Founder & CEO
Oklahoma Metropolis, Oklahoma
How do you intend to enhance enterprise operations and profitability in 2026?
2025 was about optimizing processes throughout the enterprise and rebuilding year-over-year income. Expertise is a giant theme for 84 Hospitality in 2026. This yr, we’re doubling down on our tech stack and tightening operations whereas rising model energy.
For instance, rolling out MarginEdge has been big for us. We lastly have near-real-time visibility into what we offered, what we purchased and the gaps in between. That’s helped us management COGS, scale back guide errors in bill entry and spot points that immediately have an effect on our backside line.
On the gross sales and advertising entrance, we’re getting extra strategic. We’ve expanded our loyalty program via Toast, strengthened e mail advertising, and are establishing a better rhythm round LTOs — longer runs, earlier planning and higher alignment with seasonal tendencies. As a substitute of month-to-month specials that finish earlier than they achieve traction, we’re planning longer seasonal runs with stronger storytelling. Our Tommy Pickles particular was an excellent instance of this. By tying it to the Oklahoma State Truthful and operating it for 3 months with native companions, it carried out twice in addition to our typical specials. That’s the method we’re adopting via 2026.
We’re additionally leaning into underused income channels, together with third-party promos and catering platforms like EZ Cater, which create significant incremental gross sales in a difficult surroundings.
And eventually, we’re taking note of the small levers, like drinks, that operators usually overlook. Switching some shops from cans to fountain drinks and consolidating underneath Pepsi for higher margins and advertising assist, has offered sudden stability. We’re additionally emphasizing menu gadgets with sturdy margins, like salads and desserts. Whereas the first focus will all the time be our pizzas, getting a garlic knot order out of each eight tables throughout eight areas provides up.
How do you intend to assist your workers’ development and encourage retention within the new yr (2026)?
Retention begins with individuals feeling supported, revered and in a position to develop. This yr, we’re rising our emphasis on management depth all through our enterprise. Along with coaching GMs, our senior management workforce can be spending extra time with managers at each stage to make sure they perceive the whole operation, back and front. This yr, each supervisor is changing into a kitchen skilled.
We’re additionally utilizing tech to scale back managers’ administrative load and establish issues early, particularly round staffing. When you’re overstaffed, ideas get diluted. That’s a simple approach to lose good individuals.
We’re additionally persevering with annual evaluations at each retailer. Creating alternatives for our workforce to ask questions like “What do you need to be taught subsequent?” has been extremely highly effective. Not everybody desires to develop into a GM, however everybody deserves a transparent path. Based mostly on that enter, we’re creating extra alternatives for cross-training, group involvement and development throughout our 300+ particular person workforce this yr.
And, as all the time, tradition issues. 84 Hospitality has to stay an inclusive place the place individuals really feel snug being themselves. When your workforce genuinely likes the place they work and who they work with, retention follows naturally.
What’s one talent or space of information you’d like to enhance as a enterprise proprietor in 2026?
Two areas I’m dedicated to upleveling this yr are advertising and accounting.
Advertising and marketing modifications continually, and because the CEO, it’s my job to know the instruments, tendencies and applied sciences that truly transfer the needle. A giant a part of my function is to create initiatives that generate affect after which consider the outcomes. We’ve already elevated our use of e mail advertising, loyalty packages and AI-driven instruments, so 2026 will probably be a vital yr for understanding what’s working and why.
On the accounting facet, income doesn’t matter should you don’t perceive the place the cash goes. Getting deeper into the numbers this previous yr has made me a greater operator, and I need to preserve constructing that muscle. Understanding the complete monetary image will allow me higher to guide the corporate via this subsequent section of development.
