Growth, Stability, and Performance Spotlighted at Restaurant Brand’s Company Conference 9/26-9/28
Led by significant achievements in catering, off-premise/to-go dining, and impressive average sales on special event days, On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina is successfully delivering on its vision to break away from mainstream casual dining chains. At this year’s system-wide conference, the world’s largest casual Mexican restaurant brand shared news of double-digit growth in catering and triple-digit growth in third-party delivery and a record-breaking Cinco de Mayo for 2017.
“We’re breaking away from the past and building a bigger, better company for the future,” said Ward Whitworth, Chief Executive Officer for On The Border®. “This is a year that has been dedicated to change and making a difference for our operators, our team members, and our guests… and so far, we’re on track to follow through with our goals while also learning what else we can do to help our brand stand out in a positive way.”
Whitworth’s comments were delivered under the conference’s theme of Always On, and highlighted the CEO’s philosophy that responsibility and personal leadership are more vital than ever in the current dining industry landscape. “It’s a challenging market right now,” he explained to more than 350 attendees and team members from around the country. “Despite that, On The Border is holding its own – remaining steady with some industry trends and winning big in others.”
A number of team members were recognized at the conference for their outstanding performance and commitment to progress.
- Shanna Jones, who oversees operations in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, was honored as General Manager of the Year
- Dawn Simon, from Escondido, California, was awarded Franchise General Manager of the Year
- Ed Jarvis, who leads the brand’s Philadelphia and Baltimore markets, was named Area Director of the Year
Whitworth pointed that the Best-of-the-Year winners were reflective of a company culture that celebrates extra effort and maintains a positive attitude towards change, which has been an essential element of the brand’s success this year. On The Border has been simplifying operations in 2017, trimming back its menu to feature more fan favorites and seasonal additions, and streamlining costs and speed of service along the way. “Everything we do to benefit the brand should also benefit our guests,” he added. “That is how we stand out from the ‘chain gang’ – by consistently owning the ways we can exceed expectations.”
Other positive trends the brand is looking to continue into 2018 and beyond include upswings in social media engagement, visual updates that include more unified branding as well as restaurant remodels that have been shown to enhance dine-in traffic, and being active in the community on both local and national levels. Whitworth then closed his remarks with an inspiring challenge to management and senior team members. “Let’s all be willing to ask ourselves, ‘Am I the mayor of my town? Am I the kind of leader that attracts great talent and loyal guests?’ and then be willing to do what it takes to say ‘Yes’ to those questions. Our people have always been the secret to On The Border’s success – that’s true now more than ever – and we’re also better equipped than ever to make that difference meaningful to the guests we serve.”
On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina is the world’s largest Mexican casual dining brand, offering an extensive menu of great-tasting, classic and contemporary Mexican food, like sizzling mesquite-grilled fajitas, and Margaritas as big and bold as the border itself. On The Border is owned by Border Holdings, LLC, with 157 restaurants in 32 states, Puerto Rico and Asia. Follow and ‘like’ On The Border on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OnTheBorderMexicanGrillandCantina, and @OnTheBorder on Twitter. For more information, visit www.ontheborder.com.
