Name a restaurant chain that specializes in selling hamburgers. Now, name a restaurant chain that specializes in selling pizzas. Now name a chain that specializes in coffee.
Excellent.
Now name a restaurant chain that focuses on chicken salad.
Can’t think of one?
Well, Stacy Brown is changing that one store at a time. She is the chicken salad chick, and she is building a franchise restaurant chain that focuses exclusively on chicken salad.
She tells her story on Guy Raz’ NPR podcast called How I Built This. I’d urge you to listen to her fantastic tale of persistence, dedication and a belief that she could make this venture work. Today there almost 100 locations with $75MM in revenue and her story will inspire you and bring a tear to your eye and hunger for lunch.
5 Lessons in Marketing from a Chicken Salad Chick
Owning the Space – Stacy loved chicken salad and noticed it appears on almost every restaurant lunch menu. No one “owned that space.” She thought that chicken salad was a product that most people like, but no one company is known for being the best. She wondered, why can’t I do for chicken salad what the Colonel did for fried chicken?
Started small and kept trying – She made her chicken salad in her home kitchen until she got caught by an anonymous call to the health department. She wasn’t allowed to make a product in her home and sell it in an unregistered or uninspected non-commercial kitchen. This challenge forced her to open up a small, tiny takeout shop that, gave her wings. Having been through this same experience with the health department in 1978, I admire her pluck.
Everyone liked it a little different – She realized that like spaghetti sauce, everyone wanted their chicken salad a little differently. So, she developed flavors or variations to please a range of palates from those who want it spicy, moist, with fruit and nuts or with exotic flavors like curries. There is no perfect chicken salad. There is just the one you love.
We’re Number One – Her persistence to be number one in something has paid off. She didn’t want to build a restaurant chain; she wanted to be known for making the best chicken salad available. She stayed focused on a narrow product offering so she could perfect it. She avoided adding things to her menu just because someone wanted a burger or grilled cheese. Focus, focus and focus some more became her watchword.
Overcoming tragedy and never giving up – Everyone thought she was nuts. She had to drag people with her for the journey, but she didn’t give up on believing in her mission, odd as it sounded to others. When she almost lost her business and had to come up with $1.3MM to repurchase it back in 90 days, she didn’t quit. When faced with the loss of her thirty-eight-year-old husband to cancer, it only made her redouble her efforts for success and to add a foundation and an even bigger mission.
Number One
I love chicken salad. My favorite comes from Boondini’s on Six Forks in North Raleigh. The best chicken salad is my scratch recipe with fresh tarragon, fig vinegar, and secrets I learned by cooking with my Food Network/Cooking Channel daughter Fanny.
Whether you market chicken salad, security alerts or heavy-duty trucks, you want to be in a class by yourself. Think blue ocean, unlike everyone else. It can be a small niche like being the leader in selling IT technology to chain pharmacies or the only Veterinary service run by veterans.
Own a space and be the best.
Are you number one in something?
Are you chicken and afraid of marketing your business? You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar.
Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free and we can explore if working together makes sense. Try my new chat feature on my site if you have a quick question.
Photo by Hannah Tasker on Unsplash
