DYNE Hospitality Group Closes Operational Gaps and Gains Real-Time Visibility

DYNE Hospitality Group, the largest franchisee in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe system, operates 120 locations across eight states. Following a period of rapid scaling, the enterprise faced a widening operational variance between its top- and bottom- performing cafes. By implementing Crunchtime Ops Execution, DYNE successfully digitized its manual workflows, closed consistency gaps in cleanliness and food safety, and returned valuable administrative hours to its field teams.

Gong cha Uses Crunchtime Ops Execution to Improve Task Completion, Guest Return Visits, and Brand Standards

Gong cha increased brand standards compliance and improved above-store oversight across its 400+ stores in North America with Ops Execution. The increased visibility and access to real-time data empowers leadership to make more informed decisions and will help scale its store and field operations teams as it adds 300+ U.S. locations in the next two years.

CHALLENGE

Widening Operational Variance and Lack of Above-Cafe Visibility

Following rapid scaling, DYNE Hospitality Group saw a widening performance gap between its top- and bottom-tier locations, with cleanliness, food safety, and restaurant execution varying by region. Above-cafe leadership lacked the day-to-day visibility required to monitor field performance, exposing three primary corporate blind spots: inadequate oversight, rigid reporting, and an inability to modify checklists internally.

To protect brand integrity and mitigate brand drift, the enterprise required a centralized digital platform to keep daily operations securely on track.

“We were looking for a solution that would help us close those gaps in operational execution,” says Tom Torpey, Senior Director of Operations at DYNE Hospitality Group. “After exploring a few different companies, we felt that Crunchtime Ops Execution aligned with our core values as a company.”

DYNE implemented Crunchtime Ops Execution to establish operational structure and align with its core corporate values: invest in people, make smart decisions, understand why, and make it happen.

The user-friendly, tech-forward solution made mobile adoption seamless for the organization’s predominantly younger workforce (ages 16–22), who work directly on tablets and smartphones.

Key capabilities that transformed DYNE’s daily workflows include:

Automated Reporting: Delivers clear completion data broken down by cafe, district, and region to benchmark performance against company averages.
Live Photo Galleries: Allows district managers and directors to remotely audit and verify exterior visual standards, drive-thru lane cleanliness, and patio setups without being physically present.
Real-Time Threshold Triggers: Automatically alerts the facilities manager if equipment temperatures exceed safe parameters, triggering immediate troubleshooting and preventing costly service calls.
Compliance Alerts: Instantly notifies the support office if a field audit reveals an expired food or health permit, enabling proactive risk management before inspectors arrive.
Agile Customization: Empowers corporate leaders to update checklists or add critical cleaning tasks at a moment’s notice, giving store-level employees a voice and increasing operational engagement.

The DYNE team also uses Crunchtime Ops Execution in multiple departments across the organization. Tom shared, “Our use of Crunchtime Ops Execution has expanded beyond operations into marketing, training, and facilities, improving cross-functional collaboration.”

RESULTS

Significant improvements in operational consistency, compliance, and decision-making

Within just the first year of rolling out Ops Execution, Gong cha improved operational performance in several key areas:

• 49% more daily tasks completed, demonstrating consistent execution of operational priorities and enhanced team accountability

• 20% better compliance with brand standards, ensuring a more uniform and high-quality experience across all locations

• 25% increase in guest return rates, reflecting stronger customer loyalty and consistent positive experiences across locations

• 20% increase in guest satisfaction, measured by Net Promoter Score (NPS), highlighting the impact of operational excellence on customer experiences

The data-driven insights provided by Ops Execution also empowered district managers to address operational weaknesses effectively. One franchisee—initially among the lowest performers—transformed into a top-three operator within only 90 days by following a customized action plan based on the insights from Ops Execution reports. This success illustrates the platform’s ability to drive meaningful and lasting improvements.

“Crunchtime Ops Execution was the right choice for us because it’s very easy to use, makes sense, and helps us standardize operations as we scale,” said Kahn. Gong cha’s commitment to operational excellence and brand integrity ensures that it will remain a leader in the competitive premium tea market.

RESULTS

Significant improvements in operational consistency, compliance, and decision-making

Within just the first year of rolling out Ops Execution, Gong cha improved operational performance in several key areas

49%

more daily tasks completed

demonstrating consistent execution of operational priorities and enhanced team accountability

20%

better compliance with brand standards

ensuring a more uniform and high-quality experience across all locations

25%

increase in guest return rates

reflecting stronger customer loyalty and consistent positive experiences across locations

20%

increase in guest satisfaction

measured by Net Promoter Score (NPS), highlighting the impact of operational excellence on customer experiences

RESULTS

Enhanced Brand Consistency and Proactive Leadership

Transitioning to a digital-first framework immediately tightened operational consistency across the entire company. Within four months of rollout, DYNE surpassed its initial 80% adoption benchmark and now maintains a stellar completion rate across daily and weekly reporting.

Time-Saving Operational Wins

The platform has returned immense amounts of time to restaurant staff by completely removing manual administrative hurdles. Store teams can save drafts and update task logs throughout a shift, allowing them to stay focused on execution and guest experience. Critical data is now available to above-cafe leadership in real time.

“We probably save 20 to 30 minutes on each checklist. It has given time back to our team,” Tom noted. “A lot of tasks that used to take us days or maybe weeks to gather information... It’s pretty much at our fingertips now.” Proactive Training and Strong Partnerships DYNE utilizes field execution data to guide manager training and reinforce consistency in lower-performing stores. This data-driven approach has allowed the franchisee to streamline its day-to-day management across all cafes. “Crunchtime Ops Execution has helped us improve our completion rates, identify issues faster, and scale our operations more effectively at DYNE Hospitality Group,” Tom emphasized. By leveraging Crunchtime to narrow operational variance across its 120 locations, DYNE Hospitality Group has established a more stable framework to protect brand integrity, grow its footprint, and elevate the guest experience.

“Crunchtime Ops Execution has helped us improve our completion rates, identify issues faster, and scale our operations more effectively at DYNE Hospitality Group.”

Tom Torpey
Senior Director of Operations
DYNE Hospitality Group

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