Case Studies
How Naf Naf Grill is turning Middle Eastern cuisine into a mainstream favorite
Burgers, pizza, and chicken are probably the first dishes that come to mind when you think of fast casual restaurants. While these classics have been staples of the industry for years, the demand for ethnic cuisine has grown steadily over the past decade and is now influencing the restaurant industry. Otter customer Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill is the perfect example of this.
Founded in 2009 in an old converted Taco Bell in Chicago, this fast casual restaurant now has 39 locations serving authentic Middle Eastern cuisine across the country. Greg Willman, Chairman and CEO of Naf Naf Grill, spoke with QSR Web Editor Mandy Detwiler about how the brand has paved the way for new flavors in the industry.
Here are 4 things we learned from their episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast about making ethnic cuisine a mainstream favorite.
Food suppliers are key to maintaining authenticity
Quality ingredients are essential to preparing a good meal, so it's important for a restaurant to have good suppliers. For ethnic restaurants like Naf Naf Grill, this takes on a whole new meaning. “We are Middle Eastern-centric, and it's important that we maintain the authentic processes and flavor profiles that the brand was founded on,” Greg explains.
Naf was founded by Sahar Sander, a Middle Eastern immigrant who decided to turn the recipes and culinary memories he grew up with into a restaurant concept. The chain still offers these recipes today and sources many of its ingredients internationally to maintain authenticity. “We import a lot of spices from the Middle East. Our pickles and eggplants come from the Middle East. We have Middle Eastern suppliers that allow us to maintain the authenticity that [our] brand started with.”
To ensure consistency as they expand, Naf has a national supply chain agreement that allows them to offer the exact same ingredients and products across the country. They also invest in staff training to control the quality of their food. “This takes a lot of effort,” explains Greg. “Above all, we are a culinary brand.”
Customer education becomes part of the job
The restaurant industry is crowded, and it's not easy for just anyone to succeed. Ethnic restaurants face the added challenge of familiarizing customers with their cuisine while juggling everything else. “The penetration levels are different in different parts of the country,” Greg explains. “As we expand our brand, the most important task is to get people who have never eaten Middle Eastern food, or don’t really know what it is, comfortable with it.”
To achieve this, Naf Naf focuses on creating simple ways for people to experience this type of cuisine for the first time. Greg explains this as "making sure their door is as wide open as it can possibly be." Naf’s menu allows diners to build their own stuffed pita, bowl, or salad, so they can be as bold as they want. “Customers will discover the more esoteric parts of our menu once they have experienced freshly baked pita, roasted chicken shawarma, and some of the things they are more familiar with,” he says.
The chain’s food speaks for itself. Greg is confident that if they can get guests to have a first experience, Naf will be able to retain them. That means featuring familiar dishes like hummus, falafel, and chicken in their advertising. The new spicy hummus takes center stage on the restaurant’s website, and their most popular pita sandwiches are often featured on their Instagram profile. More complex flavors continue to be offered on Naf’s menu.
Simplification is a must for economic success
There are some key values that the brand will not give up, such as frying falafel to order or baking fresh pita in-house for their guests. “We will never stop doing these things. That’s what our brand was founded on,” Greg explains.
Maintaining this high quality of service did not come without sacrifice. The chain had to find a way to perform quickly without requiring skilled labor for every task. Naf Naf’s team looked at all operational elements of their business and considered what they could simplify without compromising the quality of their products. As such, Naf Naf opted for a simplified menu with a smaller range of food. The fact that add-on ingredients can be combined with their customized pitas and bowls allows the restaurant to offer a variety of dishes without getting bogged down in complexity.
While they have re-thought some of the more complicated items from their original stores, Naf remains playful with seasonal offerings that allow them to temporarily expand their menu. “We are very happy with what we can provide,” Greg says, “even though we have a relatively small menu.”
Understanding performance increases your profits
This philosophy of simplification also applies to the way Naf Naf Grill manages their many locations. As the fast casual chain grew, it was difficult to get a clear view of their finances, as data was scattered across multiple sources. Naf turned to Otter to consolidate their data while streamlining their financial transactions.
Otter’s Analytics and Financials solutions collect information from Naf Naf Grill’s various data sources, analyze it, and help them create strategies and customized action plans. Otter’s Dashboard allows the chain to aggregate data from across their stores and delivery platforms into a single view, so they don’t have to dig through different apps. With this information, Naf is able to identify opportunities to improve individual stores and business areas.
“This partnership allows us to effectively take control of our finances and save time by consolidating our stores and delivery partners onto a single platform. Otter has played a crucial role in uncovering insights and opportunities we had not previously explored.” – Ian Bruggeman, Director of FP&A, Naf Naf Grill
Naf Naf Grill is becoming a favorite with eaters everywhere!
With a focused menu and strong values, Naf Naf Grill is now one of the country’s fastest-growing Middle Eastern chains. The eater-first strategy imparted by Naf’s management continues to stoke the business’s success in-person and over delivery. By utilizing Otter’s Restaurant Operating System to empower orders, menus, and revenue, the brand is well-equipped to serve an expanding range of customers. Going forward, Naf Naf Grill is ready to become one of the restaurant industry’s leaders in ethnic cuisine and beyond.
