Freebirds World Burrito is a Food On Demand Outstanding Operator.
For more than 30 years, the Tex-Mex brand has served monster-sized burritos, salads, and bowls. It has 64 locations in Texas with plans to open five more this year.
“It’s super exciting,” said Thomas Lane, vice president of operations at Freebirds. “We’re going to go into a rapid growth mode within the state of Texas, and potentially beyond that in the near future.”
A significant portion of Freebirds’ sales go out the door, with a mix of about 6.25 percent of total operations off-premises. In 2022, the brand began opening new prototypes, with some locations now having drive-thrus. To keep lines moving, locations also feature mobile pickup stations. It also recently launched kiosks in select restaurants to speed up the ordering process
“They are going to allow us to create a new experience for guests who know what they want. They can order at the kiosks, grab their food, and leave quickly,” said Lane.
Freebirds partners with third-party marketplaces including DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub. When asked about best practices, all comes down to communication, said Kimberly Carducci, director of catering.
“Communication is key, especially when working with the larger corporations, just making sure that everybody is aligned on how our menu works, what the best ordering experience is for the guests on their end, making sure menus are always up to date and ready to go,” she said.
Betting big on catering
Catering is huge at Freebirds and continues to grow. It’s now available at all 64 locations. The brand leverages ezCater’s marketplace as well as a partnership with Dlivrd for fulfillment.
With Dlivrd’s tech stack, operators can manage delivery drivers and track performance.
“We have a Slack channel set up for direct communication with the dispatch team if anything requires immediate attention. For example, this morning, we had a catering delivery change, and since it was for today, I highlighted it right away with a quick Slack message. Within five minutes, someone responded that they were working on it,” Carducci explained.
“Dlivrd really offers a best-in-class experience with every delivery it handles for us. Its drivers truly care not only about the job they’re doing but also about the brand they’re doing it for, which is amazing. This allows us to keep our store managers focused on their teams, supporting guests, handling issues, and ensuring high levels of execution inside the store,” she said.
Freebirds takes customer feedback seriously—every ranking and review is an opportunity to turn their burrito game up to 11.
“By leveraging ezCater, we’re seeing what guests are saying, and we’re using the rankings to improve. Our objective is to get as many five-star ratings as possible,” said Lane.
Menu innovation
Freebirds looks to innovate its menu with new flavor experiences. Lane shared that in its South Houston market, it launched its first Korean barbecue taco and burrito builds. And it is testing a tikka masala build in the Dallas market in May.
“We’re always looking to give guests more than just that traditional burrito experience,” said Lane.
To further boost creativity, Freebirds is tapping social media to engage customers. This includes hosting a contest where participants can add up to three ingredients to a Freebirds build and create their own unique version. The winner will have the creation featured on social media and possibly added to the menu.
Community engagement
Freebirds doesn’t just serve burritos— it serves the community.
Kimberly highlighted Freebirds’ community engagement, such as its effort to support local causes, such as Teacher Appreciation Week, Nurse Appreciation Week, and Veterans Day.
“We partner with local schools and hospitals to offer free meals to nurses and teachers during these special weeks,” Carducci said.
The Outstanding Operators Program highlights 20 innovative brands taking creative paths to success with all things off-premises. Each winner receives a $1,000 charitable donation to its organization of choice and will be recognized on-stage at the 2025 Food On Demand Conference. Register today!
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