Rachel Cope – Empire Slice House (84 Hospitality Group)

Founder & CEO

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

How do you plan to improve business operations and profitability in 2026?

2025 was about optimizing processes across the business and rebuilding year-over-year revenue. Technology is a big theme for 84 Hospitality in 2026. This year, we’re doubling down on our tech stack and tightening operations while growing brand power.

For example, rolling out MarginEdge has been huge for us. We finally have near-real-time visibility into what we sold, what we bought and the gaps in between. That’s helped us control COGS, reduce manual errors in invoice entry and spot issues that directly affect our bottom line.

On the sales and marketing front, we’re getting more strategic. We’ve expanded our loyalty program through Toast, strengthened email marketing, and are establishing a smarter rhythm around LTOs — longer runs, earlier planning and better alignment with seasonal trends. Instead of monthly specials that end before they gain traction, we’re planning longer seasonal runs with stronger storytelling. Our Tommy Pickles special was a great example of this. By tying it to the Oklahoma State Fair and running it for three months with local partners, it performed twice as well as our typical specials. That’s the approach we’re adopting through 2026.

We’re also leaning into underused revenue channels, including third-party promos and catering platforms like EZ Cater, which create meaningful incremental sales in a challenging environment.

And finally, we’re paying attention to the small levers, like beverages, that operators often overlook. Switching some stores from cans to fountain drinks and consolidating under Pepsi for better margins and marketing support, has provided unexpected stability. We’re also emphasizing menu items with strong margins, like salads and desserts. While the primary focus will always be our pizzas, getting a garlic knot order out of every eight tables across eight locations adds up.

How do you plan to support your employees’ growth and encourage retention in the new year (2026)?

Retention starts with people feeling supported, respected and able to grow. This year, we’re increasing our emphasis on leadership depth throughout our business. In addition to training GMs, our senior leadership team is also spending more time with managers at every level to ensure they understand the entire operation, front and back. This year, every manager is becoming a kitchen expert.

We’re also using tech to reduce managers’ administrative load and identify problems early, especially around staffing. If you’re overstaffed, tips get diluted. That’s an easy way to lose good people.

We’re also continuing annual reviews at every store. Creating opportunities for our team to ask questions like “What do you want to learn next?” has been incredibly powerful. Not everyone wants to become a GM, but everyone deserves a clear path. Based on that input, we’re creating more opportunities for cross-training, community involvement and growth across our 300+ person team this year.

And, as always, culture matters. 84 Hospitality has to remain an inclusive place where people feel comfortable being themselves. When your team genuinely likes where they work and who they work with, retention follows naturally.

What’s one skill or area of knowledge you’d like to improve as a business owner in 2026?

Two areas I’m committed to upleveling this year are marketing and accounting.

Marketing changes constantly, and as the CEO, it’s my job to understand the tools, trends and technologies that actually move the needle. A big part of my role is to create initiatives that generate impact and then evaluate the results. We’ve already increased our use of email marketing, loyalty programs and AI-driven tools, so 2026 will be a crucial year for understanding what’s working and why.

On the accounting side, revenue doesn’t matter if you don’t understand where the money is going. Getting deeper into the numbers this past year has made me a better operator, and I want to keep building that muscle. Understanding the full financial picture will enable me better to lead the company through this next phase of growth.

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