We have a Business Developer (BD) located in your area whose sole function is to help c-stores and supermarkets like yours plan, set up and launch successful new hot food programs. Your BD will come in and conduct an “in-store evaluation” for you. There is no obligation on your part.

He or she will listen to hear your objectives, discuss any concerns you might have, and walk you through our program in detail. These new store specialists are well-trained and experienced food service professionals.

Everyone will have an opportunity to experience the taste, quality and freshness that will allow you to compete toe-to-toe with fast food giants like KFC, Popeyes, Chick-Fil-A and others.

Your BD will work with you to determine in the end which of our programs is a good fit for your store. If you are highly committed to making your hot food program a big success and your store has the threshold traffic levels and the physical space needed, then Champs Chicken brand is likely the right hot food program for your store.

If not, your store may be better suited for our Cooper’s Express brand or our private label program. Regardless of the path you take, our BDs will be there to share their knowledge and to professionally guide you through this process.

After having successfully launched many hundreds of new locations, our BDs can make getting started much easier and more foolproof than you might think.

Once your in-store evaluation is completed, your BD will be able to help you estimate a dollar amount for your initial investment. Most importantly, be aware that you will NEVER have to pay an upfront franchise fee or any on-going royalties on our branded program sales.

Your investment will go primarily towards the preparation of your deli space, any required equipment you don’t have presently, indoor/outdoor signage, a menu board system and your initial food and packaging inventories. Those inventories will be supplied by an approved foodservice distributor in your area.

Your BD will also assist you in analyzing the program’s financial implications to your business, which include:

• Forecasting your upfront expenses
• Establishing retail price points and profit margins
• Looking at typical levels of ROI
• Developing plans for staffing, training and a grand opening
• Preparing a launch schedule

We will take the mystery out of the process for you and help minimize your risk, so you can move forward confidently with reasonable expectations towards your business goals.

Shawn Burcham, CEO and Founder of PFSbrands, has uncovered a common thread that ties together his fastest growing, most successful branded locations. Retailers who achieve the greatest success are ones who make a greater commitment to their hot food program. This level of commitment can be measured by the retailer’s willingness to invest in:

• The right the kitchen equipment
• Digital menu systems and quality indoor/outdoor signage
• A Point-of- Sale (POS) system that tracks sales, profits and inventory
• Quality advertising and promotions inside and outside retailer’s 4 walls
• Hiring quality staff who are motivated and engaging with the public
• Training staff to be productive and to provide exceptional customer service

Retailers have the choice between several different program levels. Naturally, as you move up in program levels, both the rewards and requirements increase… as will your opportunity to spur revenue growth and profits.

The commercial foodservice equipment you will need simply depends upon what approved equipment you have in your store already. If you require additional equipment, we have an excellent selection of brand-name kitchen equipment available for our retailers. You will find a wide range of price points from which you can choose. During the in-store evaluation… your Business Developer (BD), who is one of our new store specialists, will help you determine which pieces of equipment your store is missing. Then, he or she will then supply you a quote accordingly.

If you are building or remodeling a new space for your hot food program, we will prepare a layout and customize an equipment plan for your space. These planning services are complimentary for new retailers.

At a minimum, your store will need a commercial hotcase, fryer, breading table and devices to warm heat and serve sides and sauces. Your BD will communicate more detailed requirements during your in-store evaluation.

The heart of any food service program is the deli staff. No week is more important to the staff than the first one, when the program is launched. Your team should not worry. PFS offers one of the best training programs in the industry and it’s provided without charge.

This is not a class. During Opening Week, your Regional Growth Advisor (RGA) from our Field Operations team works side-by-side with your team… and stays at it until we see that your staff can reliably execute all procedures on their own. Your main role – training-wise – is to make sure your whole team is on-hand and ready to participate on the scheduled dates including any new employees you may bring on. Leave the rest to us.

The goal of our training program is to help your staff become productive and to provide exceptional levels of customer service as well. Your RGA will teach proper processes and food preparation techniques that are well-documented in our Operations Manual. This manual will remain in your store for continued reference. The staff training concentrates on:

• Understanding the menu and price offerings
• Food preparation and cooking procedures
• Operating and maintaining all new equipment
• Safe and sanitary food-handling procedures
• Ensure your staff can conduct procedures and re-train where needed
• How to treat customers, so they will want to come back

In the end, our objective is to guarantee consistency and quality service to your customers.

CEO Shawn Burcham is steadfastly focused on the success and well-being of his retail partners who can all gain from his advocacy of their stores. He has an uncanny ability to connect his retailers with reliable programs and people resources that can make invaluable contributions to their success. Burcham’s unwavering emphasis on providing “fanatical” levels of retailer support permeates all of PFSbrands, its employees and the very culture of the company, which we hope you will discover for yourself.

SUPPORT IN THE FIELD

A successful deli operation takes more than a productive opening. It requires on-going attention, periodic trouble shooting and immediate assistance when needed. As our retailers make a 1, 3 or 5 year commitment (based upon program level), we commit that your Regional Growth Advisor from PFSbrands will personally visit your store every 60 – 90 days at a minimum. On those visits, he or she will personally work with the owner, deli manager and deli staff as needed to accomplish the following important tasks to keep your hot food program on track for success:

• Listen to understand any issues you may be experiencing
• Provide direction on how to increase program productivity, profits and growth
• Conduct training and re-training sessions as needed
• Discuss national promotions/LTOs and custom promotional campaigns
• Review menus, price points and related profit margins
• Request updates for in-store signage and merchandising

Your Regional Growth Advisor’s sole function at PFSbrands is taking care of his or her retailers… and is reliably backed up by a responsive Customer Success team in the Missouri Corporate office..

SUPPORT FROM OUR “CUSTOMER SUCCESS” TEAM

Beyond the vital assistance provided in the field, the company is also “doubling down” on its support of retailers out of the home office. To further enhance service levels, PFSbrands has established a growing team of specialists—the Customer Success team —who are dedicated 100% to the care of our retail and distributor partners. The members of this team come from a number of functional areas that you may not normally associate with customer service departments. Here are a few examples of how this team will help you: product and equipment purchases, smallwares selection and replenishment, equipment service and parts support, IT, menu setup & support, accounting and other general questions.

This Customer Success team also includes a sizable group of marketing professionals to help you determine the best advertising strategies and tactics for your store along with: signage, promotions, graphic design, and all of the resources that come with our own in-house, full-service print shop. Our Retail Advertising Specialists will help you to determine the best ways to achieve the most value out of the substantial amount of Marketing Development Funds (MDF) we provide you to grow your hot food business.

The full Customer Success team is always ready to help you and talk you through any questions or challenges you may have. Call our Customer Success department toll free at (855) 632-3373 or email the team at: customer.success@PFSbrands.com. If the person you reach doesn’t have an answer or an immediate resolution to your problem, that team member will put you in touch with someone who does.