HH_021419

16 | February 14, 2019 | The Homer Horizon dining out
homerhorizon.com
The Dish
Pop’s embraces healthy trend with new antibiotic-free chicken
Max Lapthorne
Contributing Editor
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When Pop’s Italian Beef
& Sausage founder Frank
Radochonski makes decisions
about the restaurant
chain, he does his best to
think like a customer.
Radochonski has spent
the last 39 years using that
decision-making technique
to establish Pop’s as an organization
that puts the
customer first. Pop’s now
has 14 locations, including
two in Orland Park, one in
Tinley Park, one in Mokena
and one in Lockport. Radochonski
owns and operates
the Palos Heights restaurant,
which was the initial location.
“What we strive most is
for customer service,” Radochonski
said.
Radochonski recently
put himself in his customers’
shoes when he was introduced
to “no antibiotics
ever” chicken by one of his
suppliers and had to decide
whether or not to use the
product at Pop’s. He tested
it with some of his best customers
at the Palos Heights
location, and their reaction
told him everything he needed
to know.
“They said, ‘We don’t care
what it costs, this is the best
chicken we’ve ever had,’”
Radochonski said.
The Palos Heights location
began offering the new
“no antibiotics ever” chicken
several months ago, and
it is now available at all 14
restaurants. It can be ordered
on a sandwich, wrap,
pita or salad. The idea of
offering a healthier option
to customers seemed like a
natural progression for Radochonski,
given that people
are increasingly looking for
healthy alternatives.
“My thought was, we either
stay ahead of the game
or we’re the follower,” he
said. “This is the way everything
is going. So, when
they came with this chicken,
to me, it was a no-brainer.”
The new chicken is more
expensive than the grilled
chicken Pop’s used to use, so
the price of the grilled chicken
products increased by 50-
70 cents. But the feedback
Radochonski has received
about it so far has been almost
universally positive.
“This wasn’t, ‘Hey, we
just raised our prices,’” he
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Pop’s Italian Beef &
Sausage
• 7153 W. 127th St. in
Palos Heights
• 14279 S. Wolf Road in
Orland Park
• 9400 W. 159th St. in
Orland Park
• 7301 W. 183rd St. in
Tinley Park
• 16600 W. 159th St. in
Lockport
• 11336 Lincoln
Highway in Mokena
For more information …
www.popsbeef.com
Frank Radochonski, Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage founder,
stands next to a sign announcing the franchise’s new “no
antibiotics ever” chicken. Max Lapthorne/22nd Century
Media
“My thought was, we either
stay ahead of the game, or we’re
the follower. This is the way
everything is going. So, when they
came with this chicken, to me, it
was a no-brainer.”
Frank Radochonski — Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage
founder, on the addition of “no antibiotics
ever” chicken
said. “I think, right now, that
people are willing to pay
for the higher-quality sandwich.”
The chicken is not just
popular among the customers,
as the wives of several
Pop’s franchise owners have
inquired about purchasing
some of the chicken for use
at home, Radochonski said.
“It [is] delicious, and
we’re lucky to have it on the
menu,” he said.
While “no antibiotics
ever” currently applies
only to the grilled chicken
at Pop’s, Radochonski has
explored expanding it to include
the breaded chicken,
as well. These changes are
part of a larger philosophy
when it comes to the menu
at Pop’s.
“We’re not looking to
grow the menu, really, but
we are looking to improve it
with the existing items,” Radochonski
said.
Another change coming
to Pop’s is a new partnership
with DoorDash, which
is to allow customers to have
food delivered via the Door-
Dash mobile app. It is to be
available at all 14 locations
by early March, Radochonski
said. He initially was reluctant
to implement the new
service, because the delivery
drivers are employed by
DoorDash, not Pop’s, which
could hinder the restaurant’s
ability to get feedback from
customers. But he is confident
that will not be an issue
because of the strong customer
base Pop’s has built.
“I’d hate for the customer
to not be satisfied and not be
able to reach out to us,” Radochonski
said. “But, being
around so long, I think I’ll
get the response no matter
what. They’re going to come
in and say, ‘Hey, I ordered
DoorDash,’ [and] we’ll have
some positive and probably
some negative reactions.”
Radochonski undoubtedly
will continue looking
for ways to advance Pop’s
while keeping the focus on
the customer, but for now he
can enjoy the success of his
latest improvement.
“It’s been phenomenal,”
he said of the customers’ reception
of the new chicken.
“It’s been absolutely unbelievable.”