How One Franchise Is Building a Business on To-Go Charcuterie Boards

Charcuterie boards, sometimes simply referred to as charcuterie, have been around for hundreds of years. They consist of an assortment of cured meats, mild and creamy cheeses, nuts, jams and other spreads and are often set out as an appetizer or small, grazing snack for large crowds. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the artful production of charcuterie was one of the many habits people sheltering in place took up, and the overall demand and awareness rose accordingly. In 2020, 80% more pre-packaged charcuterie was being sold than the year before.

For many, though, creating an Instagram-worthy charcuterie spread is harder than it seems. Graze Craze, the customizable charcuterie franchise concept, provides the ease of store-bought, pre-packaged charcuterie with a much more aesthetically pleasing presentation.

The brand was founded in 2020 by U.S. Air Force veteran Kerry Sylvester. After realizing the potential within the charcuterie industry, the brand began franchising in 2021; it now has 14 units and 100 more in development.

Graze Craze has embraced a fully to-go model, offering takeout, delivery and catering services that allow customers to bring their charcuterie home and in-store grazologists™ to focus on curating hand-crafted sweet and savory picnic boxes and charcuterie boards.

“From a customer standpoint, we’re really the only game in town in terms of franchising,” explained Brady Lee, president of Graze Craze. “There isn’t really anybody doing what Graze Craze is doing. There are a lot of mom-and-pop shops out there that may work from home and sell on Instagram and Facebook, but the biggest differentiator that we have is we’re able to do much larger events and scale in a way that the smaller operations cannot.”

Photo credit: Graze Craze

This continues to ring true as Graze Craze offers a variety of customizable picnic and charcuterie options that are accessible in a way that other customizable concepts are not. Customers have shown great interest, and the charcuterie board industry is only getting hotter — valued at $378 million and ripe for growth, according to Lee.

Franchisees are showing interest as well, as the brand’s unique offerings, streamlined operations and attractive business positioning pique their interest.

“We’re really unique because we’re a new brand, but we’re part of a company that’s been around for 35 years,” Lee said. “So, we already have a sort of built-in infrastructure and team of different departments that you’re not going to get when you come across a new brand. You kind of get the best of both worlds; you have a hot new brand with a lot of open opportunities while also working with an established company who knows how to grow brands and support franchisees.”

Further, the concept is relatively low-cost compared to many other restaurant-type options. Not only is there a lower retail and build-out cost, but labor is also fairly straightforward. According to Lee, a Graze Craze only requires about three employees at a time, and they don’t have to be highly specialized or trained to use complex equipment and cooking methods.

The initial investment to open a Graze Craze is between $150,000 and $175,000, while some culinary concepts can cost upwards of several million dollars to open.

“There’s no cooking. We don’t have any hoods or grills, and we don’t need a walk-in freezer or anything like that, so it’s not really complicated,” Lee added. “It’s a great way to consider the food industry without running a full-service restaurant.”

Ultimately, Lee says, Graze Craze wants to be the name brand that’s associated with charcuterie. “There is no real name brand right now. You know, ‘charcuterie’ is a tough enough word to say on its own, and I’d rather just say, ‘I want a Graze Craze board!’ And we think that opportunity is there.”