Choosing a restaurant location falls right up there with concept development in terms of supporting its success or dooming it to failure. Does the area offer easy access? Do the residences and businesses align with your target market? Is the location over or under-saturated with concepts similar to your own?
In today’s high-priced landscape, some restaurants are beginning to think out of the box. No more strip malls or corner neighborhood eateries. These brands are looking for where the action is and how they can get in on it. For some, that translates to nontraditional locations.
One of the companies veering away from the norm is Experiential Brands. Here, we’ll explore where they’re headed and other off-the-beaten-path locations you might consider as you expand your concept.
The College Campus
Experiential Brands, the parent company of fast-casual concepts Flametown Burgers, The Original Hot Chicken, INKED Tacos, Pinsa Roman Pizza, and BarSocial, recently announced its first opening on college campuses. You can now find their concepts at the University of Tennessee, East Carolina University, and Auburn University.
Auburn University was excited about what they offered regarding unique flavors and fresh concepts, believing they would elevate the dining experience for their students. One example is INKED Tacos, a Birria Taqueria inspired by classic Mexican favorites.
This next step in location development aligns with their intention of establishing themselves in high-traffic, nontraditional venues, focusing on off-premise consumption and delivery-only locations.
SocialBites Food Hub
Experiential Brands has been busy this year, entering the college scene and developing SocialBites, an innovative mini-food hub. This unique concept combines all five brands under one roof with table service, a common kitchen platform, a single point of order, and live entertainment. This efficient strategy reduces operational costs and complexities. They’re also focused on converting second-generation spaces, such as closed casual dining spaces, significantly lowering the initial investment and enabling rapid expansion and scalability.
One of their recent openings is in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The 6,000-square-foot venue features entertainment that includes life-sized games, trivia nights, cornhole tournaments, and live music. Large TVs bring in sports enthusiasts. Three patios appeal to those looking to dine in the great outdoors.
A second SocialBites is expected to open in Woodstock, Georgia, later this year.
In a recent press release, Aziz Hashim, Founder and CEO of Experiential Brands, stated, “We saw an opportunity to create a business that is both inviting for customers and compelling for investors. SocialBites Food Hub is truly unlike anything the restaurant industry has seen before, an entirely new category in the space. We combined the best parts of franchising and restaurant operations with a carefully crafted labor structure and streamlined operations to deliver robust unit economics. Through our business model, we believe a rapid return on investment, within about two years, is achievable. For our guests, SocialBites Food Hub offers a vibrant and interactive space where individuals, groups and families can enjoy an experiential dining atmosphere alongside affordable meals.”
The Roving Pop-Up
Pop-up restaurants are temporary and transient in nature, allowing chefs to showcase their innovative creations and ideas. Some are designed to test the waters before investing in a brick-and-mortar location. Others are intended to garner the attraction of investors. Some are simply fun.
Then, there are those unique creations that are a testament to restauranteurs’ ability to embrace the new and different. One of those is Outstanding in the Field, a roving restaurant without walls. This traveling restaurant sets tables up in fields and by seashores, areas where the ingredients used are harvested. Instead of the source coming to them, they are traveling to the source.
Since 1999, they have created unique experiences at farms, vineyards, mountaintops, fishing docks, beaches, and other incredible sites. Some of their upcoming events are at Fireplace Farm in East Hampton (sold out) and Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.
Nontraditional sites are making their case known as continued headwinds exist around affordable locations and construction costs. From restaurants without walls to combined efforts and mini food hubs, the industry continues to look for innovative solutions that lower costs, attract customers, and catch the attention of investors.
At EMERGING Fund, we invest in innovative restaurant concepts, social entertainment venues, and technology that serves the restaurant industry. To discover more about our unique partnering and funding approach, schedule a discovery call today.
