Savannah Seafood Shack, an award-winning, fast casual restaurant serving finger-licking seafood dishes at affordable prices, is bringing its Lowcountry cuisine nationwide through a franchising partnership with Fransmart, the leading franchise development company for emerging brands.
“Savannah Seafood Shack has the strongest unit economics I’ve seen in a fast casual restaurant in a decade,” says Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart. “Customers vote with their wallets, and they love this place.”
Located in the heart of Savannah’s historic district, Savannah Seafood Shack is known for its flavorful Lowcountry boils, fried and steamed seafood, po’ boys, seafood cones, house made crab cakes bites, seasonal items, and much more. After experiencing its most successful year in 2021, with a net operating income of $551,297.99 and gross profit of $1,447,705.82, the time is right for Savannah Seafood Shack to franchise nationwide.
Featured on the Cooking Channel, Food Network, Travel Channel and more, the popular restaurant is a Savannah institution that draws visitors from all over the world. Founder and CEO Christine Tsoi Cutlip, a first-generation Chinese American raised in Savannah, drew inspiration for Savannah Seafood Shack from the fresh seafood markets her family owned during her childhood.
“From the beginning, we have taken pride in using the best ingredients in each dish thanks to my family’s knowledge and appreciation for fresh seafood,” says Cutlip. “As we approach our sixth year in business, we are thrilled to officially take Savannah Seafood Shack to franchise. Thanks to the guidance and direction of Fransmart, we have worked insanely hard to make this dream a reality and I could not be prouder to embark on this new venture and take our dedicated fans and supporters along for the ride.”
From piping hot seafood and crispy fried platters, Savannah Seafood Shack offers high quality products at seafood market prices in part by streamlining its labor model through counter service ordering and efficient operations. Lowcountry boil is traditionally served as a communal meal, inviting people to gather around a large picnic table, roll up their sleeves and dive into a large pile of scrumptious shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn on the cob, but Savannah Seafood Shack takes an innovative spin by serving it in convenient, single-portion bags.
“Christine and her family have engineered the operations to be extremely efficient, fast, easy and profitable,” saiysRowe. “They’ve found the secret sauce to bringing fine seafood dining to the fast casual space.”
Guests can also opt for one of the Shack’s innovative creations like seafood cones, a homemade waffle cone stuffed with homemade slaw, and then topped with the customer’s choice of fried seafood. In addition, Savannah Seafood Shack serves up mess-free, peeled and deveined shrimp options for a meal in a matter of minutes without sacrificing quality or freshness.
Savannah Seafood Shack is targeting the top 50 media markets and resort towns in North America for its first wave of franchise expansion.
