Franchise Marketing Radio, Business RadioX: Darren Keeler with Shuckin’ Shack

The Shuckin’ Shack vision of a local establishment that would appeal to families of all ages currently has 16 open locations, and three more will be added in 2022 as the brand crosses the Mississippi River for the first time in Shuckin’ Shacks’ history. As part of this growth strategy, the brand will also be focusing its marketing efforts on partnering with college athletes–as a fun and inspiring way to highlight its draw as a game-day destination.

“This is brand new to so many, but Shuckin' Shack is ultimately a sports bar, and we all love going there for amazing food and to watch the game,” Darren Keeler said. 

These days, the game is where the action is and Shuckin’ Shack’s most recent adventure is in influencer-trend marketing and brand ambassadorship. When NCAA rules began to change so collegiate athletes could accept sponsorships, many “big players'' in the business world went after the big players in college (the top 100 in the country). Now Shuckin’ Shack has partnered with Icon Source, a company started by former collegiate athletes to manage the opportunities for athletes and businesses alike, to highlight college athletes across different divisions and sports. 

Shuckin’ Shack’s brand awareness is about to get a star-studded boost by college athletes from small to medium-sized colleges across the U.S., all of who have a Shuckin’ Shack either in their hometown or their college town.

“We think it’s not just the top 100 athletes who deserve to be benefiting from the NCAA rule changes,” said Keeler.  

Listen to the full interview here.