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Supply chain disruptions and a tight labor market are common challenges in the convenience channel, which has led to a strong focus on efficiency. In foodservice—the top-selling in-store category for convenience retail—operators must minimize friction to maximize profits.  

Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a foodservice operator with over 3,200 locations in 47 states and plans to open more than 700 new stores in 2025. It recently evaluated its supply chain and found ways to streamline its processes. For the provider, efficient logistics reduce food waste, spoilage and delivery times, creating benefits and cost savings that are passed on to retailers.  

“One of the things we heard from operators was that our model just had to be simpler,” said Jim Norberg, CEO of Krispy Krunchy Chicken. After simplifying its menu to consist of fewer—but more carefully curated and best-selling—items (which we explored in part one of this series), the fried chicken operator turned to its supplier operations. 

Krispy Krunchy transitioned its model from one that used 14 independent distributors to just one national partner—Sysco. “Sysco works with 70 local suppliers, meaning we've moved product closer to the markets, plus we are able to recover much faster if something goes wrong,” said Joe Gordon, chief supply chain and technology officer. “We are able to provide a much better service and a better shelf life due to having more distribution points much closer to the end consumer and we are continuing to leverage suppliers, reduce freight rates and improve our logistics initiatives to make our operators more profitable,” said Gordon.   

The simplified menu also alleviates supply chain pressures and diversifies supply with its offering of bone-in chicken, tenders, the new improved Cajun chicken sandwich and, coming in February, chicken nuggets. 

“Our simplified menu and streamlined supply chain allow us to offer consumers what they want while easing back-of-house operations for retailers and ultimately improving performance for all parties,” said Matt Testa, chief operating officer. 

This is part two of a two-part series on Krispy Krunchy Chicken. Read part one. Learn more about Krispy Krunchy here.