Old Carolina Barbecue Company (oldcarolina.com), a fast casual concept founded in 2006 by the owners of Ichor Restaurant Group, has signed its first Area Development Agreement with Hospitality Partners, Incorporated. HPI committed to opening five Old Carolina units in the east side of Cleveland over the next three years.
“You have to love the food first because, if you don’t believe in the product, you can’t sell the product,” said Todd Schafer, Hospitality Partners, Inc. President. “Old Carolina smokes all its barbecue in-house and they never take shortcuts. Making great barbecue requires a lot of passion and dedication to do it right. That’s what Old Carolina has, and that’s why I wanted to be a part of it.”
Kicking off the expansion will be a 5,200 square foot location in Lyndhurst, OH, which will be considerably larger than the typical Old Carolina restaurant. With a more expansive kitchen space, this unit will act as the catering hub for futures stores on Cleveland’s east side. “While our main focus is on providing our guests with an extraordinary in-house dining experience, we also do a significant amount of catering outside our restaurants,” said Brian Bailey, Old Carolina President. “In fact, catering sales in our corporate stores contribute up to 40% in additional revenue.” The Lyndhurst restaurant will also include a semi-private party room that will allow guests to host parties and meetings. Opening day is scheduled for the end of May, 2012.
Old Carolina is looking for qualified multi-unit operators for franchise areas in OH, MI, IN, KY, WV and PA. For more information, call Brian Bailey at (877) 919-6222, write at brian@oldcarolina.com or visit oldcarolina.com/franchising.
About Old Carolina Barbecue Company
In 2006, long-time friends, Brian Bailey and Tim Hug, opened their first Old Carolina Barbecue Company restaurant 60 miles south of Cleveland, in Massillon Ohio. Now with five corporate locations in Northeast Ohio, they have plans for additional corporate-owned restaurants as well as franchised locations throughout the Midwest. Inspired by the roadside shacks found in the Carolinas, Brian and Tim had a vision to bring original barbecue, authentic taste and Southern hospitality to Northern markets lacking such establishments. Old Carolina offers hickory-smoked signature meats, scratch-made sides and a sauce bar featuring five original barbecue sauces representing different regions of the Carolinas. They also provide table service for its guests, a rarity in the fast casual genre. Old Carolina Barbecue Company is owned by Ichor Restaurant Group, a restaurant development company headquartered in North Canton, OH. For more information, visit oldcarolina.com.
About Ichor Restaurant Group
Headquartered in North Canton Ohio, Ichor is a collaboration of individuals who share a passion for food, creativity and excellence. They develop, operate and franchise unique restaurant concepts throughout the Midwest. The group focuses on developing efficient and profitable business models and delivering an extraordinary dining experience to its guests. For more information visit ichorgroup.com.
Contact:
Brian Bailey
brian@oldcarolina.com
4710 Everhard Road NW,
Canton, OH 44718
(877) 919-6222
