Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar Franchise is Making Waves

Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar’s Franchise Owners have experienced unbelievable success since we first started franchising in 2014. Their businesses have thrived—even in the midst of a down economy—and they’ve become restaurant juggernauts in their communities.

How do we know?

Because we can read the headlines—and there are A LOT of headlines regarding Shuckin’ Shack’s achievements. Part of it is because of our phenomenal marketing efforts, the tremendous support given to our Franchise Owners, and, above all, the great product. All of our seafood is locally and sustainably sourced, and we’ve created an environment that’s become people’s homes away from home. From the moment a guest walks in the door to the moment they leave, they feel like they belong. We don’t do formal hellos and goodbyes. You combine all that together, and the press will be drooling over you more than customers drool over platters of oysters.

Shuckin’ Franchise Owners received quite a bit of good press last year and to start 2023. From podcasts to standard news articles, we’ve got it all. Keep reading below to see some of our favorites.

From a Single Dive Bar to Growing Bar and Grill Franchise Leader

Shuckin’s beginnings date back to 2007 when two friends, Matt Piccinin and Sean Cook, were fed up that their neighborhood didn’t have a place to get fresh oysters, so they decided to do something about it. After many long, late-night brainstorming sessions over a cold beer, Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar was born.

Their early beginnings and move into the future were wonderfully spotlighted in an article on Restaurant Dive. This article, and others like it, is what our restaurant Franchise Owners can expect when they join our ever-growing family.

The article details how the two oyster-starved friends just wanted to open a small, comfortable dive bar that served cold beer and fresh mollusks. And they did just that, with their first location being a mere 900-square-foot space in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. The place became so shuckin’ popular that they opened their second oyster bar and grill location just a few years later, in 2010, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

The two founders felt like they needed to test their joint in a larger market, which prompted the move to Wilmington. With the new opening came an expanded menu, a larger kitchen, and WAY more seating. On that bigger menu were new items like seafood tacos, fried oysters, crab cakes, and fresh salads. And the place was a smash hit!

Shuckin’ became so popular that Matt and Sean were approached in 2014 about franchising the joint. Since those early discussions about sharing the love of their wonderful seafood establishment, Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar has grown to 19 locations, 17 of which are franchise units.

“Management was ready to franchise in 2015 because it felt Shuckin’ Shack was unique from other oyster bar concepts and full-service seafood chains,” said CEO Jonathan Weathington.

We give our franchisees support that goes above and beyond the competition. From site location and market research to hands-on staff training, our restaurant Franchise Owners are never left to fend for themselves. Our team also uses trusted vendors, architects, and general contractors to make the opening and construction process seamless.

Tips & Tricks for Starting a Successful Seafood Restaurant

If you thought opening a seafood restaurant was hard you’re right. But there are ways to make it easier and be successful at it too! Just ask Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar’s CEO Jonathan Weathington. He was nice enough to sit down and discuss all that is operating and running a popular oyster bar and grill.Listen to the Restaurant Rockers podcast HERE!

Jonathan talks about the early days of Shuckin’ Shack, why his two childhood friends decided to make him CEO, how he’s growing the company into a nationally-known brand, and a lot more.

And if you’re anywhere near a Shuckin’ Shack, be sure to stop in for cold beer and fresh seafood.

We Smashed 2022!

Since our founding and opening of our first store in 2007, Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar has continued to grow beyond our wildest expectations. We have nearly 20 locations scattered throughout the country with 18 successful and happy restaurant Franchise Owners. And that footprint grew in 2022.

To prove just how well we did last year, Franchise Direct wrote up a nice little article about us.

The article outlines our monumental year. We opened three new seafood restaurant franchise locations across the midwest and led an unbelievably successful, system-wide tour that benefited the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. And, of course, our fantastic concept continued to rack up award after award and ended with a 7% increase in sales.

“We’ve continued to grow, but the expansion of the Shuckin’ Shack network is just one of the accomplishments we’ve had this year,” said CEO Jonathan Weathington. “Shuckin’ Shack led an incredible effort to fundraise for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, a cause close to the hearts of multiple people within the network.”

Boom!

Our Fresh and Raw Tour traveled to 17 cities nationwide and raised over $52,000 dollars in mere 30 days.

The most important aspect of having a successful franchise is having a strong franchise network, and the Fresh and Raw Tour proved that. The network is full of business owners committed to putting out the best product possible, from the food and drinks to the friendly atmosphere of their restaurants.

“We continue to grow well,” Weathington added to the Franchise Direct article. “We don’t have any huge technological advances or special innovations that we rolled out in 2022 to increase our sales… We just serve people well, and that’s been our biggest strength throughout the pandemic and as we’ve had a strong 2022.”

We opened right before the worst economic crisis since the great depression and prospered. We made it through the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and even opened new franchise locations. And now we’re going into the future with a full head of steam.

Want to be a part of this journey? Visit our website for more information on the Shuckin’ Shack brand and how to franchise with us.

Can’t wait to hear from you!