Growing NextGen Casual brand builds on successful first year with significant franchise development
Taffer’s Tavern, the innovative, full-service tavern concept founded by industry-leading hospitality expert and star of Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer, recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its inaugural location in Alpharetta, Georgia. Looking ahead, Taffer’s Tavern plans to rapidly expand from two to seven locations in 2022, demonstrating its unique concept is the innovation champion that holds the key to the future of the full-service restaurant industry.
“The first location in Alpharetta will always be special. Having overcome the unprecedented issues caused by the pandemic, our franchisees far surpassed our goals in their first year in business. Our use of the latest restaurant technologies paired with an efficient layout and strategic design are what enabled them to succeed,” said Taffer. “When we built the first Taffer’s Tavern, we wanted to create something that was approachable and timeless. The familiar faces we see each and every week are proof of our success. We are excited to fast-track our expansion across the country in 2022 to bring the same experience to guests nationwide.”
Taffer’s Tavern started the new year with a bang, being named one of FSR magazine’s 50 NextGen Casual Brands to Watch. In the coming months, the Restaurant of the Future will celebrate two grand openings with a new location coming to the Boston area in the Arsenal Yards neighborhood and another opening in Washington, D.C., in Penn Quarter.
In 2021, Taffer’s Tavern opened its second location as a concessionaire in FedEx Field, home to the Washington Commanders. The brand also secured three new multi-unit franchise deals in key markets across the country, including a deal to bring 10 locations to Savannah, Georgia, and Northern and Central Florida, with an initial focus on the Orlando metro area, Gainesville, Jacksonville and Panhandle regions.
The Alpharetta anniversary event closed out the year in celebratory fashion, inviting Taffer’s Tavern regulars, local influencers and other community members to enjoy passed starters and bubbles from the tavern’s menu, and a special cake cutting ceremony. Taffer was onsite to greet fans and sign merchandise, and special guests included City of Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin and Bar Rescue Mixologist Phil Wills.
“The Alpharetta location has had a great first year in business, it is an excellent addition to the heart of the city’s lively downtown area,” said Seth Chandlee, CEO of Chandlee Construction and one of the Alpharetta franchisees. “In the first year alone, our beverage mix well-surpassed the casual dining industry average, resulting in more capital to open our next location. I look forward to seeing how the Taffer’s Tavern franchise continues to develop and forge ahead of the industry curve.”
Building off this momentum, Taffer partnered with Cuisine Solutions, the world leader in sous-vide foods, to launch the new “Enjoy at Home with Taffer’s Tavern” product line that brought the Taffer’s Tavern Signature Beef Shank to Costco stores nationwide during the holiday season. The bone-in beef shank is a premium heat-and-serve entree ideal for a large family or small dinner party. Additional products in the line will be available soon.
Founded in 2020 by Taffer, the ‘tavern with a soul’ is setting a new standard for full-service restaurants, building a technology ecosystem on the cutting edge of the industry. Its pre-pandemic restaurant concept implements the highest safety standards for both guests and staff led by the latest advancements in food prep/service technology. Taffer’s Tavern’s outstanding signature drinks, mouth-watering, elevated tavern foods and excellent customer service combined with its Old-World design have disrupted casual dining and created a one-of-a-kind experience for guests.
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. The tavern is rapidly expanding its footprint across the United States and looking for franchisees to bring the innovative concept to new areas.
To learn more about Taffer’s Tavern franchising opportunities, watch this video or visit https://fransmart.com/taffers-tavern-food-and-spirits.
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.
Jon Taffer is an award-winning hospitality expert, entrepreneur and thought leader with nearly 40 years of experience in the hospitality, entertainment, 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. Jon has also gone head-to-head against chef Robert Irvine in 24-hour restaurant makeovers on an all-new three-episode series streaming on discovery+ called Restaurant Rivals: Irvine vs. Taffer. In 2019, Jon announced the launch of his own innovative, full-service restaurant franchise concept, Taffer’s Tavern, which opened in Atlanta in 2020 with several more locations poised for 2022. Taffer’s Tavern features outstanding signature cocktails, elevated tavern foods, and the latest advancements in restaurant technologies. 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.
As the leading franchise development firm in the country, Fransmart turns emerging restaurant concepts into successful national and global brands. Founded by Dan Rowe, the man who identified and grew brands such as Five Guys, QDOBA and The Halal Guys from single unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today. Fransmart’s current and past franchise development portfolio brands have opened more than 5,000 restaurants worldwide and facilitated franchise investments that have cumulatively generated 1 billion in revenue to date. Follow Fransmart on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. For more information, visit www.fransmart.com.
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