AI Transforms Franchise Development at Big Chicken
In a recent episode of Fast Casual Nation podcast, Sam Stanovich, Franchising Executive at Big Chicken, shared how the brand is leveraging artificial intelligence to revolutionize its franchise recruitment and operations processes.
Stanovich revealed that Big Chicken is implementing AI-powered tools to enhance the franchise application journey, creating a more interactive experience for prospective franchisees. "We're starting to look all the way at the franchise development with AI," Stanovich explained. Rather than using traditional application forms, their new system facilitates a conversational approach that evaluates candidates based on their values and leadership qualities. "It's really creating a partnership from day one using AI, and based on how they respond and interact with the AI, it will set their journey path," he noted.
Equipment maintenance is another area where Stanovich sees enormous potential. He described a tool under consideration that would centralize equipment manuals, troubleshooting videos, and repair guides in one AI-powered platform. "If my toaster goes down, I can ask the AI tool 'my buns aren't heating' and troubleshoot from there," Stanovich illustrated. This approach could significantly reduce repair costs and eliminate frustration for franchisees, who increasingly rely on mobile devices rather than printed manuals.
When discussing customer experience, Stanovich shared Big Chicken's vision of integrating founder Shaquille O'Neal's personality into their digital touchpoints. They've already incorporated Shaq's family into their kiosk interface and hope to eventually feature his voice in drive-thru interactions. "We hope to be able to have Shaquille on every drive-thru board and hopefully be able to surprise and delight guests," Stanovich said, connecting this initiative to the brand's goal of "delivering 250 million smiles over the next 10 years."
Looking toward the future, Stanovich emphasized the need for AI tools to align with brand identity. "If you are going to use AI as a brand and you're going to use it anywhere with the customer, you train the model and take the time to really give it your care and values," he advised. He also predicted that AI would help level the playing field for emerging brands in social media marketing by making sophisticated content creation more accessible and cost-effective.
For restaurant franchise operators navigating the proliferation of technology solutions, Stanovich acknowledged the challenge of "death by a thousand cuts" from numerous SaaS subscriptions. He anticipates inevitable consolidation in the tech space and encourages brands to prioritize solutions that maintain equipment uptime, manage inventory effectively, and enhance customer interactions—all while preserving their unique brand voice and values.
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