Avo originated as an Instagram experiment to gauge interest in an avocado-focused restaurant. Since pioneering the world’s first avocado bar, Avo has kept a close eye on guest trends and feedback, inspiring its evolution into an every-week, bowl-centric concept.

Avo’s founder, Alessandro “Ale” Biggi, knows that high average unit volumes (AUVs) are crucial for thriving in New York’s competitive market. Since opening its first Brooklyn location in 2017, ongoing experimentation has been as much a part of Avo’s DNA as fresh avocados. Ale’s team constantly tests marketing opportunities, menu items, or operational tweaks to unlock growth and increase guest loyalty. 

Through constant experimentation and careful measurement with Bikky, Avo evaluates the impact of any change they implement on guest behavior and overall AUVs. While they’ve established a playbook for success and grown to 5 locations, Avo is always looking for levers that will unlock additional revenue.

Avo first launched an experimental Instagram page, amassing thousands of followers, before opening its doors in 2017. While they had an initial signal from social media that the brand would resonate, Ale knew that it wouldn’t be easy to mitigate New York’s high operational costs.

They’ve since become a staple in NYC’s fast-casual space. Through consistent experimentation, Ale’s team has established a data-driven playbook for success, from strategically selecting real estate near competitors to calculating how much they should spend to acquire a weekly guest. They have looked to Bikky’s data to build a repeatable strategy for scaling AUVs beyond $2 million.

In addition to Bikky’s guest data, the Avo team stays current on market trends and runs regular guest surveys, constantly looking for opportunities to evolve their playbook. They leverage their smaller size, relative to their competition, to run chain-wide experiments with a low lift

In recent years, they’ve successfully experimented with offering larger bowls and increasing the amount of protein they add to each bowl, winning the title of “Biggest Bowl in the Big Apple.” They saw the demand for larger serving sizes and tested whether guests would opt for a larger protein scoop when offered at no additional cost, finding that 70% of customers chose the larger scoop.

Most recently, Avo experimented with brunch buns to grow weekend and breakfast sales. The idea was sparked by data they collected from guests: many customers strongly associated avocados, and their brand, with brunch. Ale seized the opportunity to craft the new menu item with his team.

When launching brunch buns, Avo relied on Bikky to understand their success. They hoped the buns would drive additional weekend and breakfast sales, providing another lever to increase AUVs. They monitored PMIX, guest retention, and frequency data to track performance.

Avo's nimble team ran tests efficiently, using Bikky’s insights to confirm if new items achieved their goals. When reviewing the data, Avo focused on the retention rate for the buns, a more precise market of long-term success than just looking at the PMIX. They saw the average return rate was only 15%, below the 22% average for every other entree.

Although the brunch buns taste great, Bikky’s data revealed that they didn’t have the desired impact on guests. “If you offer too many things, you can confuse guests. It was unclear if we’re a brunch place, a bowl place, or a sandwich spot. We know who we are and didn’t want to dilute our brand, so we removed the category,” said Ale. With Bikky, Avo could clearly see that the bun didn’t bolster its core value proposition, simplifying the decision to remove the menu category.

Avo’s data-driven approach and dedication to its brand identity allow them to continually try new things without losing sight of who they are. By evaluating the bun's success through guest retention and frequency, they saw that the item wasn’t having the desired impact. Without Bikky, the Avo team might have continued with the brunch buns, potentially investing more time and resources into a menu item that didn’t fit their brand. Instead, they quickly shifted focus, ready for the next experiment aimed at growing AUVs.

Whether testing promotions to acquire weekly guests, launching larger protein portions, or trying out a brunch offering, each experiment provides critical insights that help Avo evolve.

In an ever-evolving market like NYC, Avo’s sharp focus on increasing AUVs and willingness to experiment will continue to set them apart. Customer data will remain fundamental to their strategy as they refine their marketing campaigns, evolve their menu, and grow to new locations.