P5 Big Cheese

Announcing the winners of the P5 Big Cheese Award!

In case you missed it, the Big Cheese award will be awarded to one General Manager from each region at the end of every period. You can read more about this new prestigious award here.

The winning GM is the one who produces best in class results.

Let’s go ahead and meet the winners of the P5 Big Cheese Award and hear from their District Managers what makes them so worthy of this recognition:

Nick Potamites (South Loop)

• Lowest Hourly Turnover YTD for all restaurants 34.5%
• +5.8% Sales growth over PY YTD
• 96% FQ
• Highest EBITDA percentage of all restaurants +30.1%
• 94% Pick-Up score in P5

“Nick and the South Loop team deliver consistent results by leading from the front and being present for their team. They hold an extremely high bar for hospitality and when the rare mistake is made, they act with urgency to win that customer back. The SL team exemplifies the Family aspect of The Gift with many team members who are not only a part of our Malnati family but are actually related! The “Pizza is Joy” mentality starts with our culture and it surely is a joy to see the SL team at work.”

Chris Mckenna (West Eighty-Sixth)

• #1 on the Balanced Scorecard 3 periods in a row!
• 0 Guest incidents in P5
• 98% Food Quality
• 99% Pick Up
• 4.91 CER
• 16.8% YTD sales growth

When we decided to open WE all day, I knew who to call for this challenge, and that was Chris McKenna.  Taking WE from the bottom of most lists and putting it to the top of one of our most important lists has not been an easy task, but Chris and his team have done just that.  Chris’s calm, effective style of leadership has kept his team focused and them understanding their goals and where they are heading.  Not only has Chris led his team to the highest scorecard score for all carryouts in the company, but they have also not had a guest incident in almost two months and only 11 all year long.  Chris’s balanced approached to the business is why he was and still is the perfect leader to continue to take WE to the next level.  Chris doesn’t put one part of his business over the other.  He cares just as much about his team, the guests, and the business in an amazing way that keeps his tripod of leadership in balance.  It’s not surprising to me at all what Chris and his team have been able to accomplish since opening all day last August and I’m excited to see what they continue to do the rest of 2024! Chris and the WE team are also the first winners of the “Justice League Star Award” in the Central Indiana market.

Eduardo Saenz (New Lenox)

• 97% Food Quality
• 96% Pickup
• 17.6% Labor
• 5.6% COP Margin Var to Budget
• 3.4% COP Growth vs LY

Eduardo’s unwavering commitment to delivering a perfect pizza on time to every guest is truly impressive. He recognizes that the key to success lies in developing and supporting each member of his team. His dedication, leadership, and patience have helped the New Lenox team achieve some great results.

Congratulations to our latest Big Cheese recipients. Keep up the great work!