Husband-and-wife duo Michael and Paula Dolan signed a four-unit deal with the fast-casual BBQ franchise
Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, the first authentic barbeque experience in a fast-casual setting and winner of the 2013 Zagat award for best new restaurant in New York, has signed a multi-unit development agreement with franchisees Michael and Paula Dolan to open four locations in and around Queens, New York, with the first to open this year in the neighborhood of Long Island City.
Husband and wife Michael and Paula Dolan have long felt an affinity for the unifying power of food: When she was only a few years old, Paula and her family moved from New York to Italy where she spent several years around the kitchen table sampling her mother’s and northern Italian grandfather’s delectable dishes. Michael’s years-long interest in food led to the purchase of a Big Green Egg charcoal grill a few years back to allow the father-of-two to perfect his smoked creations. As the two have worked in the financial services industry over the last two decades, their love of food has remained constant.
The Dolans fell in love with Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque after the flagship store opened near their then-apartment in the East Village in 2013. Drawn in initially by the exceptional quality of Mighty Quinn’s all-natural, slow-smoked meats and sumptuous side dishes, the Dolans knew that franchising with Mighty Quinn’s was the perfect opportunity thanks to the clear expertise of the BBQ brand’s leadership team comprised of co-founder Micha Magid, co-founder Christos Gourmos and pitmaster and co-founder Hugh Mangum. Now, having signed on to ultimately open four Mighty Quinn’s locations, Michael will helm the operation. The Dolans are in the process of securing real estate for their first opening in Long Island City, Queens, NY, targeted for later this year.
The Dolans are thrilled to bring Mighty Quinn’s authentic BBQ to Queens and anticipate that their first location in Long Island City will be well-received.
“Long Island City is only one stop away from Grand Central in Manhattan, and it’s the fastest growing urban community in the country. So that’s a really exciting opportunity for us,” said Michael Dolan. “Long Island City is desperate for fast-casual dining, and taking a powerful brand from Manhattan that’s rich with Manhattan culture just makes complete sense, especially with the massive development that’s taking place–both residential and commercial–in the Long Island City area. Mighty Quinn’s will be very well-received there.”
Paula Dolan also spoke to the extensive real estate development sweeping the area around Long Island City, and how this positions the Queens neighborhood as a site of growing vibrancy and demand for high-quality eats.
“A lot of new corporate development is going up in Hudson Yards and western Manhattan, which is a quick subway ride from Long Island City. Many notable real estate developers have committed to building luxury residential in Long Island City, making it a desirable place to live,” Paula Dolan said. “It is an optimal location for a Mighty Quinn’s and we know its introduction will benefit the community.”
With the Dolans leading the charge in terms of franchise development, Mighty Quinn’s corporate team is looking to add 10 to 12 additional franchised locations across New York and New Jersey by 2020 and has its sights on partnering with qualified franchise candidates across the country.
“The Dolans demonstrate exceptional business acumen and a commitment to exceeding even our highest brand standards,” said Magid. “As we continue franchising, we look forward to working with additional franchise partners who uphold our total commitment to quality and to enhancing their communities through second-to-none dining.”
The startup costs for a Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque franchise range from $498,250 to $923,000. The franchise fee is $45,000. To learn more about franchising with Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, visit https://www.mightyquinnsfranchise.com.
Mighty Quinn’s is the first authentic barbeque experience in a fast-casual setting and winner of the 2013 Zagat award for best new restaurant in New York. Defining Urban BBQ, its barbeque is the merging of two great barbeque traditions: Texas and the Carolinas. It brings together the best of both and creates something uniquely its own. The process begins with the best, all-natural meats and poultry, seasoned with perfect spice blends and then smoked with wood for many hours until the perfect harmony of smoke, flavor and time emerges. As a brand, Mighty Quinn’s was first introduced in 2011, when co-founder and Pitmaster Hugh Mangum smoked brisket and pulled pork out of a mobile smoker hitched to his pickup truck in Williamsburg (Brooklyn). Deciding to expand beyond the mobile offering, which regularly resulted in a 40-person line that continued to grow until Mangum ran out of product, Mangum joined forces with his step-brother, Micha Magid, and Micha’s brother-in-law, Christos Gourmos, to open the first brick and mortar Mighty Quinn’s restaurant in the East Village. Since the brand’s inception, the three partners have opened 9 corporate-owned locations, a restaurant at Yankee Stadium and five international franchised units. Now, with strong operations and a growing fan base, the brand is excited to push growth forward through franchising.
