Slapfish
Culinary & Brand Concept Evolution
Securing seafood its rightful place as a fast-casual staple.
18%
SALES INCREASE
IN FIRST 6 WKS.
“The innovation opportunity.”
Background.
Slapfish was conceived with the idea of serving quality seafood in a quick restaurant setting. Known for saucy fish burritos and oozing crab and lobster grilled cheeses, Slapfish has always succeeded in delighting with indulgent deliciousness. But, COO Dan Anfinson realized that meant most guests saw Slapfish as a once-in-a-while destination. So, in 2022, Anfinson partnered with TCE to figure out how to make Slapfish the everyday favorite it was always meant to be.
The challenge.
Seafood has a lot of stigma. Some associate it with being expensive, perhaps only meant for a special night out, while others deem it too “healthy” to actually taste good – cue the steamed salmon. On top of that, options like chicken, beef, and pork have long been the most common proteins of the American diet. So how do we break the barriers around seafood to make it more familiar, particularly in the fast-casual segment?
The insight.
Beyond opting for familiar proteins like chicken and pork, we discovered that most guests are creatures of habits when it comes to the forms they eat regularly – think burgers, tacos, or salads. So, we used this idea of favorite forms as a way to make seafood more approachable. We redesigned the menu to be anchored on favorites like salads, bowls, tacos, and sandwiches, all with the high-quality seafood and bold (yet still common) flavors
Our activities.
The existing Slapfish concepts provided a strong foundation for TCE to build an evolved menu to fit the needs of today’s guests. After analyzing the food offering, operations, brand, and guest experience, TCE created a menu that would retain the identity of the original Slapfish with menu favorites while introducing a new component of customization. This customization allows guests to create different combinations of proteins, forms, and flavors. Maybe Monday you create a vibrant grilled salmon salad with herby green chimichurri; on Thursday, you’re in the mood for a crispy fish sandwich with Greek yogurt ranch; and Saturday it’s the legacy Slapfish Lobster Roll. Slapfish is now a place to dine any day – or even every day. Additionally, we designed a new logo and visual identity to convey the approachability and fun of the new offering
Our results.
A desirable, feasible, and viable evolved restaurant concept serving standout seafood for the everyday. In January 2023, Slapfish rolled out the new concept in the Salt Lake City market, with more evolved concepts expected to launch later in 2023. Within the first 6 weeks, the new stores showed weekly sales increases up to 18%, while lowering COGS (Cost Of Goods Sold).
