bao
?? Upcoming Episode: The Power of Listening and Leadership - Insights from Gregg Majewski on The Restaurant Strategy Podcast
Gregg recently shared his insights on The Restaurant Strategy Podcast with Chip Klose. Reflecting on a valuable lesson from his father, Majewski emphasized the importance of listening to everyone. This approach has significantly shaped his leadership style and helped him build a strong network of friends who contribute to his personal and professional growth. ??
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