Char’d founder sets strict 15-minute chicken rule

For the CEO, protecting the brand matters more than minimising waste.

Char’d St Clair founder James Estephan enforces a strict 15-minute limit on how long charcoal chicken can remain in the hot bar—even if it means throwing away food that could still be sold.

For Estephan, protecting the brand matters more than minimising waste. “I’d rather have more waste, because waste is cheaper than reputation damage,” he told QSR Media.

Estephan, who is distantly related to Andre Estephan, founder of the Australian charcoal chicken chain El Jannah, said the rule is one of three nonnegotiables that underpin Char’d’s approach to running its restaurants.

The chain also requires chickens to be marinated for 48 hours before cooking, whilst portions and seasoning are carefully measured to maintain consistency.

“We put these strict systems in place to make sure that once we’re busy, it doesn’t really matter, because we’re operating in the right way, so standards won’t change,” Estephan said.

The discipline reflects lessons he learned early in his career. His first job was at McDonald’s Australia Ltd., where he learned the importance of systems and consistency.

He later joined Craveable Brands Pty Ltd. in information technology support before working with the digital and marketing team of Red Rooster, one of the group’s restaurant chains.

One principle from McDonald’s continues to guide his operations today: “Cook less, more often.”

“I learned something from Macca’s that I still hold with me,” Estephan said. “So our guys are always cooking, but we also understand forecasting, when it’s going to be busy.”

Preparation is key. Restaurants aim to complete most of their prep work at least 30 minutes before the dinner rush begins.

Char’d was established in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite his industry experience, Estephan said moving from restaurant staff to owner brought a different level of responsibility.

“I was always the quality manager, or making my way up,” he said. “But this time, I was actually the owner, and I had all the financial and emotional weight.”

Cash flow proved to be the biggest challenge in the company’s early days. Every dollar in revenue had to cover labour, rent, suppliers, and reinvestment whilst the brand tried to build its reputation in Australia’s highly competitive fast-food sector.

“It was also very hard to get customers to trust me, to get them to come to our restaurants instead of their usual go-tos,” Estephan said.

The company focused on one question: how to encourage customers to return.

Estephan said the team prioritised customer service, restaurant ambience, and consistent engagement through digital channels such as social media, email, and SMS campaigns.

As a fast-casual brand, Char’d doesn’t aim to match the speed of traditional fast-food chains that can deliver orders in under three minutes. Instead, the company targets preparation times of about 10 minutes.

“If a customer has to wait 15 minutes for their order, that’s a problem,” Estephan said. “But around 10 minutes, our charcoal chicken is ready to go.”

He said weekly sales have been trending upward, and it has begun expanding its loyalty programme.

For now, Char’d remains fully company-owned, with franchising plans likely to come later as it focuses on building brand recognition.