Taffer’s franchise concept joins the Club Level food & beverage lineup as the Washington Football Team kicks off the season
Taffer’s Tavern, the innovative new full service tavern concept founded by star of Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue and creator of the NFL Sunday Ticket, Jon Taffer, celebrated its inaugural weekend at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Hungry Washington Football Team fans were among the first in the Washington, D.C., metro area to try Taffer’s Tavern’s elevated tavern food. Located on the Club Level, the new location is the first satellite location to open for the fast-growing restaurant franchise.
Taffer’s Tavern needed less than two weeks to revamp the space and welcome fans at the season opener this past weekend. Paired with Jon Taffer’s decades of experience in the hospitality industry, the Taffer’s Tavern location delivers the same high standards of quality as well as easy installation with a turnkey kitchen concept that does not require hoods or vents. It also features the latest advancements in food prep technology that guarantees consistently delicious food every time.
“Our Taffer’s Tavern team is always ready on game day. Washington, D.C., is getting its first taste of our delicious tavern food, serving many of the 44,000 fans at FedEx Field this past Sunday, ahead of our full-service Penn Quarter location coming soon,” said Taffer. “We served some of our most popular handhelds and signature items, which all pair perfectly with an ice-cold beer. We’re looking forward to introducing Taffer’s Tavern to fans during football season and other events at FedEx Field.”
The FedEx Field location highlights a sampling of popular items from the full Taffer’s Tavern menu, including the Hot Tavern Pretzel, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Tavern Fries, Tot Roast Fries, and Jon’s favorite Roast Beef Au Jus.
“Partnering with Taffer’s Tavern allows us to raise the bar on the fan experience at FedExField. They bring unique dining options that many fans will find comforting and delicious for the stadium setting,” said Bob Marks, Vice President of Hospitality for Levy, hospitality partner of FedEx Field. “With operational efficiencies that are well-suited for the arena environment, Taffer’s Tavern innovation allows us to meet the expectations of the modern fan.”
FedEx Field is the second conversion site for Cuisine Solutions, the world’s leading manufacturer of sous vide foods and Taffer’s Tavern franchisee for the Washington, D.C., metro, that recently signed a lease to bring Taffer’s Tavern to a second-generation site within the high-energy Penn Quarter neighborhood and adjacent to the Capital One Arena complex.
“We have secured yet another iconic location in the DMV area,” said Cuisine Solutions President and CEO Felipe Hasselmann. “Our FedEx Field Taffer’s Tavern activation underscores the adaptable footprint of the concept. It also allows us to introduce the brand to stadium goers and give them a taste of popular menu items as a preview for what will be featured in our downtown D.C. restaurant locations.”
Taffer originally tapped Cuisine Solutions, now the world’s authority on sous vide technology, to assist with menu development and kitchen design for Taffer’s Tavern, and they will operate multiple locations in popular areas in D.C. and Northern Virginia.
The groundbreaking concept is ideal for franchisees looking to be part of a rapidly growing brand with the flexibility to operate in both traditional and non-traditional locations. Operated with a kitchen of the future, the industry-leading technology used in Taffer’s Tavern allows minimal need for food preparation and handling, drastically reducing back-of-house labor, and includes a hoodless/ventless kitchen footprint. In addition, the innovative and simplified cooking techniques allow for less experienced kitchen staff and helps reduce cook time by 50 – 90% compared to traditional kitchens.
To facilitate growth for the emerging brand, Taffer has partnered with Fransmart, the industry-leading franchise development company behind the explosive growth of brands like Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and QDOBA Mexican Grill.
“Taffer’s Tavern is the perfect entertainment district restaurant concept, offering refined, high quality, delicious tavern food, served lightning fast and with consistency,” said Fransmart CEO Dan Rowe. “This stadium operation demonstrates the speed to open and flexibility of the hoodless and ventless restaurant concept. In addition to the full-service dining experience, I can see Taffer’s Tavern in other event complexes, amphitheaters, airports and more.”
Taffer is currently seeking experienced franchisees to continue bringing the Taffer’s Tavern concept to the 50 largest media markets throughout North America. For more information about Taffer’s Tavern franchising opportunities, watch this video or visit www.fransmart.com/tafferstavern.
To learn more about Taffer’s Tavern, visit https://tafferstavern.com.
Jon Taffer, Bar Rescue star and award-winning hospitality expert, has launched his own innovative, full-service restaurant franchise concept, Taffer’s Tavern. Taffer’s Tavern is the quintessential pub, a place to gather with your old friends and make new ones along the way. The tavern features outstanding signature cocktails, elevated tavern food, a streamlined hoodless/ventless restaurant format with small footprint, and the latest advances in food preparation technology, with best-of-class industry partnerships including Shift4, Cuisine Solutions, Middleby Corporation, Krowne and Compeat. Taffer’s Tavern is now open in Alpharetta, Georgia, and FedEx Field in Maryland, with additional locations planned for the Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Boston, Las Vegas and Orlando areas with more markets to follow. For more information, visit https://tafferstavern.com.
Cuisine Solutions is the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of sous vide foods. Led by an international team of award-winning chefs, Cuisine Solutions is recognized as the authority on sous vide—the innovative slow-cooking technique that the company pioneered, perfected and popularized decades ago. Headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, Cuisine Solutions services more than 22,000 restaurants, as well as first and business class on the top 10 airlines in the world, retailers and major hotels. For more information, visit https://www.cuisinesolutions.com.
Jon Taffer is an award-winning hospitality expert, entrepreneur and thought leader with nearly 40 years of success in the entertainment, hospitality, and nightlife industries. Best known as Executive Producer and star of Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue, a non-scripted reality show that spotlights Jon as he saves failing bars from looming closure that is now in its eighth season. In 2019, Jon launched Taffer’s Mixologist, a line of craft, high-quality, pre-made cocktail mixes and hard seltzers available direct to consumers and in retail stores across the country. In the same year, Jon announced the launch of his own innovative, full-service restaurant franchise concept, Taffer’s Tavern, which launched in Atlanta in 2020. Taffer’s Tavern features outstanding signature cocktails, elevated pub-style food, and the latest advancements in food preparation technology. Concurrently, Jon runs Taffer Dynamics, his business consulting firm. Over the years, he has consulted for a range of well-known brands, including the NFL Network, Anheuser-Bush, Ritz-Carlton, TGI Fridays, Buffalo Wild Wings, Famous Dave’s Barbecue and Fortune 500 brands such as Hyatt Hotels and Marriott International. In addition, Jon is the author of the best-selling book “Raise the Bar: An Action-Based Method for Maximum Customer Reaction” and his newest book “Don’t Bulls*t Yourself.” For more information, visit www.jontaffer.com.
Fransmart is the global leader in franchise development, selling over 5,000 franchises worldwide and turning emerging restaurant concepts into national and global brands for 20 years. Company Founder Dan Rowe identified and grew brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries, QDOBA Mexican Grill, and The Halal Guys from 1-5 unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today. Fransmart’s current and past franchise development portfolio brands have opened thousands of restaurants globally. Fransmart and their partner brands are committed to franchise development growth. Follow Fransmart on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. For more information, visit www.fransmart.com.
