Raising The Bar: Why We’re More Focused Than Ever on the Bar Franchise Aspect of Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar

If you’ve always thought it would be fun to own a popular hometown hangout, now is the time to start looking into bar franchise opportunities with Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar. We’ve already secured our reputation as a top-quality seafood franchise with a flair for laid-back fun. Now we’re doubling down on our bar franchise reputation (after all, the word “bar” is literally in our name!), making sure people know that Shuckin’ Shack is also a great place to stop by for a cocktail or ice-cold beer with friends and coworkers. Add an impressive, creative seafood menu to the mix, and it’s easy to see why we’re sinking the competition faster than a leaky skiff. Still, we understand that you’re new to a bar franchise, so here’s why we believe so strongly in the ‘bar’ aspect of our oyster bar franchise concept.

The bar is front and center at each Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar franchise location

For starters, one of the first things you see when you step into a Shuckin’ Shack is the bar. It’s right in front where people can grab a drink before sitting down if there’s a wait. In typical seafood restaurants, the bar is tucked away in a corner or separated in another part of the dining floor altogether. It’s great for creating a dim-light, moody atmosphere, but we go in the opposite direction and put the bar front and center. Our concept is fun, fresh, and energetic.

Our menu makes typical bar franchise food look like a bucket o’ chum

The biggest knock against the usual type of sports bars is the terrible quality of the food if you’re lucky enough to have the option. The icehouse down the road will only offer something like overly-salted bar nuts or maybe stale popcorn. Go one step up to a smoky dive, and you might be able to order soggy fries, charred mozzarella sticks with cold marinara, and undercooked chicken wings at best.

But what about your bar? If you open up a Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar franchise, you’ll be serving fresh oysters, spicy shrimp, and surf-n-turf instead, which gives you more than a leg up. It’ll give you the means to offer the local community a different experience than expected, which brings us to our next point.

Maintain a family-friendly atmosphere without sacrificing a full-service bar franchise

Who says a bar has to be an adults-only affair? At Shuckin’ Shack, we’ve designed our bar and grill franchise locations to be family-friendly as well as set up for a high volume of alcohol sales – if you earn it first. With the right atmosphere, your regular guests will perch themselves on bar stools for hours, but it doesn’t stop there!

A significant proportion of your regulars will also come in with their families and friends for dinner, most likely on busy weekends. So, the secret to balancing a bar franchise with a family-friendly vibe is that you want the same guests to return not only to drink but to eat as well. It raises sales and boosts your brand like no other if you do it right.

Higher profitability from bar items than food items

At Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, about 30 percent of our business comes from alcohol sales, which makes us a bar franchise just as much as a seafood franchise. Some franchise locations sell more than others, but that’s the ballpark figure. You’ll still profit most from food, but the bar is a prime sales opportunity you can’t miss, not to mention the far less time-consuming option, since a lot more goes into cooking and serving food than pouring up drinks. Literally, you can’t miss since cocktails and beer essentially sell themselves. Most of us already have a preconceived idea of what we like to drink, so the trick is to pay close attention to what you’re really selling. 

If you’re not selling very much dark beer, you can have your front-of-the-house staff promote it, which is way easier than upselling menu items. Similarly, if you clearly have a whiskey-drinking crowd, don’t miss the chance to expand your selection. You don’t even have to add premium liquors because that’s missing the point. The idea (again) is to provide variety, but how else can you do that?

One trade secret is surprisingly simple: let your bartenders be bartenders and not handcuff their creativity with a strict drink menu. If you’re not selling any top-shelf liquors, have your bartenders make variations of go-to classics like frozen margaritas, hurricanes, and kamikazes. Pour them straight up in a martini glass if you want to go the classy route. Either way, the idea is to sell what never sells itself via specials of the day. If you do it right, you can bump up that 30 percent average to 35-40 percent or more!

Be a part of a thriving local restaurant community — Own a Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar Franchise

Now that we’re all finally getting out again, people are craving a community of restaurants and bars, so when you offer something different, they’ll flock to it like moths like a flame. People want something new nowadays, and success in the restaurant and bar franchise business depends on exceeding expectations with new experiences.

Opening a Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar franchise gives guests a place to get back to gathering together to watch the big game, hang out with friends and family, or have a happy hour with coworkers over a few ice-cold draft beers and specialty cocktails.

If you’d like to learn more about the Shuckin’ Shack franchise opportunity, visit our website for additional details.