Zigy was born out of the simple yet often overlooked truth that a business’s success lives or dies at the frontline. While executives may set the strategy, it’s the employees at the counter, on the floor, or behind the wheel who determine whether customers return, sales grow, and brands thrive.
Founded by seasoned franchise owner Matt Forbush, Zigy began as a practical solution to a personal challenge. “I was running multiple quick-service restaurants, and the data I needed to manage profitably never reached the people actually serving our guests, ”Forbush recalls. “We had endless reports for the leadership team, but no simple way to translate those numbers into clear, daily actions for the team.”
What started as a straightforward incentive program, rewarding employees for hitting sales goals, quickly revealed something bigger. When frontline employees understood exactly what success looked like in real time, they didn’t just meet expectations; they exceeded them. Sales increased, labor costs dropped, and retention improved.
Recognizing the potential, Forbush began building Zigy into a business intelligence company designed to bridge the gap between top-level strategy and on-the-ground execution.
Zigy integrates with existing systems to deliver live, actionable insights directly to the people who can act on them. Forecasting, scheduling, and task management are all centralized, but the technology is built for the people not the paperwork. Managers gain clarity to lead effectively, and employees gain the tools and motivation to perform like owners.
Matt describes Zigy’s mission as “turning business intelligence into human intelligence.” He explains, “Our goal isn’t to make people work harder; it’s to give them the visibility and confidence to succeed without guessing. When your team feels in control of their results, you create a culture where winning is normal.”
The platform’s impact has been immediate for early adopters in the quick-service restaurant and hospitality industries. Multi-unit operators have reported measurable profit gains, significant reductions in labor waste, and perhaps most telling, lower turnover among hourly staff. “People stay when they feel they’re winning,” says Forbush. “Zigy helps them win every shift.”
Beyond metrics, Zigy represents a shift in how frontline work is valued. Traditional management often treats hourly employees as interchangeable, but Zigy flips that narrative. The company’s philosophy is that the frontline isn’t just an expense to manage but the most critical driver of growth.
“Your frontline is your bottom line,” Forbush often says. “If you invest in their success, you’re investing directly in your own.”
From its origins in one operator’s frustration to its role as a trusted partner for multi-location brands, Zigy’s history is a story of transformation. It’s not just a tool for improving operations; it’s a vehicle for unlocking the full potential of the people who define them.
In an industry where margins are thin and turnover is high, Zigy offers more than efficiency and opportunity for managers to lead with confidence, for employees to achieve more than they thought possible, and for brands to build customer loyalty that lasts.
Zigy’s story began with the simple truth that a business’s success is determined at the frontline where customer interactions shape overall profitability. The company’s purpose is not to fix broken processes, but to open the door to a better way of operating where every person knows how to succeed, and every shift is a win for the team members who make it happen and the bottom line.
