LONG-FORM
Award Submission + Announcement
P.F. Chang’s
Globee® World Awards
Nomination Letter for CEO
On behalf of P.F. Chang's, with great enthusiasm, we nominate our CEO, Damola Ademolekun, for consideration in the CEO of the Year category of the Globee® Business Awards.
Damola took the helm at P.F. Chang's during a pivotal moment in the company's nearly 30-year history. In 2020, recently acquired by new ownership and facing the beginning of what would soon become a global pandemic, Damola approached this moment as an opportunity for P.F. Chang's to reinvent itself. Until then, the brand had relied heavily on dine-in discounting and short-term campaigns for year-over-year growth. Damola saw potential in redirecting the company toward off-premise dining, elevating the overall experience, and eliminating discounts without sacrificing profitability – goals he would bring to the forefront of the company's core strategy for the next two years.
To begin with, Damola streamlined the company's focus into six strategic areas: eliminating discounts, updating restaurant technology, revising menu selection, expanding to-go operations, migrating online ordering platforms, and remodeling the look of the restaurants. Anything falling outside these areas was descoped, allowing P.F. Chang's employees to truly unite and focus only on those six key areas to grow the business.
Like most organizations, the events surrounding COVID-19 threw P.F. Chang's for a loop. With indoor dining shut down, the demand for off-premise options, like takeout and delivery, exploded. Fortunately, P.F. Chang's was already uniquely poised to meet these demands thanks to Damola's quick pivot toward a greater focus on off-premise dining and the creation of P.F. Chang's To Go. Centered entirely around delivery, takeout, and curbside pickup, this new concept was already well underway by mid-2020. With limited indoor seating, a refined menu selection, and streamlined counter service, the To Go concept allowed P.F. Chang's to enter new markets where a full-size restaurant would otherwise not be feasible. As of now, nine P.F. Chang's To Go locations have successfully opened across four states, with 22 additional locations in the immediate pipeline.
To elevate P.F. Chang's bistro locations, Damola planned a total overhaul of the look, feel, atmosphere, hospitality model, and menu offering – a "Brand Refresh." The unifying idea behind this refresh was to provide guests with an impactful, celebratory atmosphere for the eventual return to indoor dining. Damola identified 80 key locations to begin updating between 2020 and 2021, focusing on restaurants in major metropolitan areas with immediate potential for large-scale customer growth. With 77 of those 80 Brand Refreshes completed, P.F. Chang's has already seen a +10.5% return on sales and a +12.2% increase in dine-in traffic despite the setbacks presented by a global pandemic.
Beyond the restaurant walls, Damola also showed a great interest in investing in the team members responsible for producing these exceptional results. Restaurants received more elevated uniforms, updated training materials, and new system technology. Culinary teams refined the menu selection, allowing for a greater focus on consistency and quality. Corporate team members carried out a total revamp of internal technology, processes, and marketing strategy.
Through it all, Damola has remained a passionate, thoughtful leader to thousands of P.F. Chang's team members. His holistic and ambitious approach elevated the company in ways not previously thought possible, especially during such a trying time economically. P.F. Chang's is grateful for his commitment to the brand and hopeful for all the success yet to come.
… and we won! Here’s the announcement email:
LONG-FORM
CEO a
P.F. Chang’s
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Menu Storytelling
P.F. Chang’s
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Exhibit Descriptions
OdySea Aquarium
AQUA LOBBY
WEB: Look up! Your adventure begins in our Aqua Lobby, where nine massive globe-shaped aquariums, each weighing 1,000 pounds, sparkle overhead. Suspended from the ceiling, each one of the “raindrops” houses a bright and beautiful array of schooling fish, flitting about just out of reach. An engineering marvel and the first of its kind, this exhibit will surely leave you in awe.
SOCIAL: Look up! Your adventure begins in our Aqua Lobby, where nine massive globe-shaped aquariums, each weighing 1,000 pounds, sparkle overhead. An engineering marvel and the first of its kind, this exhibit will surely leave you in awe.
Photo by Dave Seibert
SHARK WATERS RESTROOMS
WEB: There’s an adventure around every corner here at OdySea Aquarium, and the bathrooms are no exception. Where else can you look a shark right in the eye while you wash your hands? Our lobby facilities feature viewing windows looking right into Shark Waters! Come face to snout with some of the world's most graceful and fascinating sharks before your OdySea Aquarium journey has even begun!
SOCIAL: At OdySea Aquarium, there’s an adventure around every corner, and the bathrooms are no exception. Our lobby facilities feature viewing windows that look right into Shark Waters. You can stare a shark right in the eye while you wash your hands!
Photo by Mackenzie Goodman
RIVERS OF THE WORLD
WEB: Grab your passport because you’re about to travel the world! The first stop on this journey of a drop of water is a trip through the diverse Rivers of the World. You’ll get a glimpse at everything from yellow-bellied freshwater turtles to fierce piranha to the behemoth alligator gar. Enjoy the variety of animals that inhabit the American and Rainforest rivers, as well as interactive displays and demonstrations. Keep an eye out for our Walk Around Animals, which will be traveling through the Aquarium with our OdySea Animal Care Specialists!
SOCIAL: Grab your passport because you’re about to travel around the world! Get a glimpse at everything from the fierce piranha to the behemoth alligator gar on this immersive and interactive river walk.
Photo by Mackenzie Goodman
OTTER BANKS
WEB: Prepare to fall in love with our charismatic Asian small-clawed otters. Extremely social with a vocabulary of over a dozen calls, there will never be a shortage of excited chatter at the Otter Banks. Watch as they wrestle, play, and demonstrate lively underwater acrobatics. Keep an eye out for siblings Gizmo, Peanut, and Pepper, who will occasionally be seen walking throughout the property with our Animal Care Specialists.
SOCIAL: Prepare to fall in love with our charismatic Asian small-clawed otters. Extremely social with a vocabulary of over a dozen calls, there will never be a shortage of excited chatter at the Otter Banks.
Photo by Mackenzie Goodman
TIDE TOUCH POOL
WEB: What does a sea cucumber feel like? How many arms can a sea star have? What in the world is a gumboot chiton? At OdySea Aquarium, you have the opportunity to discover the unknown all around you. Our Tide Touch Pool is a thrilling and interactive way to examine marine life up close. At 37 feet long and holding over 2,000 gallons of water, this may be the largest aquarium touch pool you’ve ever encountered!
SOCIAL: Our Tide Touch Pool is a thrilling and interactive way to examine marine life up close. At 37 feet long and holding over 2,000 gallons of water, it just may be the largest aquarium touch pool you’ve ever encountered!
Photo by Mackenzie Goodman
PENGUIN POINT
WEB: Come meet Pip, Polly, and the whole OdySea penguin family! Known for their charismatic personalities and donkey-like bray, our African black-footed penguins join us from SANCCOBB, a non-profit organization whose mission is to reverse the decline of seabird populations through rescue, rehabilitation, and release of ill, abandoned, and oiled seabirds. We’re proud to be given this opportunity to provide a safe, stimulating, and loving environment to these incredibly important and threatened birds.
SOCIAL: Come meet Pip, Polly, and the whole OdySea penguin family! Known for their charismatic personalities and donkey-like bray, our African black-footed penguins join us from SANCCOBB, a non-profit organization whose primary objective is to reverse the decline of seabird populations.
Photo by Mackenzie Goodman
BIZARRE & BEAUTIFUL
WEB: What harmless-looking fish is actually the most poisonous in the world? Which creature can regenerate its internal organs? What animal has the know-how to unscrew the lid from a jar? Come marvel at some of nature’s most unusual creations in the Bizarre & Beautiful gallery, where you’ll learn the answers to these questions and many more. You’ll be an ocean trivia whiz in no time!
SOCIAL: Come marvel at some of nature’s most unusual creations in the Bizarre & Beautiful Gallery.
Photo by Mackenzie Goodman
BEHIND THE SCENES
WEB: Have you ever wondered how we make ocean-quality salt water right here in the middle of the desert? Are you curious about the diet of an alligator gar? Do you know a budding biologist who would do anything to get a sneak peek behind the scenes? Now’s your chance to tour the building with our Animal Care Specialists to see firsthand what goes into keeping 23,000+ animals thriving.
SOCIAL: Do you know a budding biologist who would do anything to peek behind the scenes at OdySea Aquarium? Now’s your chance to tour the building with our Animal Care Specialists to see firsthand what goes into keeping 23,000+ animals thriving.
Photo by Mackenzie Goodman
PENGUIN INTERACTION PROGRAM
WEB: For those who can’t get enough of our African black-footed penguins, we invite you to an exclusive, up-close, and personal Penguin Interaction Program. Step into the shoes—or, more accurately, the galoshes—of an OdySea Aquarium Team Member to learn specifics on penguin behavior, eating habits, and what loving and devoted parents they are. You might make a new waddling best friend!
SOCIAL: Step into the shoes — or, more accurately, the galoshes — of an OdySea Aquarium Team Member to learn specifics on penguin behavior, eating habits, and what loving and devoted parents they are. You might make a new waddling best friend!
Photo by Mackenzie Goodman