Ep 07: As SVP and Head of Innovation for Brinker International, Wade Allen is Launching New Concepts and Leveraging Years of Investment to Survive and Thrive During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aug 19

We were always headed for a restaurant landscape defined by contactless payments, home delivery, and digital spaces. COVID has just accelerated it. While many were caught unawares, Wade Allen, Head of Innovation for Brinker International, has been transitioning his company for years. As a result, Brinker is not just surviving. It’s thriving during the pandemic. We start the conversation by talking about Wade’s career and how he became Brinker’s Head of Innovation. He speaks about helping brands pivot in a changing marketplace before we dive into a discussion on the newly-launched It’s Just Wings, a purely digital brand that uses Brinker’s existing kitchens to offer food through DoorDash. We talk about how Wade launched this concept, how transparent companies need to be with their customers, and how It’s Just Wings distinguishes itself from Chili’s — the restaurants where the brand’s food is produced. Later in the episode, we explore the long-term goals of It’s Just Wings, its critical partnership with DoorDash, and why it’s a different model than what hotels might have with Hotels.com. On the marketing side, we touch on how Brinker’s marketing strategy has shifted due to the pandemic and the ever-increasing power of staying relevant to your local area. Reflecting on his marketing career, Wade shares his middle-ground approach regarding the importance of brand versus performance marketing. Near the end of the episode, we ask Wade about his unity-first leadership style and he discusses the need for blue-sky thinking, and how COVID presented an opportunity to change his company for the better. Tune in to hear more about Wade’s success launching a new brand in these challenging times.

Key Points From This Episode:

Introducing Brinker International, owner of Chili’s and Maggiano’s Little Italy.
Wade’s journey from bridging marketing and IT to becoming Head of Innovation.
How COVID accelerated Wade’s role in pushing for innovation within Brinker.
Pivoting brands to adapt to the ‘Amazonian’ and now COVID customer landscape.
How casual dining has been affected by COVID, despite Wall Street expectations.
The idea of ‘cloud kitchens’; a brand that only exists in a delivery setting.
Launching It’s Just Wings, Brinker’s new cloud kitchen brand.
Leveraging existing assets to expand your service offerings.
Details on the corporate versus franchise breakdown of Brinker restaurants.
The importance of being honest and open with your customers.
Distinguishing brands through different food offerings, despite the food being made in the same kitchens.
Hear how Brinker’s marketing strategy has shifted due to the pandemic.
How customers are becoming increasingly focused on their local area.
Diving into Wade’s past corporate experiences and the lessons he’s learned.
How restaurants have been playing catch-up from a marketing and technology stand-point.
Wade’s take on what’s more important; brand or performance marketing?
The key role that DoorDash plays in It’s Just Wing’s model.
Wade shares his team-focused leadership philosophy.
Wade’s ‘blue-sky thinking’ and how COVID permitted him to disrupt his industry.
Why adaptability, technical, and business skills are critical for future success.
What everyday habits help Wade perform at his best.

Tweetables:

“We knew that we have a strong brand. When you’re a part of this brand, you know. We’re survivors and we’re winners and we’re going to turn things around.” — Wade Allen [0:14:19]

“Virtual kitchens and virtual brands exist. We’re across that threshold. The question now becomes, how do guests accept them? And how important is it to be transparent?” — Wade Allen [0:16:32]

“If you figure out multi-location retail or restaurant, you have an incredibly powerful skill set, especially if you can figure out how to market the nuances in individual areas and locales.” — Wade Allen [0:24:43]

“In the end, I didn't care as much about being the captain or care as much about having the starting position, as long as I was a part of the team and the team won.” — Wade Allen [0:32:34]