Even if you’ve dreamed of owning your own restaurant since you were old enough to order from the kids’ menu, it’s possible you’ve never given a thought to becoming the proprietor of an oyster bar franchise. After all, seafood restaurants tend to come in two varieties: fancy-pants, white-tablecloth, necktie-and-jacket required places that charge a fortune, or greasy fast-food joints that offer up deep-fried mystery fish (and tend to leave you feeling a little seasick.) People in the market for a restaurant opportunity aren’t always quick to think of a seafood restaurant, especially an oyster bar franchise, since there doesn’t seem to be a happy medium between the two very different types of establishments.
And that’s the problem. There isn’t any middle ground. We here at Shuckin’ Shack wanted to fix that, so we did!
A little bit about our oyster bar franchise
Our co-Founders Matt Piccnin and Sean Cook had a craving for fresh oysters in Carolina Beach, but realized that if they wanted that need met, they’d need to do it themselves. A few years later, Jonathan Weathington joined, became the CEO, and began opening up franchising opportunities for Shuckin’ Shack across the United States. This is great, because we want to extend the same opportunity to people who are as cool as the beer we serve, so that they can fix the very problem we faced – a serious lack of fresh, amazing oysters- in their own hometowns across the country!
With the bar as our captain and the Franchise Owner as the first mate, Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar franchise restaurants are all about quality time with a vacation vibe, and we proudly serve high-quality, sustainable, and responsibly-fished domestic seafood.
Location, location, location
Our current locations include Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, but we’re well-equipped to take our oyster bar franchise on the road to other coastal states as well as land-locked ones! We’re open to meeting prospective investors from all over, but we’re especially interested in bringing our oyster bar franchise concept to cities like Corpus Christi, TX, Birmingham, AL, Jacksonville, FL, Columbia, SC, Nashville, TN, Frankfort, KY, Columbus and Cincinnati, OH, and Richmond, VA.
Worried you’re not located close enough to the fresh oysters you’d be serving as a Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar Franchise Owner? No matter where you’ve dropped anchor for your Shuckin’ Shack, we’ve got a network of high-quality vendors that make sure responsibly fished domestic seafood can be delivered anywhere in the continental United States. This means that we have ultimate control over the quality, freshness, and sustainability of our seafood for beach bums and landlubbers alike!
What would it take to get Shuckin’?
What would it take to get Shuckin’?If you’re interested in ditching your boring old job and setting sail as the captain of your own oyster bar franchise, the investment range for a Shuckin’ Shack restaurant is between $252,700* and $776,750*, and the average unit sales are $1,370,869*. We think you’ll agree those are some pretty shuckin’ good economics!
There are also funding assistance options available, and we proudly offer our beloved veterans a 10% franchise fee discount to show our appreciation for their dedication and service.
Restaurant or hospitality industry experience isn’t a must, and we don’t need you to know anything about seafood…except that it’s SHUCKIN’ delicious!
Setting the scene for Shuckin’
Honestly, we’re amazed that we’re still just about the only oyster bar franchise out there that does what we do. After all, there’s an increased demand for fun, casual dining restaurants that serve up delicious, sustainably-sourced seafood without all the fuss that fine dining presents. Shuckin’ Shack restaurants thrive in locations where people enjoy great food served in a fun, welcoming atmosphere that invites you to kick off your shoes, relax, and just be yourself. Our hot markets are prime locations for an oyster bar franchise like Shuckin’ Shack because there’s literally nothing else like it! (And even if there is, we know that our offerings are fresher, tastier, and better. Just sayin’.)
Here’s our list of the top cities we feel are long overdue for a good Shuckin’!
Corpus Christi, TX
A diverse and robust culinary scene with plenty of options for fine and casual dining, but they’re yet to experience a Shuckin’ good time with us!
Median age: 35.3
Ethnic makeup: 61.6% Hispanic, 28.5% White (Non-Hispanic), 3.95% Black or African American (Non-Hispanic), 2.34% Asian (Non-Hispanic), and 1.51% multiracial/other.
Median property value: $146,000
Birmingham, AL
This city has a booming casual dining scene, with enough seafood restaurants to suggest an interested audience, but nothing quite like our oyster bar franchise. It’s the perfect location, especially with the attractive median property value.
Median age: 35.7
Ethnic makeup: 71.6% Black or African American (non-Hispanic), 24.6% White (non-Hispanic), and 3.5% Hispanic.
Median property value: $86,900
Jacksonville, FL
With an upscale sort of casual dining scene and that classic Southern comfort, Jacksonville is a great choice for a Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar franchise.
Median age: 36
Ethnic makeup: 50.4% White (non-Hispanic), 30.3% Black or African American (non-Hispanic),7.68% Hispanic, 4.72% Asian (non-Hispanic), and 3.26% multiracial.
Median property value: $183,700
Columbia, SC
The city of Columbia has a younger median age than our other hot markets, and the thriving casual dining scene reflects that!
Median age: 28.3
Ethnic makeup: 48.8% White (non-Hispanic), 40.2% Black or African American (non-Hispanic), 4.06% Hispanic, 2.67% Asian (non-Hispanic), and 2.43% multiracial.
Median property value: $173,400
Nashville, TN
Casual, friendly, and eclectic, Nashville has a healthy dining scene ripe for the picking.
Median age: 34
Ethnic makeup: 63.49% White (non-Hispanic), 27.58% Black or African American (non-Hispanic), 3.66% Asian (non-Hispanic), 2.62% multiracial, 2.64% Native American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or other.
Median property value: $239,000
Frankfort, KY
With a variety of cuisines available and a hometown feel, one of our oyster bar franchise locations would fit in here perfectly.
Median age: 38
Ethnic makeup: 74.3% White (non-Hispanic), 13.7% Black or African American (non-Hispanic), 4.49% multiracial (non-Hispanic), and 3.24% Hispanic.
Median property value: $128,900
Columbus, OH
This city boasts an ever-growing menu of diversity with its casual dining, so why the Shuck aren’t we there yet?
Median age: 32
Ethnic makeup: 54.3% White (non-Hispanic), 29% Black or African American (non-Hispanic), 6.13% Asian (non-Hispanic), 4.18% multiracial, and 3.28% Hispanic.
Median property value: $159,400
Cincinnati, OH
There are plenty of trendy, Instagrammable (and, dare we say, a little pretentious) spots for casual dining in this city, so we’ve got our eye on it to bring it something different.
Median age: 33
Ethnic makeup: 49.8% White (non-Hispanic), 40.4% Black or African American (non-Hispanic), 3.65% multiracial (non-Hispanic), 2.31 Asian (non-Hispanic), and 1.57% Hispanic.
Median property value: $165,613
Richmond, VA
There are plenty of surprises in Richmond, and dining to suit everyone, but you know what? There’s no oyster bar franchise like Shuckin’ Shack (yet)!
Median age: 33.8
Ethnic makeup: 47.5% Black or African American (non-Hispanic), 40.4% White (non-Hispanic), 4.99% Hispanic, 2.92% multiracial, 2.13% Asian (non-Hispanic.)
Median property value: $220,700
We’re more flip-flops than cufflinks, but you can bet the quality of our sustainably sourced domestic seafood beats even the most fancy-pants place in town … and we’re a hell of a lot more fun!
If you’re more interested in owning a restaurant that’s more “FUN dining” than “fine dining,” but still want to know you’re serving up quality, sustainably-sourced seafood to each customer who walks in the door, we’d love to “sea” more of you!
Interested in owning a Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar franchise? Come on down to our franchise website for more info.
*Numbers obtained from our 2020 FDD for locations over 1,800 sq ft.