Hurricane Grill & Wings’ fast-casual spin-off, Hurricane BTW, has opened a location in West Palm Beach, Fla., its first franchised restaurant.
An evolution of BTW’s lab location that opened in Ft. Lauderdale last year, the West Palm Beach location will be a model for more than 50 Hurricane BTW franchise locations scheduled to open throughout the U.S. in the next 48 months.
The West Palm Beach Hurricane BTW restaurant measures 2,700 square feet and features indoor seating, a sauce bar, and 7 TVs. Jack Gandolfo, the franchise owner, is also opening a BTW location in Gainesville later this year.
The updated franchise prototype will feature improved food, service and design elements drawn from the restaurant’s lab location. Specific features include:
- Sophisticated design aesthetic in-store with inexpensive yet durable finishes
- New and improved burger, taco, chicken wing and tender recipes
- Ice Cream Shakes with mix-ins
- Expanded sauce bar
- A soft drink digital fountain
- The Crowler: 32oz sealable can for draft beer (where permitted)
“While the restaurant industry, specifically fast-casual, is down as of late, we have seen two trends: single entrée menus have driven brands (i.e. burgers, pizza, wings), and there is an overall drive for higher quality and higher average tickets,” says Brooksy Smith, chief brand officer for Hurricane Grill & Wings and president of Hurricane Btw. “At BTW, we are focusing on the three most popular single entrée 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.”
Hurricane Grill & Wings opened in 1995 has more than 58 restaurants in the U.S.