Hurricane BTW, a new fast-casual concept developed by Hurricane Grill & Wings, announced plans to open 49 locations in the next 42 months. The brand’s first location opened last April in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The second location is set to open in April in Skokie, Ill. The chain plans to open 8t to 10 more locations by the end of the year.
Hurricane BTW offers Hurricane Grill & Wings’ best-selling menu items in a fast-casual service model.
“While the restaurant industry, specifically fast casual, is down as of late, we have seen two trends: single entree menus have driven brands (burgers, pizza, wings) and there is an overall drive for higher quality and higher average tickets,” says Brooksy Smith, chief brand officer for Hurricane AMT, which encompasses both chains as well as Hurricane Dockside. “At BTW, we are focusing on the three most popular single entree items other than pizza and including them on our menu, and we are pricing our average ticket at $10. We feel that now is the right time for a broad menu with a value proposition in a casual market. And that’s why we are confident BTW will excel.”
The 2,000-square-foot Skokie location will serve as a prototype for the brand moving forward.
Hurricane BTW seeks experienced franchise owners. The estimated expenditures to build a BTW are $225,000 to $464,000.