Shuckin’ Shack Emphasizes Participation in Industry Events As Part of Its Major Growth Strategy

In an age when many people opt to hide behind a screen and resist doing anything on the phone or in-person unless they absolutely have to, Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar’s support team is more than happy to show its face. Literally. 

Shuckin’ Shack, a North Carolina-based seafood franchise that prides itself on offering a casual and authentic coastal atmosphere, was founded in 2007 and has since grown to 16 restaurants, with 14 of those restaurants being franchisee-owned and operated. The brand is still growing and seeks to expand in a wide range of markets, including Cincinnati, Columbus and Columbia, South Carolina. 

The brand prioritizes attending franchising and restaurant industry events in order to increase its profile and expand its reach. In this way, Shuckin’ Shack is committed to doing the kind of legwork it takes to help a brand go from emerging contender to full-on industry dominator.

The next engagement on the agenda is the Springboard conference, an annual event in which franchise founders gather and share best practices on how to transition into franchising. Shuckin’ Shack CEO Jonathan Weathington will represent the brand and serve as one of the conference’s speakers. Jonathan will be participating in the panel, Creating a Thriving Culture of Engagement, Alignment, and Collaboration with Your Franchisees; Satisfaction and Profitability. 

This year’s Springboard will take place September 18 through 20 at the Westin Philadelphia. Conference events will include franchise sales and relations clinics, franchise mentor roundtables and digital exercises. 

According to the conference website: “Even if you have a superior product or service that distinguishes your brand from the competition, and [which] makes money, you still need to have great relationships with franchisees, vendors, the community, state regulators and customers to truly succeed.” 

This will be Weathington’s first time speaking at the event.

“Being invited to speak at an event like Springboard is an excellent opportunity for the Shuckin’ Shack brand to share our knowledge and connect with other franchise brands,” Weathington said. “As a growing brand with 14 franchised locations across four states and more restaurants in various stages of development, we are well-positioned to offer other brands key takeaways on how to take business to the next level.”

Weathington most recently spoke at the Franchise Times Finance and Growth Conference in May for the second year in a row and was joined by Shuckin’ Shack co-founder Matt Piccinin. That annual event connects franchisor, franchisees and franchise lenders, and gives attendees a chance to get the inside scoop on the growth plans for more than 50 different franchise companies. 

Weathington felt more confident—but no less enthusiastic—the second time around. His presentation took a deep dive into the financial aspects of transforming a business into a franchise. 

“The first year, I was pretty green and was there to get our name out there,” Weathington said of his first time speaking at the Franchise Times Finance and Growth Conference. “I wanted to get our logo and story out in front of people and create some buzz about the company.”

For this year’s conference, Weathington chose to focus on the financial aspects of franchising. 

“This year, Matt and I presented at the same time and we dived into the financial side of things,” Weathington said. “The attendees are generally bankers, private equity firms and multi-unit franchisees, so I spoke more to the financial side of the business and where we have seen success as a brand. We made some really good connections and had some folks approach us. It's always helpful on the other side, since I oversee financing for our franchisees. We are more than a line item in making connections with bankers and other folks who can help out our franchisees."

Now Weathington is gearing up for Springboard, and he’s excited to dish on the Shuckin’ Shack brand and go deeper into its story. 

“I’m looking forward to exchanging ideas with other emerging brand leaders, I am certain that I’ll get a lot out of the event!” Weathington said. 

With a vacation-inspired concept and a willingness to get out there and make solid industry connections, Shuckin’ Shack is certainly positioning itself for further franchise success. 

The startup costs for a Shuckin’ Shack franchise range from $234,200 to $541,350. The franchise fee for a single unit is $37,500. To learn more about franchising with Shuckin’ Shack, visit https://www.shuckinshackfranchise.com/.