61. Setting Roots for the Future! | Tom Foley & Tiffany Derry

05/12/21 • 46 min

On this episode of the Takeout, Delivery, and Catering podcast series, hosts TJ Schier and Sam Stanovich sit down with Tom Foley, the founder of Indigo Group, and Tiffany Derry, the chef and owner of Roots Chicken Shak, to explore packaging, catering, community, and planting roots for the future.
Roots Chicken Shak is famous for its duck fat fried chicken, courtesy of celebrity chef Tiffany Derry. Options range from wings and tenders to sandwiches and salads, all freshly prepared in the chain’s limited 300 square feet of space. Indigo Group helped found Roots Chicken Shak in 2017, and the management consulting company continues to oversee the chain’s operations.
“We call the front of the house the restaurant, where Tiffany is amazing both from a chef’s perspective and a guest’s engagement,” says Foley. “The back of the house is all the operational components. Anything that smells legal comes my way.”
Roots Chicken Shak has a culture of buying local. The chain endeavors to keep the menu narrow and focused—emphasizing chef Tiffany’s southern upbringing and preference for dishes with local, fresh ingredients and spices—to keep ordering and packaging processes simple and seamless. Roots found the ideal packing partner in H-E-B.
“We’re quick service. We knew that in order to make the numbers that we needed to make, it wasn’t just about everyone coming in and eating—we needed our pickup and delivery to be a large part of our program,” says Derry. “I wanted to make sure that we had proper materials... not everything works for chicken.”
Listen to the episode to learn more about the making of duck fat fried chicken, as well as how to successfully invest in your community!

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60. Life Changing Chicken! | Lewis Rudd - Ezell’s Fried Chicken

On this episode of the Takeout, Delivery, and Catering podcast series, host Sam Stanovich sits down with Lewis Rudd, the president and chief executive officer of Ezell’s Fried Chicken, to explore chicken, food trucks, and marketing transparency.
This episode is sponsored by DAWN® PROFESSIONAL - Pot and Pan

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62. Be Damn Good | Elizabeth Baxter - Torchy's Tacos

On this episode of the Takeout, Delivery, and Catering podcast series, hosts TJ Schier and Sam Stanovich sit down with Elizabeth Baxter, the chief people officer of Torchy’s Tacos, to explore the taco business, crafting products and merchandise, and building a culture of caring.
Begun in a food trailer—with some advertising conducted on a Vespa—Torchy’s Tacos specializes in high quality, cooked-to-order tacos. With over 75 locations, the chain is committed to responsible sourcing, constant menu innovation, and hiring employees that reflect and reinvest in their communities.
“Every taco we serve, you’re not going to see in another kind of taco shop,” says Baxter. “Our focus has really been about the best ingredients and fun, memorable names. The Brushfire has fresh mango on it, and the fact that we source that mango and make sure that it’s ripe and cut perfectly—that’s what gets people coming back.”
For Torchy’s, the goal is to make the food original and keep the customers engaged. They have a secret menu that customers can only learn about through the grapevine, and a taco of the month special to continuously surprise guests with new tacos as well as tacos from the vault to try.
“Food trucks are relevant because it’s just another form. Right now, people don’t want to sit in a restaurant, so we’ve shifted to this off-premise idea,” adds Baxter. “It’s another way of people getting food in an easier, different way. And people like different, innovative, and easier.”
Listen to the episode to learn more about taco trucks and best practices for recruiting!
This episode is sponsored by DAWN® PROFESSIONAL - Pot and Pan