Kingribs

Challenge

Before moving to S4D, Kingribs was living the reality many growing QSR chains face today: trying to scale on technology that just wasn’t built for it.

1. Partners on paper, not in reality.

Kingribs’ journey with technology had a few turns. They moved from their initial provider in hopes of finding a system that could better support multi-unit operations and keep pace with their growth plans. The switch, however, didn’t go as expected.

It was chaos,” Alladin recalled. “Within 48 hours, performance just fell off a cliff. I was doing it all alone, no dedicated team, no structured onboarding. I just knew it was never going to work out, so we stopped after two days.

The experience made it clear Kingribs needed more than a tech supplier — they needed a partner with a battle-tested onboarding process, real support, and a tech stack that could keep pace with the demands of a fast-growing chain, while also meeting Belgium’s legal requirement for Black Box integration.

2. Lack of detailed, comparable data

Kingribs’ biggest operational frustrations were the inability to easily compare store performance. The old system only allowed them to see results for a single store at a time or for the entire network combined.

It was really intense and a lot of manual steps…,” Alladin explained. “If we wanted to know which unit sold the most cheeseburgers in a certain period, or how a special like the Flaming Hot Nacho Burger was performing in each location, we couldn’t easily see it.

While Alladin knew that, for such a detailed data overview, they needed Power BI, their provider couldn’t accommodate that need.

You’d think accessing such data would be easy, but it just wasn’t,” Alladin said. “Their system just wasn’t built for it, no matter how much effort we put in.

This lack of detail and flexibility made it hard to measure campaign success, compare location performance, or tailor strategies to specific markets. And while some of this could be managed manually with 12–13 locations, Alladin knew that thinking and operating like a bigger chain was key if they wanted to grow.

3. Losing direct relationships with a loyal customer base

Kingribs had more than 70% of their orders come from their most loyal, high-value customers, yet the majority of these orders were placed through third-party delivery platforms. This meant not only paying commission on repeat orders, but also losing the ability to fully own the customer relationship, gather meaningful data, and influence repeat purchase behavior.

They’re our customers, they love our brand, but we couldn’t own the relationship

Their previous system offered limited possibilities for incentives for customers to choose Kingribs’ channels over a third party. The so-called “app” was just a mobile web link with no loyalty program and no capability for targeted offers, app-only deals, or personalized touches like birthday rewards.

We know loyalty is important, especially for us because we’re not a discount brand,” Alladin explained. “We don’t do constant ‘buy one get one free’ like pizza chains. But we just couldn’t leverage the loyalty of our customer base in a smart way with what we had.

The Solution

By taking a close look at the market and comparing all vendors during a board meeting, including Kingribs’ most important franchisees, it has become clear that S4D was the right solution for solving Kingribs’ challenges both from a business and a day-to-day operational perspective.

1. From onboarding to strategic partnership

Changing to a new system is never easy, but with a hands-on onboarding and proven processes, the transition was smoother than Kingribs expected. The S4D team worked closely with HQ and store teams, ensuring everything was up and running seamlessly.

Franchisees with lower tech confidence were supported step-by-step, making adoption easier regardless of their starting point. Shania, Kingribs’ Head of Operations, stepped in as the in-house link between stores and S4D, ensuring every question was addressed quickly and effectively.

You don’t have to be super technical,” Shania laughed. “S4D does the heavy lifting; you just check the connections between the hardware and make sure it works.

And the partnership did not stop after roll-out. Weekly check-ins keep communication flowing, and the first official quarterly meeting brought fresh ideas from the S4D team that Kingribs could immediately put into action across its stores.

As Alladin noted, working with S4D not only improves operations today but also shapes the business’s long-term growth strategy.

2. From ‘just an app’ to a true loyalty engine.

Choosing S4D was a decision rooted in the strength of the eCommerce platform. Kingribs saw that to keep their customers, they had to offer a seamless ordering experience paired with loyalty features that actually reward repeat visits. It was an investment they knew would pay off more if made now rather than later.

The results were immediate. Customers praised the new website for its clarity and easy steps, creating a smoother, more enjoyable ordering journey. The app became more than just a mobile presence; it turned into a true loyalty engine and will be the new focus point with exclusive offers, app-first ordering, and the foundation for targeted rewards.

They’re our customers, we should own the relationship,” Alladin said. “Now we have the tools to make it happen, and customers are telling us they love the new website because it’s clearer, easier, and makes ordering a better experience.

3. Becoming a data-driven enterprise.

Kingribs is seeing a positive change on the operational side of things, starting with how the POS looks and works.

In the busier units, it’s just less intense to run a busy shift now,” Shania shared. “Before, there was so much visual noise, you saw every single order, all at once. Now, if an order is done, it disappears from the live orders view. It’s a small detail, but it makes a big difference.

Every store now has its own dashboard, giving managers real-time visibility into orders, sales, and menu performance. Historical trends, product-level insights, and leaderboards make it easy to compare units, spark friendly competition, and share best practices. Instead of operating in isolation, each store can see how others are performing and feel part of a connected, ambitious network.

With the software change, Kingribs has also set its sights on improving delivery data and service. With S4D’s Driver App, Kingribs can track exactly who delivered each order, share live ETAs with customers, and respond faster if something goes wrong.

Building on that foundation, Kingribs is now launching Power BI to dive even deeper into store  and chain performance, uncovering trends, bottlenecks, and opportunities to ensure the entire network runs as effectively as possible.

Next steps

Kingribs is now confidently equipped to execute on its biggest opportunity: moving their most loyal brand fans off third-party platforms and into their own ecosystem.

With the new platform, one of the most exciting moves is the rollout of Mad Fries, a new brand designed to reach a customer segment that Kingribs had been missing. Mad Fries will give them a fresh, more accessible entry point into the Kingribs ecosystem, all powered and managed within the S4D platform.

At the same time, Kingribs is working closely with S4D to fine-tune their Power BI setup, ensuring it delivers the deepest possible insights into store performance, operational bottlenecks, and campaign effectiveness. They’re also preparing to roll out S4D’s inventory management tool, which will give them tighter control over high-margin products like spareribs and allow them to protect profitability across the network.

As Alladin put it: “We’re happy we get to learn from S4D’s system and from the experience of S4D’s larger partners. We can take those learnings into our own processes.”

“We just know we are in good hands with S4D, for now and for the future,” Alladin concluded.