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We interview sustainability leaders across industries to learn what they are working on and how they are steering their companies toward a climate-friendly world.
Alex - 00:00:12:
Welcome to Open Source Sustainability. I'm Alex Lassiter, CEO of GreenPlaces. On this show, I talk with Sustainability leaders to learn how companies are adapting their business models to be in line with Sustainability goals. We believe Sustainability has to be open-source to be successful. And these leaders have offered us a glimpse inside their strategies in the hopes that we can all move forward together. We're fascinated by some of the unique challenges these Sustainability leaders face and are excited to dive deeper. In this episode, I'm talking with Jeffrey Kamis from PDQ. PDQ stands for People Dedicated to Quality, but the Fast Casual Dining Chain is dedicated to Sustainability too. Despite the challenges that restaurants like PDQ face when it comes to becoming more eco-conscious, from sourcing ingredients responsibly to minimizing waste and reducing their carbon Footprint, PDQ is seeking progress over perfection as it is modeling Sustainability in the fast casual dining industry. All right, Jeff, welcome to the podcast today. Thank you for joining us.
Jeff - 00:01:11:
Well, thanks for having me, Alex, excited to be here.
Alex - 00:01:13:
So maybe when we just start off here, tell us a little bit about your role at PDQ and how you got involved with your Sustainability initiatives.
Jeff - 00:01:21:
Sure, so I'm the Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for PDQ. Been here almost twelve years actually now since the start of the brand back in 20210 is when I started. And I work closely with our Chief Marketing Officer, Frank Rappa, on all of our marketing initiatives. Really from a brand perspective, from marketing help execute and really-
Alex- 00:01:41:
Thank you to Jeffrey for joining us.
Jeff - 00:01:41:
The best way to describe it is take all of the great ideas that Frank and the team have and help bring them to life. Everything through our PR efforts, our community relations efforts, oversee of all of our sports partnerships and really everything that we do from a brand perspective. My role is to help really take that from our office and from all the great ideas that people have and then bring that to our guests and bring it out into the communities as well.
Alex - 00:02:04:
And tell us a little bit more about PDQ. What exactly does PDQ stand for? And maybe talk to us about how that shows up in all of your business initiatives.
Jeff - 00:02:13:
So PDQ stands for People Dedicated to Quality. And really everything we do goes back to that. Everything from our food quality to how we interact with our guests, from our team members, and really everything also when you think about quality and the community. So Bob Basham and Nick Reader founded the company again back in And really the directive from them was to say to every operating partner, every operating director that we will be part of the community in every area that we are. And that was really important to them from day one. And so when you go back to our name, People Dedicated to Quality, that really resonates when you think about everything we do as a brand. And it's exciting and something that we always go back to from our brand values that everything we do will go back to those three words.
Alex - 00:02:55:
And talk to me a little bit about how you got involved in Sustainability at PDQ.
Jeff - 00:02:59:
Sure, so Frank Rappa, our CMO, had worked with you Alex in the past and very familiar with the great work that you guys have done at GreenPlaces for so many years. And the way I look at it, you guys have been leaders in the industry for so long and just do an incredible job. And when the opportunity came about for us to get involved with you, it really was a no brainer for our team to find ways to learn from you and your team and just look at ways that we could make a difference and help. And I think that was an exciting part of that, that rollout and developing this partnership was, we're obviously not the experts. And so leaning on you and your team and really understanding all the great work that you do and then how that relates to us in our industry and for us specifically as a brand was so, so important for us to want to work with you.
Alex- 00:03:43:
How does PDQ think about Sustainability? Because for a lot of people, that can mean different things. But where does the tent at PDQ live when you think broadly about the term Sustainability?
Jeff - 00:03:55:
Yeah, I think it starts out for us as you go back to our name about being people dedicated to quality. And I think for us and everything we do, it's about doing things the right way. So Sustainability is a big part of that, of course. But I think as we look at a brand perspective, we start with that and in everything we do. So that may be things related to how we treat our team members, how we interact with guests. And a big part of what Bob and Nick talked about from day one was also making a better life for our team members. So if you think about Sustainability and a lot of the goals that you focus on with your team every day, it's about a better future for all of us. And so I think that's a great correlation when you think about our brand and GreenPlaces and Sustainability, because what we're trying to do, not only through our efforts with GreenPlaces and Sustainability, but what we're trying to do with our team members is to improve their lives, whether that be working for PDQ forever, whether it be preparing them for their next job or putting them in positions to learn throughout this process and working with our brand. I love that correlation because I think it's so relevant to what you guys do and what we're doing as a brand. And that's why I think it's so exciting because we can take the two and they can work well together and it's a great message not only with the community and our guests, but it's a great message also for our team members.
Alex - 00:05:10:
That's great. Yeah. The historical definition of Sustainability has always been not just planet, it's people, planet and profits. It's this idea that businesses can't just succeed by focusing on one thing. They've got to think about their place in the community and the environment, the people they work for, their stakeholders, vendors, partners, everybody around them. And so it's really amazing to see, you know, a QSR brands really dive into this stuff, especially at the stage that y'all are in as you're growing. So I'm curious as you think about what we're working on today, which is measuring and understanding the carbon Footprint of PDQ. What sparked your initial interest in this? Like, where did you decide, hey, we're going to partner with GreenPlaces to understand our sources of emissions, you know, in our environmental Footprint? I'm just curious as you and Frank were thinking about it, where did that really start?
Jeff - 00:06:00:
Yeah, I mean, I think it's important for us as a brand and for other brands. I know we'll talk about other brands today, too. But to really understand and get a baseline of where you are, I think there's a lot of unknowns out there. And certainly in the news and you guys have played a huge part in this in the industry and in getting the word out for people to understand what Sustainability is, but I still think there is this really unknown out there for some people that don't really truly understand what does it mean? You know, what can I do to make a difference? And there's so many things, as you know, that we can do. And it doesn't always have to be a huge initiative. There's a lot of little things that you can do as well. So I think that's where it started for us is that understanding and really being educated in terms of what could be done. And so that starts the process for us. Let's figure out what we can do, what we can be educated about, what we can learn from you and the team. And then from there, the next step is what do you do with that information? Right. So there's a lot of things you learn and a lot of things when we decided to enter into the partnership, we knew that we would get to that next step and to learn more. But then from there is get the baseline. Right. So where are you today and where do you want to go with it? And I think that's the key part for us as we talk as an executive team. And as we talk to our team members is we're going to learn and we're starting to learn little by little and we'll continue to learn. But then from there, it's what you do with it. And how do you take that and do that? What that means for the future, not for only for us as a brand, but even for individuals, I always think about things with my son. We'd always talk about like recycling and simple things like that. And for him, it was so important to make sure we always, you know, that it goes in the right trash can. And that's a simple thing, but it's something that can make a huge difference. And I think when you think about a brand like us, you think of it much bigger, but you also think about where you start. And I think for us, what can we do to impact the world, future generations and everything that's happening out there? That's crucial for us. And I think that that need and also that want from us as a brand led us to today and where we are and hopefully where we're going in the future.
Alex - 00:07:53:
That's great. I actually I talk about recycling and composting and stadium play with my children who are very young and also very interested in this stuff. You know, one of the things that I heard there that I think is really interesting is this idea that you can't really improve what you can't measure. And so I know you and Frank and the team have been deeply interested in a lot of things across your supply chain. As you think about how do we understand where we are first in this term of setting a baseline, what do you hope to learn from that as you understand where your Footprint is and where your biggest sources of emissions are and how your vendors and suppliers work within that? What are the things that y'all are hoping to learn from this as you continue to, uh, to get deeper into the data and understand, you know, from an environmental perspective where, where PDQ is?
Jeff - 00:08:42:
Sure. No, it's great question, of course. I think it goes back to the baseline, of course, right? I think the first learning is to understand where you are. And I think that's crucial because you really can't make any decisions in terms of changes until you actually know what you're doing today. And so I think that learning will be so important because I'm, I'm sure, as you see with other brands, there's a lot of things that you're going to find out that you might already be doing that are great. You also may find out that there's simple things that you can make changes to. So, you know, back to that learning, I think that's going to be crucial for us. And then I think the opportunities that are out there. And I think once we really get that baseline, then working with you and your team, I think that's what we're most excited about because we understand just from the conversations and again, why we wanted to get involved with you and the team was we understand that there are a lot of different ways to do this. There's no playbook that everyone uses the same playbook. There's no, you know, kind of like, well, go back to the word Footprint. There's no like, oh, this is the way everyone does it. It's different for everybody. And I think that's the most exciting thing is that we all know where we want to get to, right? We all know what we want to get through for the future. We know where the finish line is, but there's a very good chance that we're probably, we may all have different routes that we take to get there. And so that I think is where we stand in terms of today. And the, um, again, that excitement is that we know there's a lot that we're going to learn through this process. And I think that's where we really are looking forward to it and learning as much as we can, and then taking those next steps and then finding out what we can do and really what's available to us and really where we can work together as a team, as a brand to really hopefully make the biggest impact and be effective in making a difference.
Alex- 00:10:15:
That's great. I love the general curiosity of trying to figure out where we are and what we can do with that information. I agree with you. Once you have that visibility, you're probably going to learn a lot of things that like you said, that you are doing, that have a good path on it. And there may be some things that we weren't expecting that are actually really good opportunities for us to be able to focus on. So I think that's really, really great to hear. As you think through this stuff, have you thought about any Sustainability goals you have as a business, both short-term and long-term? Maybe talk to me a little bit about where you're looking today.
Jeff - 00:10:47:
Yeah, I think for us probably the number one goal for us as a brand is to make an impact, right? And I know that's a very general statement, but I think that's has to be where you have to start because if you're willing to make a difference, if you're willing to get involved, that's step number one, right? It's almost like I think about these Peloton as example, we get on the bike and you say, well, how'd you do on the bike today? Well, getting on the bike is the first step in anything, right? You got on the bike and you got on there and you started to work out, you started exercise, you're willing to start that process. So I think for us is we're willing to start that process when we begin it. Then from there, I think you look at different ways to look at it. And I think when you think about short-term and even small steps, things like travel, right? So reducing travel is something that you could really look at from a corporate perspective, from operations, from the field, those are things that you can do that you can make some changes like that in a short-term goal and look at that from that standpoint. But I think also long-term, that's where you start to think about bigger goals and things you can do. The other piece that I want to mention is just the awareness piece of it. I think back to what I think we talked about in the beginning, because of the fact that this is still in a lot of ways new to some people, and there's still a lot of people that are learning like we are, I think just the overall awareness about what's happening in the world today and how you can make a difference. And this not only relates to us just from a brand perspective at a level that we're talking about here as we start to make decisions here at the corporate side and the home office level, but it's also educating our team members, our guests, our investors, and other people of how they can make a difference as well. So to me, that takes a look at not just the short-term goals and how we think about it, but what that can do from the impact it can make on a long-term perspective, the impact that it can make on so many people because of the amount of people that we can get to that can also take part in this, not only through their job at PDQ, but also in their own personal lives as well. And I think that's where it's almost become something that we can extend it well beyond just this conversation and just a few people to thousands of people that are going to be part of this process, but just in different ways as we start to grow this and start to understand how we can all really make a difference.
Alex - 00:12:54:
I really love the idea of impact from awareness and education. As you think about PDQ as a brand, you've got, obviously you have the employee base, you have your investors and partners, but you also have the customers. Helping them to understand what this looks like and how a business like yours might be able to respond to this challenge, I think is a really innovative way to approach this stuff. Coming back to your early point of, there isn't like just a blueprint. I think it's not just you do X, Y and Z and you're there. It's a difficult challenge. Trying to figure this stuff out while building a business is hard. And I love the idea of, hey, we're here to learn. And as we do, we want to be transparent and educate. I think it's a really great way to be able to pull your constituents, your customers, your internal stakeholders and the employees along in this journey to show them that you can actually do this in a way that's achievable. You can do this in a way and continue to be able to operate and be successful in the next 15 years as you have been in the last five. I think that's really remarkable to hear that focus on education. I think that's a part that a lot of people overlook sometimes is helping to bring everybody else along. I think that's great.
Jeff - 00:14:15:
Yeah, and I add to that if I could, if I had to add to that, I was going to say is, you think about what you see on the news, of course, right? And it seems like sometimes it's almost like it's out of reach for you because it's, all the different articles and you hear about climate change and all these things and you think, well, I can't do anything about that. These are things that are much higher level or well beyond where I sit, but that's not the case as you know. And I know you can talk a lot about that in terms of what you can do. And I think that's almost the part of like getting people through that, so it's that scary part of like, well, I don't know, I don't think I can do that, but you can. And I think that's where, again, the media do a good job of talking about all of these things, but maybe what we can do a better job of, and this is where you and your team do an incredible job, is helping people understand that it isn't just stories out there in the news and well beyond, far, far away from us, it's right here in our backyards, it's right in front of us every day, and it isn't this feeling of like helplessness that we can't help. We all do have a way to help and make an impact. And so back to that awareness and what you just talked about, that to me is hopefully where this will lead to for, not just for us, but I hope other brands start to see that value in that because it's so, so important in the world that we live in and for the future as well.
Alex - 00:15:27:
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. You know, we obviously, we work with tons of businesses and a lot of the feedback that we get early on is similar to how a consumer might think about this, is this is a big, huge, scary problem. I actually have no idea how to solve it. So sometimes the best way for us to cope is just to ignore it. Internally, we call it like the Patagonia effect, which is, I guess, a funny way to think about it is this idea that like, there are companies that have done a really, really amazing job at this. And you can't hide from the fact that these companies have been true leaders in the space, but it's hard for everyone else to be able to do that. It's hard to fully get there immediately without actually like looking at where you are and working and taking steps to get there. And so I think a lot of businesses and a lot of consumers tend to ignore some of these problems because they're afraid of not being perfect. And they know that if they can't be perfect at this, then maybe their best solution is to just not do anything at all. And I think what's really great about what PDQ is doing and what a lot of these businesses now are doing is saying, look, we may not be perfect right off the bat. We're going to work and we're going to understand our baseline. We're going to follow the data. We're going to help make improvements to be able to get there. We're going to do so in a way that's honest and transparent, but we're not going to come out here and pretend like we know all the right solutions and that we're doing everything perfectly, but progress is what we're going for here. We need everyone to get involved. It can't just be the 10 or 15 companies that have really focused on Sustainability for the last years that get us there. Everyone's gotta do it. And so I love this idea of bringing people along. It comes back to this idea of what PDQ stands for and the impact that you're looking to drive, but it's this idea of encouraging everybody to take a step and continue to take steps. Don't get afraid of what it is and run away. I think about my laundry pile at home. Sometimes it can get so big with three kids that sometimes it's easier for me just to keep walking by it. And it gets bigger and bigger and it gets scarier and scarier for me to actually do anything about it. But if you want real change to happen, you have to be comfortable with the fact that you can't solve everything today, but you still have to get started. And so I love this idea of we've gotta get started and we've gotta take our first step before we can take our second and third and fourth and fifth. And so I think that's really great. And I hope it stands as an example for other businesses that are afraid to actually begin this process because they're afraid of not being perfect. I think that's really great. And it's a good example for consumers as well as for businesses. So in thinking about this, like are there any challenges that are unique to PDQ as you think about your Sustainability journey? What makes PDQ unique in this and how do you start to think about, what are the things that scare you about this?
Jeff - 00:18:23:
Yeah, and I don't know if the first one I thought about for this one is the data. And there's so much information. It may not be unique to us. I imagine that other brands also maybe go through that, but it is definitely can be a little scary when you think about that. There's so much information to gather. There's so much to look at. Luckily we have you and the team that helps us with that. And that's a huge part of it. So that makes it feel a little bit better and not as scary for us. But I think that's a big part of it. And that I think is something that you'll have to, we'll have to work through as we get through that part of it is understanding all of that and really knowing what to do with it. And I think it's all part of navigating it. It's part of that way that you go through something no different than something new that you take on in life. It's the same thing with this because of maybe that uncertainty or that newness to it, you're learning through that process. And so I would say that's probably our biggest challenge is going to be gathering the information and then working through it all to make some decisions. And luckily we're not at a point where we have to make major decisions today, but we're still going to learn through that process. And I think being able to have partners like you guys to help us through that and really understand it all is going to make it a lot easier and really not as daunting, I think from a brand perspective for us for sure.
Alex - 00:19:36:
Mm-hmm. So what I'm hearing is first getting the data and knowing like, what do we need to cover here? And then second is, what does all this stuff mean and how do we prioritize? For our listeners, obviously we've had a couple of podcasts that have talked a little bit about the challenges of Sustainability and Food Service, but you've got everything from the suppliers and packaging. You've got the in-dining experience. You've got the to-go experience. You've got the buildings themselves with both natural gas, electricity, water consumption. You've got the food, where it all comes from, how it gets to our properties. You've got the commitment to quality, to making sure that the things that we produce are done so in a way that obviously meets our brand standards, but is also to the level of quality that you'd expected a PDQ. And then as you alluded to earlier, you've got the people. So how do we get to and from each location? How does corporate potentially get out on a plane back and forth to locations to be able to help and support? There's a lot here. I mean, it's an absolutely enormous tent of data that you have to be able to sift through and understand to be able to make a decision. So I understand that completely, but I also know that it's empowering.
Jeff - 00:20:46:
Yeah, and it goes back to brand values, right? So you want to make sure, and you said it, you said it way better than I could have ever said it, is brands, obviously we have a mission, we have a brand value and you want to stick to that. So balancing all those things is definitely a challenge. And again, luckily you guys have done it for so long, you don't understand how to do it, but you have to be able to do that because you have to make sure that you're not sacrificing the things that you've promised to your guests, your team members, all those things. And that's where, you know, that would be probably the other thing I'd add from your comments too, is that, you know, making sure that you can balance all those things while knowing that you know what the right thing to do is. So then it's how does that balance with those things to not impact you from a brand perspective or the things that you are doing that are so important to who you are and what you've developed from that standpoint as well.
Alex - 00:21:32:
Yeah, that's exactly right. Because ultimately you've got, I don't know how many employees are at PDQ, but there's a lot of people that get fed every day because of this company. There's families that you have to think about. There's employees' futures. There's obviously there's investors in the business and all that type of stuff has to work all in concert with each other. And that's what makes some of the stuff so difficult because it's like weighing different things as you start to figure out the better way to operate. It doesn't mean stopping to operate. It means operating differently and smarter. And I think ultimately we're all trying to do that in different ways. I mean, QSR years ago looks a lot different than it does today. What we expect out of the food that we consume has changed. And a lot of that stuff is a continuation of this. As consumers and people, we've come to learn more about what we eat and how we consume it. And we got to keep getting smarter. And to me, this is just another iteration of that, of just making sure that you know, as we operate, we're doing so in a way that is smarter and better and is moving the ball forward as opposed to, you know, ignoring things that we're seeing.
Jeff - 00:22:35:
And you talk about even just the changes over the last years, think about the last couple of years with COVID and how that's changed so many things also in the world, right? So I think I'm sure you guys have seen it in your role as well. And certainly we have too in terms of meeting the guests where they want to be and their habits and how that's changed. That impacts obviously Sustainability as well, because of decisions that people are doing in regard to where they're having the food. And just even to your point of just, you know, eating healthier, all those things, there's so many factors, especially as you mentioned, when you think about a restaurant, that that has really changed so much over the last couple of years as well. So you've seen it a lot of change over the years, but it's interesting to see. And now hopefully we're beyond COVID and in a place where we can move forward. And I think this is a good time to have these conversations because it's the right time, hopefully, for a lot of folks that maybe have not decided to make this a priority for themselves or for their brands.
Alex - 00:23:26:
Absolutely. Absolutely. I cannot possibly imagine running a restaurant during COVID. The amount that you've had to learn about your supply chain as you've learned to adopt and change and grow. I have to imagine was an incredible challenge to be able to accomplish. And I agree, I think it's a great time to begin this next phase of things, but, um, you know, it's, it's never a dull moment, uh, running a restaurant business. It's a very, very hard profession. So tell me a little bit about some of the initiatives with regards to Sustainability that PDQ currently has in place. Are there things that y'all are doing today that align with this mission? I know that we're at a starting point, we're at a baseline, but talk to me about some of the things that y'all are doing today, uh, in place at PDQ.
Jeff - 00:24:10:
Sure. So I'll list a couple that we're working on now, and then I'll share a little bit about where we want to take it and some of the ideas we've talked about as a team. So some of the ones we talked about reducing emissions, and that's a big piece of it. And another one that's really important to us is investing in renewable energy. Those are probably two of the top ones I'd say for sure that are really, really important to us as a brand. The other one that we talked about was our carbon Footprint. So that's a, a huge project, obviously, and I know a lot of brands have gone through that and that's a process that you, you take through. But I think for us, that's, um, the next one on that list of how important it is, because without knowing that you don't know what you need to do and what you can do. So that is really probably the biggest project or the biggest piece of this relationship that we're working on now, because we know that's going to really help us make decisions and lead us into the future. And so that's a big focus for us as a team. Obviously you talked about procurement. Brian, who runs our procurement team is amazing and he's a big part of that and who's our CFO. There's a lot of pieces, as you think through the local electric bills at the restaurants and all that information. And even from Nina's team, from an HR training perspective, her team obviously have a huge role in regards to all the pieces. And you talked about, we have over team members and all the pieces related to travel and everything they're doing and, and everything they're doing. That's a big part of it as well. The other thing I want to mention is back to the name. So PDQ stands for People Dedicated Quality, but we also like to think of it as People Dedicated Community. And for us, I think the next step or what we really are hoping that will be another piece of this is really the local initiatives, right? How do we make a difference in each of the communities? So certainly there's the bigger things. And we talked about it earlier about the wide raging things in our environment, our climate and in the world. Those are obviously very, very important for all of us. And that's something that you can't ignore all those things. The other piece that we really wanted to do as we talked about this was figure out with you guys is how we can think about that local part of it. So knowing that not only are we doing those other initiatives and how we can impact things, but think about where we live and work for all of us and for our team members, our investors, our guests, in those areas where we live and work, what could we do that's going to be directly impacting them and directly impacting the future and helping make a difference in those areas? So that would be the last piece of it that I think will be a big part of this. And certainly as we calculate the carbon Footprint and work with the stores on a lot of this data gathering, that'll help direct us in terms of what opportunities are out there to then also take it beyond just some of the things we talked about, but then really localize it and find ways that we can, not only from a brand perspective leading from here, but really if you think about it leading from the bottom up and letting our team members tell us how we can do things and what they can do in terms of their communities, again, where they live, where they work and what they're doing and how that can play an impact for us not just as a brand, but also of course, in those areas where we have restaurants in five different states along the East Coast.
Alex - 00:27:07:
I think that's really powerful. I think the idea of a manager being able to log in and see how they benchmark maybe an energy consumption or water consumption or electricity compared to their peers can empower them to be able to ask questions of why and what can I do to be more energy efficient? What can I do to be able to be operating in a more sustainable way? I think that can be really empowering for them to be able to help feel like they can actually make an impact themselves by tying behavior change to actual results. That's how we function a lot of times is seeing, okay, if I do this, what do I get out of it? And I think that seems like a really great place to start. I'm glad to hear that. One of the questions that I like to ask folks is if there was one thing that your customers and people obviously familiar with the brand, what is one thing that you wish that your customers knew about PDQ that maybe they don't?
Jeff - 00:28:00:
So obviously we're a restaurant. So I'm sure most people would expect that I would answer and say something about our food. But I think our food really, it already in some ways stands for itself. And I don't mean to say that in a confident, crock-a-cocky way, but I think our food is what it is. And it's everything from hand breaded, everything made in the house, just really a focus on the quality. So I think people come to PDQ because they love the food. But the part that I would say when you asked me for one thing that I would people to know about is really that dedication to our team and our people. So back to the name, people dedicate equality. And I think a lot of the things that we do, and again, it starts with our leadership team with Bob and Nick and our entire leadership team, Nina and Frank and everyone that really make that such a priority for us. It's how we really try to empower our people and help them make a difference. And I talked about a little bit earlier, but things like our scholarship program and really incentivizing our team to be involved in the community and just working with them to really better their lives. And so to me, that's probably something that maybe isn't talked about enough. I know I oversee the PR, so maybe I'm not doing a very good job lately. So I probably need to focus on that more. But the point is that I think that people maybe don't know as much about that in terms of how much of that is in our everyday lives at PDQ is the amount of time we put into our people and to making sure that they're the top priority. Obviously they're the ones that, like you said, without them, we don't have restaurants, right? So we can talk a lot about things from everyone's role, but without all those team members that are in the restaurants, making the food, interacting with the guests, going out and doing good things in the community, nothing is possible without all of them. So I just think that's important. Hopefully people see that in the interactions with our team. We always get a lot of great compliments. And I know we have a lot of amazing people that work for the brand. And hopefully that will continue to show from the interactions with everyone in those communities and in the restaurants, how important our people are and the things and the relationships and what we've worked together to build and the impact that they've had on our business for so long now.
Alex - 00:30:03:
That's amazing. I think that's great. And I think, uh, to me, that's pretty unique in the QSR space, this commitment to the people beyond just obviously the food. Um, so I'm curious, as you think about Sustainability and that definition that we had earlier in this conversation of people, as well as the planet, the environment, the communities, all of it. Is there a role that, as you think about PDQ that you hope to play in this broader Sustainability movement and QSR, you know, if there was one thing ten years from now, people look back and said, this is where PDQ was able to move the ball forward. Have you thought about where you'd want to fit in that?
Jeff - 00:30:40:
Yeah, I definitely thought about that a lot. You know, there's a couple of things I think about with that. One is I guess I hope we can encourage other, not just restaurants, but other brands. I know you asked about restaurants, but I think in general, other brands, other restaurants to learn more and find out how they can help also. I think you said it best earlier, and my girlfriend says this all the time. She says, progress, not perfection, right? And you said that earlier too, is it's baby steps to me. It doesn't have to be, you know, a huge initiative. It doesn't have to be a big thing at first, but you have to really want to learn more. You want to have to be able to have that opportunity to know that you can make a difference. And hopefully in years, because of, you know, we were just playing a very small part here at PDQ, but the work that you and your team are doing is enormous. And I think that's where hopefully in years from now, because of all that work that you guys are doing, it's going to encourage so many more people to be willing to take that leap. And it's not that big a leap. I know it seems for some brands out there, it feels like it's such a big leap, but it really is very small. And it's very easy to start to learn how you can make a difference. And you know, in just a short time that we've worked with you, I can tell you how inspired I've been. Our entire team has been inspired by the work that you guys do. And I believe that others will follow and will want to make a difference, but it just continues to be, and we use that word awareness, right? It's a big part of it is making sure that people do understand that you can really do make an impact, but it's that willingness to do it and that education that we need to continue to do. So that would be my hope is that that continues to grow, not just from our team, but beyond that, and what you guys are doing, that it really becomes really part of everyday conversation and something that it's not even something like, well, will we do it? Of course we will, that's what everyone does because that's the right thing to do. And it is so important for our environment. So that's what I hope it will become. And that's part of the language that will change for that future of being someone that we just automatically do, because that's what we should be doing and are doing.
Alex - 00:32:42:
I love that. I mean, when we came up with this idea of open-source Sustainability, the entirety or at least the beginning of that started with this idea that the only way we're going get there is if everybody participates. It cannot be, this cannot be a movement that's only handled by a few large companies. It has to be something that every business can work into the way that they do things. We can approach it from a level of openness where we accept progress, even at the expense of perfection. And we can encourage people to be able to take steps without this fear of, well, what if I didn't do it perfectly? Or what if I didn't go all the way there on day one? I think that encourages more action. And I agree with you. I sincerely hope that, you know, as PDQ continues to take your steps and to be transparent about it and to educate your consumers and your stakeholders and employees on this stuff, that it does encourage more people to say, you know what? If PDQ can do this, then I can as well. I don't have to be afraid of not doing this perfectly. I can take steps into it. I can do it the right way. We're not talking about just making things up, but actually taking those steps. I think that progress is so important. It's the only way to bring everybody else along. And I think that's a really great place for Yodafed. And I agree. It's much broader than just restaurants and the communities that y'all are in. all across the Southeast. In a lot of places, you might be some of the first movers in this. And I think that's great. I think as people come to see it and they say, you know what, if this is something that PDQ can do, I can do it as well. And hopefully they can learn from you and hopefully they can get encouraged. And I hope people listening to this feel the same way. I think that's a great place to be. So we like to usually finish with one good question, especially for folks that work in Food Service is you have a favorite menu item at PDQ. When you walk into a PDQ, what is, what is the one thing that you can't leave without?
Jeff - 00:34:43:
Ooh, this is a tough one. There's I can only have one. Is that I have to pick one item.
Alex - 00:34:48:
You got to pick one item. Yeah. One item.
Jeff - 00:34:50:
That's a tough one. So for me, you know, our tenders are incredible. We've won awards. They're amazing. They're just the most amazing thing in our sauces. So I do love our tenders, but I'm not going pick them. I love our honey butter sandwich. It's just got a great, it's got a little sweetness to it. It mixes really well with the crispy chicken. It's a great sandwich. We have an unbelievable toasted and steamed and buttered brioche bun. The bread and butter pickles on there are incredible. And then the honey butter just on there with the chicken is just a perfect combination. So it's really my favorite. I don't get it every time, but it's tough not to, because every time I go in the restaurants, that's the one thing I want. And so it's been on our menu now for, gosh, probably six. We rolled it out during our fifth anniversary. So we're about six, about six, seven years ago is when it came on the menu. And I've been a huge fan ever since. And it's without a doubt my favorite.
Alex - 00:35:41:
That's awesome. Well, thank you very much. We really appreciate you joining on the podcast. Again, this is Open-Source Sustainability and we're so happy to have PDQ, People Dedicated to Quality. Thank you so much for joining us, Jeff. I really, really appreciate it. And again, thank you. And I'm really excited to hear about y'all's commitment to progress and to getting started and to making good decisions and continuing to find ways to operate smarter in the future. I think it's great to hear. And I know it'll encourage a lot of people to get moving on things. So thank you.
Jeff- 00:36:10:
Thanks, Alex. I appreciate it. And please send thanks to you and the team. Again, we're just thrilled to be partnering with you and just you have a great team. They do a great job and have helped us already so much. And we're excited where the future is going to be for us and together. So just thank you for all the work that you guys are doing.
Alex - 00:36:25:
Awesome, thank you. Thank you to Jeffrey for joining us and thank you for listening. If you like this show, please be sure to leave us a review and follow this podcast wherever you like to listen so you don't miss an episode. This Podcast is powered by GreenPlaces. If you're looking to reduce your company's environmental impact and reach your Sustainability goals, visit greenplaces.com to learn more. I'm Alex Lassiter and I'll talk with you next time on Open-Source Sustainability.