Fast casual, “better chicken” brand will offer Assistant General Manager Alex Gurrusquita’s Devil’s Smoke Sauce from April 29 to June 30
Slim Chickens, the leader in the “better chicken” segment of fast-casual restaurants, has announced the winner of its recent systemwide “What Do You Make In The Kitchen?” contest. Alex Gurrusquita, Assistant General Manager of the Tyler, Texas Slim Chickens location, entered his Devil’s Smoke Sauce recipe, and was crowned the winner of the contest. Slim Chickens will showcase the extra-spicy limited-time sauce through Devil’s Smoke Wings, a Shaken sandwich and a premium Devil’s Smoke dipping sauce from April 29 to June 30.
In October, Slim Chickens challenged its talented franchise owners and Team Members to submit the recipes for their favorite off-menu items they create just for themselves in the kitchen. The brand received more than 50 entries and selected five finalists to win prizes, with Gurrusquita’s entry selected as the winner to be introduced as a limited-time offer across the entire system.
Gurrusquita, who recently became the father of twins, began as an hourly Team Member at the store when franchisee Mark Coleman first opened in September 2016. Gurrusquita has risen to his current position as Assistant General Manager through hard work, dedication and a clear passion for flavorful, high quality—and spicy—chicken. Not long ago, Gurrusquita and his Team Members were experimenting with different sauces in their Slim Chickens kitchen.
“After working for this wonderful company for over two years, I have tasted all our sauces, but my favorite is Inferno,” said Gurrusquita. “I have always liked to take something that’s already good, and find a way to make it even better. My original idea was to shake wings in Inferno, and once placed on the platter with fries, I would drizzle Honey BBQ sauce over the wings, topping it off with a shake of cayenne.”
As soon as Gurrusquita’s Team Members tasted his concoction, they thought it would make a great new flavor to share with customers.
“About a month later, I received an email about the contest and decided to enter my recipe,” said Gurrusquita. “Honestly, I never thought it would make it this far. This has been one of my best achievements, and I feel very proud of it. I cannot wait to see how our customers react after trying the new Devil’s Smoke Sauce.”
This promotion underscores Slim Chickens’ commitment to creativity in the kitchen, and to its Team Members across the system.
“This contest was just one way that we’ve empowered our system to harness their creativity in the kitchen to benefit the entire system,” said Greg Smart, Chief Brand Officer at Slim Chickens. “Team Members like Alex show how hard work and dedication can not only move him forward in his career at Slim Chickens, but also have a lot of fun along the way.”
Slim Chickens opened in 2003 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with a focus on culinary excellence in a fast-casual setting. Guests can always expect fresh chicken tenders and wings cooked to order and served with 17 dipping sauces. With more than 80 locations to date opened and a fanatical following in 14 states and international locations in Kuwait and London and over 300 locations under development agreements, the eternally cool brand is an emerging national and international franchise leading the “better chicken” segment with a goal to grow to a footprint of 600 restaurants over the next decade. Southern hospitality is not just for the South; everyone, everywhere can appreciate honest food and socialize with friends and neighbors. To learn more about the brand, visit http://www.slimchickens.com.
