Texas-based Concept Takes Two-step Approach To Success: Consistency And Attention To Detail

(Monday, January 31, 2005) - Tin stars remain an integral part of the fast-casual service at the 11-unit Southwestern-inspired Tin Star chain. Instead of simple plastic numbers or pagers, guests are given a seemingly Texas-sized sheriff's star printed with their order number. The star is displayed at the table so that a server can deliver the food — whether at high noon or for supper time chow. "We want to put our Tin Star food in as many mouths as we can," says Rich Hicks, president of Tin Star Restaurants LLC of Plano, Texas. "We've all seen concepts grow so fast that the people in development can't keep up with it. I'm sensitive to growing, but I'm also respectful about how fast we can do it." Started in 1999 in Dallas, Tin Star recently opened its 11th store, in Atlanta. At the beginning of 2004 the chain had only four restaurants. The next openings, all planned to occur by the end of April, are in Denver; Sacramento, Calif.; Naples, Fla.; and Houston. The California stores are being opened by former Krispy Kreme Doughnuts franchisee Brad Bruckman. Bruckman, whose FoodFun Inc. of Reno, Nev., has development rights for Northern California, Nevada and Phoenix, says: "The food is what attracted me. It's interesting and different and unique. And we very much like the quick-casual segment. That is where we focused our search for a franchise concept. We probably reviewed about 20 different quick-casual concepts, but what really stood out for us about Tin Star was the food and the management team. The food is really what shouts about Tin Star." Bruckman says Hicks emphasizes the food even in titles, calling general managers "culinary partners" and assistant managers "culinary managers." The atmosphere also was a consideration, Bruckman says. "We felt very good about the decor, too. It's very warm, comfortable and a little bit on the eclectic side. It skews toward middle- and upper-middle class." Michael Mabry, vice president of Tin Star, says, "We're a casual restaurant that serves food with an attitude." "We try to have a casual-dining feel. One of the key things we try to produce is a feeling that will produce words like ‘warm' and ‘sexy,' " Mabry says. "We like to make the guests feel they are somewhere when they walk in, somewhere they feel different and unique. We want them to feel it's their own find, their own personal restaurant." Tin Star units range from 2,800 to 3,400 square feet and seat between 88 and 140 people. Systemwide, Tin Star serves 3,500 to 4,500 guests a day. The ratios of sales volumes by daypart are about 3 percent for breakfast, which is served only on weekends; 55 percent for lunch; and 42 percent for dinner. Alcoholic beverages are about 4 percent of sales, other beverages are 13 percent and the rest is food. About 82 percent of meals are served dine-in with 18 percent takeout. The chain's annual sales are expected to be $15 million this year, with average annual sales at corporate units running about $1.35 million. Per-person check averages are $9.25. The top-selling menu items are soft tacos. "Our most popular is a steak taco with Jack cheese, grilled onions and avocado, and the other is chicken with Jack cheese, red onion, jalapeño, fried sweet potatoes and roasted garlic," Mabry says. Hicks and Mabry both have casual-dining backgrounds with Romano's Macaroni Grill, owned by Brinker International: Hicks formerly was an area director, and Mabry was director of franchise. "In my old Macaroni Grill days I felt the service was a distraction to the real reason people were selecting restaurants, and that reason was the food," Hicks says. "We removed the service and put all the energy into the food." To beef up dinner traffic at newer units, Tin Star has introduced knife-and-fork entrées, such as the Trainer's Sirloin, an 8-ounce grilled sirloin topped with crumbled blue cheese and served with broccoli. But the basic Southwestern fare remains popular, as do twists like the cheeseburger taco. Tin Star's motto, in fact, is: "Sizzle, Smoke and Salsa." Kim Harwell, a restaurant reviewer for The Dallas Morning News, writes: "Tin Star's signature tacos are the familiar, Americanized, soft versions — flour tortillas wrapped around fillings that include fajita beef, grilled chicken and the like. But that's where the similarities end. Snuggled inside a Tin Star taco you might find such untraditional accompaniments as tangy pickle relish, barbecue sauce and yellow mustard or a combo of asparagus, roasted garlic, red peppers and onions dressed with balsamic vinaigrette." The extras help make the experience, Harwell says. "On your way to your table, stop and grab a complimentary bowl of thick, fresh tortilla chips and then head to the condiment Tin Star, a Texas-based concept with 11 units in three states, is expected to reach $15 million in systemwide sales this year.
The company is testing an Asian peanut-chicken salad created by consultant Brian Kolodziej, former head of research and development for Brinker International's Chili's Grill & Bar chain. "We're using Brian for a little bit of the creative but more for simplifying the operation and strengthening our execution," Hicks says. Kolodziej has been working with Tin Star since November. "I've been a customer of Tin Star since they opened the first one in the Uptown section of Dallas," says Kolodziej, whose Kolodziej Culinary Group of Plano also works with other restaurants. "I've always really been enamored with Tin Star's uniqueness and the great burger tacos and the creative menu items." Kolodziej says Tin Star's menu "is really well positioned because it is so unique. If you analyze quick casual for a moment, you've got your choice of either pretty straightforward Mexican or Asian, which are leading the segment. Tin Star's contemporary American with a Southwestern twist has its own niche. The speed at which the product is being executed is appropriate. The flavor profiles are interesting yet still understandable to consumers." Tin Star has evolved in several ways since the first restaurant opened five years ago, Mabry says. "Our evolution has been more on the physical plant, the color scheme, tables, booths and chairs. The first one was more industrial, and the latest is more of a sexy feel." The colors have been brightened to the contemporary tones of alligator green, red oxide and sweet orange. Mabry, who joined Tin Star two years ago, says, "Originally, you placed the order at the register, and we used a pager system where the guest went up to the counter to pick up the food. Now we are delivering it to the table. It was changed in 2000, and it was done to get us a step closer to casual dining with that personal service." "The newest Tin Star in Allen [Texas] also unveils a fresh color scheme and features a lighter pine interior that brings a comfortable warmth to Tin Star. We've added some half-walls to the space that create a more intimate dining atmosphere," Hicks adds. The Allen Tin Star was developed through a franchise agreement with Manna Partners, whose principals, Ray Gabrysch and Mike McEver, have opened stores in Dallas and suburban Allen. "The concept has a lot of energy," says Gabrysch, who hustles orders to guests' tables in a lunch rush. Tin Star strives for an eightminute gap between ordering and having the food delivered to the guest's table, according to Gabrysch. "A lot of the guests are here not just for the flavorful food and things like freshly made tortillas," the franchisee says, "but they want that speed of service. We work hard to make it quick." "We believe the quick-casual segment of the restaurant industry will continue to grow, and we want Tin Star to lead the race," Mabry says. "We've worked hard and invested heavily in the creation of a unique concept that has a broad base of appeal." There are several big challenges going forward, according to Mabry. "Since our growth is predominantly franchisee-focused, our challenge is to be able to maintain consistency among, and to serve, our franchise partners," he says. Finding good real estate and selecting good franchisees remain priorities for the Tin Star executives. "At the end of the day, Rich and I ask ourselves, ‘Would we have this individual for dinner at our house?' If the answer is ‘yes,' then they'd make a great franchisee," Mabry says.
That attention to details when it comes to working with franchise partners also extends to the treatment of the typical Tin Star customer. "We don't use the word ‘customer,' " Mabry explains. "We like to use the word ‘guest.' "

http://www.nrn.com CONCEPT: Tin Star Restaurants LLC OWNER: Rich Hicks HEADQUARTERS: Plano, Texas
YEAR FOUNDED: 1999
NO. OF UNITS: 11
CHAIN'S ANNUAL SALES: $15 million (estimated)
AVERAGE ANNUAL SALES PER UNIT: $1.35 million, corporate stores
PER-PERSON CHECK AVERAGE: $9.25
TARGET DEMOGRAPHICS: high density of office buildings and residences
WHERE IT TRADES: Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas
NEW MARKET TARGETS: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Nebraska and Nevada
TOP EXECUTIVES: Rich Hicks, president; Michael Mabry, vice president
Ray Gabrysch, a principal at Manna Partners, helped to develop the Allen, Texas Tin Star location through a franchise agreement. Michael Mabry, vice president, and Rich Hicks, president, both have worked in casual-dining restaurants and say they've given Tin Star a more upscale feel with brighter decor and limited table service. The menu offers such items as Sweet and Sour Glazed Salmon served with sautéed pico spinach and pico pasta.

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