2021 is coming up all roses for Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, the 16-location seafood restaurant franchise based in North Carolina. After a year plagued with lockdowns, shutdowns and curfews, the brand has been fast to bounce back. Shuckin’ Shack saw record sales numbers in Q1 with some locations seeing an 80% increase in sales compared to 2020, as well as a majority of the locations also surpassing pre-pandemic sales highs. 

“These last few weeks have been some of our best ever. A lot of our locations are pulling summer numbers in early May, so we’re preparing to have the biggest summer we’ve ever had,” said Shuckin’ Shack CEO Jonathan Weathington.

Like thousands of other restaurants across the country, Shuckin’ Shack was forced to pause indoor dining during the early days of the pandemic and rely solely on delivery and takeout to weather the storm. However, as a brand known for the environment it creates as part of the in-person dining experience, delivery and takeout options simply weren’t the same. So, rather than try to reinvent the wheel when it came to pandemic dining, Shuckin’ Shack doubled down on what it knew best — itself.

“Our number one goal in 2020 was to stay engaged with our customers. Full-service hospitality is hard to do when people aren’t in the restaurant. So, we dedicated a lot of our time and energy to social media as a way to remind our customers what they love about us. We wanted to assure our customers that we were still here and we would be ready to welcome them back safely when the time was right,” Weathington said.

Shuckin' Shack’s Promising Q1

As COVID-19 restrictions on indoor and outdoor dining continue to lift across the country, Shuckin’ Shack is seeing people return to its dining rooms in record numbers. “No one can argue the convenience factor of delivery, but people look forward to going out to eat. There’s a unique element to that which can’t be replicated with takeout,” Weathington said.

The numbers don’t lie. Compared to Q1 of 2020, two of Shuckin’ Shack’s North Carolina locations are up 90% and 66% in Q1 sales, while its Greenville, South Carolina location is up 42%. And while these numbers are impressive, more than half of Shuckin’ Shack’s locations are also outselling 2019 numbers, a year in which brand-wide sales growth was 18% higher than 2018. 

Meanwhile, all of this growth is happening before the peak summer season, where the brand sees a huge spike in sales. As a result, Shuckin’ Shack franchisees are preparing for one of the busiest summers ever.

“We’re just hiring as many people as possible,” said Weathington. “If you had told me 365 days ago that we would be this busy, I wouldn’t have believed you. There’s a pent-up demand for eating out, and we’re excited to see that play out over the next couple of months.”

What Success Looks Like for Shuckin’ Shack in 2021

Aside from satisfying thousands of seafood-craving customers, Shuckin’ Shack is setting its sights for the rest of the year on franchise development. With 16 locations currently in operation on the East Coast, the brand is targeting franchise candidates looking to open restaurants in the Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville and Columbia markets. 

But the overall goal is simple: “We just want to open healthy restaurants this year,” said Weathington. “If that means three or 12, then that’s what we’re going to do. Realistically, I hope to open 3 to five units this year.”

Looking back on the past year, it’s hard to believe the ups and downs the brand has experienced, but all of these experiences have only reinforced Weathington’s strong sense of pride for the brand and its local owners. 

“I’m proud of virtually everything we’ve accomplished over the past year, especially our franchisees’ resiliency, their grit and their willingness to just move through it,” he said. “2020 never became a pity party. There was always an attitude of, ‘What can we do?’ Now, our pipeline is stronger than it’s ever been, and we’re extremely excited to finish out this year with a bang.” 

ABOUT SHUCKIN’ SHACK

Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar grew out of a vision for a local establishment that would appeal to families of all ages. A place where friends and family can enjoy fresh, delicious meals and creative cocktails in an environment that exudes relaxation. Shuckin' Shack offers its guests a "lifestyle experience" in addition to exceptional seafood. The brand started as a 900-square-foot shack in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, in 2007 and began franchising in 2014. Today, Shuckin' Shack has grown to 16 locations across five states, and soon to be six, with several more locations slated to open by the end of 2021. To learn more about Shuckin’ Shack, visit: http://www.theshuckinshack.com.

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