Optimized Menu & Menuboard ​Strategies Drive Growth

Howland Blackiston, Principal of King Casey will be a presenter at the AACS Convenience Leaders Summit in Sydney on 23/24 August – get your bookings in now.

Project Objectives
Popeyes management sought to optimize the brand’s menuboards to increase business performance and improve the customer experience. Specific objectives were to:

•  Grow profitability by focusing on high volume, high margin products
•  Grow average check through increased incidence of combos and platters
•  Increase sales of boneless chicken and seafood offerings
•  Eliminate items that don’t contribute to profitability
•  Improve the customer experience in terms of ease of menu navigation, speed of item selection and ordering
The Solution
Popeyes partnered with King-Casey to develop a menuboard optimization strategy that would help Popeyes realize their business performance objectives. King-Casey followed a structured approach that ensures real, measurable improvement.
Menu Strategy. The process started with the creation of a clearly articulated menu strategy. King-Casey worked hand-in-hand with Popeyes senior management to develop a strategy document that identified and prioritized the business goals as related to the brand’s food and beverage product offerings.
Menuboard Strategy and Architecture. The next step was to develop the menuboard strategy and architecture. These were developed specifically to achieve the business objectives in Popeyes new menu strategy. King-Casey developed strategic menuboard schematics for the interior and drive-thru to guide the creative execution development of the new Popeyes menuboard. The schematic illustrates the menuboard’s organization, layout, product placement, space allocation and key communications.
Menuboard Design. The last step was the development of the optimized menuboard design in both digital and static versions. This step illustrates the look and feel of the menuboard. Key elements of Popeyes new menuboard design included a new layout based on product sales and margin objectives, a dayparting strategy, better use of menuboard “Hot Spots” (based on customer flow and line-up) and superior food photography with high appetite appeal.
Results and Roll-Out
The optimized menu and menuboard strategies were tested in Popeyes stores. The following key results were achieved in test market:
•  High priority menu items sales increased versus control
•  Average check increased versus control
•  Seafood sales doubled
Based on the successful test market results, Popeyes new menuboards were rolled out system-wide and are delivering positive business results as they did in the test market.

The Process

BEFORE: Popeyes “before” menuboard does not clearly communicate the brand’s menu categories, the individual products offerings, what comes with a combo and how a combo is different than a dinner.

Popeyes optimized menuboard strategy was translated into a black and white schematic that was used as a guide to develop alternative creative executions for testing among consumers.

AFTER: Popeyes optimized menuboard is a “revolutionary” change versus the previous design from an organization, layout, look and feel and copy standpoint.

*All artwork, designs and trademarks are intellectual property owned by Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen.

“King-Casey has been a valuable partner for Popeyes leading the development of a menuboard strategy that has helped us effectively communicate our menu strategy and achieve our menu growth objectives.”
– Hector Munoz, former Chief Marketing Officer