Bourbon Brothers Holding Corporation announced a formal agreement to license the Southern Hospitality (SH) brand for new fast-casual units. The company plans to open up to five new fast-casual units in the Denver and Colorado Springs markets over the next 18 months under the agreement.
Southern Hospitality is a full-service, barbeque concept in New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood at the corner of 45th Street and 9th Avenue. The concept was co-created by Eytan Sugerman, Justin Timberlake, Trace Ayala, and Nelson Braff in an effort to bring authentic southern barbeque to Manhattan.
BBHC is going to introduce the first fast casual, SH-branded restaurant later this year in a premier retail region, a densely populated and heavily trafficked area of the Denver metro. Bourbon Brothers Holding and SH have been collaborating in the development of this concept and feel that they have successfully developed a platform that will bring authentic smoked barbeque to the masses in a way that is convenient, affordable, and high quality.
Southern Hospitality co-creator and managing partner Nelson Braff says, "We are very excited about the continued expansion of the Southern Hospitality brand, particularly in the area of fast casual."
Plans currently call for an assembly line function, which enables customers to fully customize their meals, while also allowing them to watch meals be carved and prepared before their eyes. The company has retained Roth Sheppard Architecture to complete the design and architecture of the initial unit. Roth Sheppard is an experienced full-service architecture firm that is well-known for having completed the architecture and design of Tokyo Joe's and ModMarket, two multistate fast-casual concepts originating in the Denver market.
"Fast casual has been the fastest growing segment of the restaurant industry for five consecutive years and outpaced traditional QSR and casual dining five to one during 2013, yet we feel that we are one of the first movers in the barbeque fast casual space,” says Mitchell Roth, President of BBHC. “This concept is in line with the tremendous resurgence of barbeque, leaving us with an opportunity to gain immediate market share.”
