Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque Offers Strong Conversion Opportunities and Incentives for Existing Restaurants and Bars

Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, a restaurant group that prides itself on preparing its meats “the old school way with plenty of wood and time,” is now offering conversion opportunities for existing eating and drinking establishments.

The brand is still in the early stages of offering franchise opportunities in the U.S., but is also evaluating conversion opportunities for existing restaurants in the right locations with footprints that can accommodate the brand’s operating requirements. While Mighty Quinn’s is targeting franchisees who are interested in being multi-unit operators, they are more focused on single-unit operators for conversion opportunities.

“We just came out with our FDD, and while the focus is on new development, we do think there’s a tremendous opportunity for conversions in the marketplace,” Mighty Quinn’s co-founder Micha Magid said. “Something we’ve talked about in our core franchise pitch is how local BBQ restaurant owners or bar owners can tap into a growing brand.”

The brand sees prime opportunities for conversions of existing restaurants as well as existing barbeque restaurants.

Magid noted that an existing barbeque restaurant is likely the cheapest conversion opportunity, as that kind of establishment would already have some of the right equipment in place.

“That would probably be the lowest cost one,” Magid said. “They’d be able to refresh a traditional barbeque menu with innovative food that’s really resonating with consumers. They’d be bringing in our menu with our level of quality. They’d also have our social media and marketing team behind them. We anticipate this kind of conversion as being able to generate more added value for the operator.”

Then there are traditional restaurants.

“We still want to stay within the confines of what we think is an appropriate size,” Magid said. “It’s not applicable for every existing restaurant owner, but if someone has been in a traditional dining restaurant and wants to get more on trend with the fast-casual format to attract a higher lunch and dinner crowd, then converting to Mighty Quinn’s would definitely be something to consider.”

Restaurant owners looking to convert their establishments can enjoy what Mighty Quinn’s has to offer. For one, the barbeque brand has a high profile, including plenty of features on the Food Network, which Magid sees as a huge positive for anyone looking to join.

“They’d be bringing an elevated food offering to an existing operation that is affiliated with growing its national brand,” Magid said. “We think that provides a leg up on the competition, especially considering consumer trends, whether that’s takeout or delivery. These are all revenue centers we can bring to an existing operation that they otherwise may not have been set up for.”

The barbeque brand also focuses on providing a higher level of food, both in terms of meats and side dishes.

“On the food side, people are more focused on what they’re eating and we’re gearing the menu towards all naturally-raised meats,” Magid said. “We also have chef-driven side dishes that are more relevant to today’s millennial consumer.”

Conversion costs would also keep the buildout costs lower, Magid said. Of course, he added, no two spaces are the same, as restaurants and bars each have their own equipment, cookline and utility capacity. Still, he estimates that a smaller restaurant’s conversion, for example, can cost as low as $200,000, depending on what the establishment already has in place.

“If there’s an existing business, regardless of how they’re doing, there’s definitely a built-in customer base they’d be opening with as opposed to starting something from scratch,” Magid said. “You’d benefit from the tailwind of having customers know where you are. They already know the owners of the business and are already established in the community. You would potentially ramp up on the revenue side faster than if you built something from scratch.”

When it comes to ideal franchisees, Mighty Quinn’s is looking for people who have restaurant experience and are well-capitalized. Franchisees do not need to know how to barbeque or smoke meat, as that’s something the brand can teach.

“The Mighty Quinn’s system is very teachable, but coming into that with a restaurant pedigree is definitely a strong advantage,” Magid said.

The standard startup costs for a Mighty Quinn’s franchise range from $581,750 to $1,113,750. The franchise fee is $45,000.