While much of the restaurant industry has experienced a lot of ups and downs — thanks to economic uncertainties and a wavering consumer environment — BJ’s Restaurants just reported its eighth straight quarter of sales and traffic growth. This positive momentum is a result of the ongoing brand repositioning that the executive team has been working on, CEO Lyle Tick told Restaurant Business in an interview.
The recipe for brand repositioning is actually pretty simple, he said, and includes improving the foundation — what Tick referred to as “table stakes operations” — building on the perception of everyday value with the chain’s popular Pizookie meal deal, and revamping the menu.
“We started to identify our iconic products that we want to get credit for and really drive engagement in,” he said. “The first one was the Pizookie … which were really resonating with younger guests and bringing them in. And then you build that ability to bring more people into a restaurant that's operating better and they have a higher likelihood to return.”
From the Pizookie onward, BJ’s started with menu renovation, including a revamp of the pizza, burgers, and sandwiches menus.
Alongside menu renovation and innovation, Tick said that BJ’s has also worked on brand visibility in recent quarters, including some strategic marketing shifts like syncing their product strategy with the internal marketing calendar, so it lines up with seasonal Pizookies like the popular Biscoff Pizookie, which resonated with guests.
The Pizookie Meal Deal, launched in 2024 as a $13 combo meal deal, has improved traffic and the rate of return guests. Tick said that from credit card data, they know that people who come in for the Pizookie Meal Deal return to try the pizza (for example) next time. This has all resulted in BJ’s becoming more part of the food-cultural zeitgeist.
“The buzz and dialogue around the brand have elevated over the past couple of years, and that is a byproduct of us leaning into social media and word of mouth and having relevant products to put on those channels,” he said.
Moving forward, expect more of the same from BJ’s as the company continues to tweak operations, marketing strategy, and menu innovation to fit the needs of the modern guest.
“We’ve invested in our facilities and our operations, so you're coming into an environment that feels good, and you're getting a better experience,” Tick said.
Contact Joanna at joanna.fantozzi@informa.com
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