In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Dave Paul, cofounder of Pluckers Wing Bar, a beloved sports bar concept in Texas with 32 locations in the Lone Star State. Pluckers is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and has seen plenty of change in the chicken category as competitors like Raising Cane’s, Chick-fil-A, and Wingstop have come to dominate the space. But Dave and his business partners are happy with their slow pace of growth as they double down on a high-quality, experience-driven offering, and today are seeing massive success with a paid loyalty program and a new value deal during the lunch daypart. Dave joined the podcast to talk about how Pluckers is generating value with its premium experience and how they’ve managed to secure 300,000 loyalty members even with a monthly fee.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Working in your restaurants is the perfect opportunity for market research
• Chicken is not the key differentiator in the chicken category
• Customers simultaneously want simplicity and adventure
• One of the best R&D strategies is listening to your guests 
• Your value offerings should accommodate both new and loyal guests
• In-restaurant experiences count toward the value equation

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].