About Joe Schneider’s Chicken Express
Joe Schneider, a local Chicken Express franchisee group in the Texas market, has carved out a reputation for delivering the brand’s signature crispy chicken, famous sweet tea, and unbeatable southern hospitality. With a bustling drive-thru crowd averaging over 450 daily transactions, Joe’s franchise success depends on streamlined operations and consistent service quality.
Yet, like many restaurant operators, Joe, Owner-Operator of two Chicken Express locations, faced challenges in balancing high-volume service with operational simplicity – a balance that called for a fresh approach to technology and support.
The Opportunity: Simplify to Grow
Joe’s journey began with the familiar frustrations many restaurateurs know all too well – manual inventory tracking, paper logs, and systems that demanded constant oversight. Many operators in the community stick with what they know — systems they’re comfortable with and processes they’ve used for years — even as new solutions can make everyday tasks dramatically easier. However, Joe and his team understood that such comfort can have major impacts on growth and add unnecessary stress to
daily operations.
Joe, on the other hand, saw an opportunity to break that cycle in a supportive way: keep the hometown feel, but modernize behind the counter. By embracing flexible technology and a trusted partner, he’s freed up his team to spend less time fighting equipment downtime and more time ‘serving up the meals guests have come to love.’
Locations: 2
Franchise Concept: Chicken Express
Region: Central Texas
Key Leader: Joseph Schneider, Owner-Operator
The Solution:
- PAR POS (POS Software and hardware)
- PAR Pay (Integrated Payments)
- 24×7 Hospitality (Strategic Support Partner)
Key Takeaways:
- 99.9% POS uptime – virtually no unplanned downtime
- Improved order accuracy through smart confgurations
- No chargebacks since switching to PAR Pay
- Seamless integration with 24×7 Hospitality keeps operations running smoothly and evolving
The Solution: A Trusted Tech Stack and Partnership
To help achieve this vision, Joe turned to PAR Technology, a trusted partner known for its reliable and flexible solutions tailored to the restaurant industry. Today, his locations leveraged PAR’s secure POS
and hardware to run day-to-day operations – from taking drive-thru orders to managing reporting and compliance. Payments are natively integrated with PAR POS through PAR Pay as well, making the checkout experience faster and easier. Backed by 24×7 Hospitality’s expert support, Joe’s team has a trusted partner ready to assist with configuration, troubleshooting, and planning whenever needed.
“PAR POS can do anything you want it to do. You just have to learn how — and when you do, it saves you so much time and hassle.”
Joe Schneider,
Chicken Express Franchisee
How Joe Benefits from PAR + 24x7
Rock-Solid Stability
Reliability is a non-negotiable for Joe, especially given the fast-paced demands of the fast-casual restaurant industry. Joe describes his POS as “99.9% stable.” When rare hiccups do occur, they are almost always linked to local internet issues or hardware malfunctions, not the software itself. This reliability has eliminated frustrating moments like rebooting registers during a dinner rush, allowing the team to focus on what matters most: delivering great food and service without interruption.
"When there’s an issue, it’s almost shocking. That’s how reliable it is.”
Drive-Thru Speed and Order Accuracy
Speed and reliability in the drive-thru are just as critical. On a typical day, each of Joe’s Chicken Express locations handle more than 450 transactions — many through the drive-thru. The franchise group uses customized POS screens with color coding to help crew members spot special items, reduce missed add ons, and boost order accuracy. Plans are underway to add drive-thru order confirmation screens, a move Joe believes will further streamline the customer experience
"It’s the little things — color coding, clear prompts — that help our crew catch errors before they happen.”
Reporting That Drives Better Decisions
Beyond order-taking, the PAR system provides detailed reporting that empowers Joe and his managers to make informed decisions. Gone are the days of sifting through spreadsheets and manual counts. Now, Joe and his team can monitor detailed product mix reports, uses keystroke logs to audit suspicious voids or
discounts, and tracks everything from daily sales to employee clock-ins. This has helped lower food waste and keep food costs consistently closer to target.
"Before, you had to dig for numbers. Now, I get a clear picture at a glance. It holds everyone accountable — including me.”
Kitchen Summary KDS Station
Joe plans to introduce a‘Kitchen Summary’ KDS station in his stores after observing its success at other Chicken Express locations. This station will provide real-time counts of key menu items such as Chicken Pieces, Chicken Tenders (Regular and Spicy), Fries, Corn Nuggets, and more. This addition aims to enhance food quality and service speed, particularly during peak times, while also reducing waste.
Seamless Payments with PAR Pay
Bringing payments under one roof with PAR Pay has also been a big win for the franchise group. With PAR Pay integrated with PAR POS, the brand has removed unnecessary third-party fees, simplified reporting, and ensured the right hand always knows what the left hand is doing. Joe emphasizes that since the switch, chargebacks have dropped to zero, a huge relief in an industry where payment disputes can be time-consuming and costly.
"Our old payment processor just wasn’t a good fit. Now, it’s all together — one system, no finger pointing, and no surprises.”
24×7 Hospitality: A Partner, Not Just Support
For Joe, 24×7 is more than a support line — they’re a sounding board and problem solver. From troubleshooting menu configurations to helping design a “chicken count” screen that optimizes kitchen efficiency, 24×7’s real world restaurant experience keeps Joe’s franchise ahead.
Weekly calls and proactive check-ins ensure issues are spotted early, and solutions are practical — not just theoretical.
"They don’t just fix problems. They help me think through what else we could do better — and how to make it happen.”
Making Technology Work for People
Joe’s approach proves that modern tech doesn’t have to mean losing a personal touch. Joe’s stores still feel like the neighborhood Chicken Express — but the tech behind the scenes means employees train faster, waste less food, and spend less time troubleshooting.
Training new team members takes less than an hour to become system experts. Menu changes are seamless across all locations. And reports are accessible anytime — even for Joe’s mom, who helps handle payroll and accounting.