The customer is not always right
Despite being in a sector known for the build-your-own customization model, Num Pang forbids any substitutions or modifications. “We really take a lot of thought and care into these sandwiches and rice bowls, and we feel it’s a really slippery slope once you start accommodating different requests,” Daitz says. “People then take a product you haven’t created and pass judgment on it.”
Daitz says Num Pang’s menu is varied enough to accommodate those with allergies and dietary restrictions, and staff suggest alternatives when a customer requests a modification. The concept also offers a quinoa-based bread for gluten-free customers and soy- and yogurt-based sandwich spreads for those who don’t like mayonnaise.
While Daitz says he’s been called “every name in the book” for not allowing substitutions, the controversial policy doesn’t appear to affect Num Pang’s sales. Daitz says the chain recorded about $12 million in sales in 2015, with an average ticket of $13 and average unit volume of about $1.8 million. That may be due to traffic flow, with Daitz saying the no-substitution policy “100%” speeds up throughput.