There has been a rise of restaurant brands in expansion mode that primarily cater to African American cuisine. Whether the cuisine emphasizes soul food sensibilities or is founded by an African American to primarily serve that same demographic, expect to see an increase of these restaurant brands that appeal not only to the African American clientele, but also to a wider range of customers who enjoy the unique flavors and experiences.
Keep your eyes open for The Peach Cobbler Factory, Slim & Husky’s, Slutty Vegan and Celebrity’s Soul Food to all be opening new restaurants throughout the country.
The Peach Cobbler Factory, a dessert restaurant concept whose menu items and overall aesthetic were developed by an African American couple that now reside in Louisville, Ky., partnered with the former CEO of Albertsons last year in an effort to franchise the brand nationally. Now The Peach Cobbler Factory is in 11 states throughout the Midwest and the South, with upcoming locations expected in the new states/regions of Delaware, Washington, D.C., Arizona, Texas, Missouri and Michigan. The dessert chain expects to open at a rate of about 30 to 35 new units per year over the next year, followed by about 35 to 40 new units per year in 2024 and beyond. Massive unit growth is expected in South Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Louisiana, Indiana and Kentucky.
Preferred space should be in the 1,000- to 2,000-s.f. range, either inline, end cap or in standalone buildings, in high-traffic urban, suburban or semi-rural areas with a large multicultural population. Ground floors of mixed-use buildings will also be considered, as well as sites on college campuses. Second-generation ice cream parlors or cafes are preferred, especially with outdoor patio seating space. Strip malls, grocery-anchored centers, power centers and retail street-front units are all sought after. The Peach Cobbler Factory is interested in spaces that are in need of a tenant to help rejuvenate the retail center, especially if space is near residences and multifamily developments. Non-competing eateries, such as Taco Bell, or discount errand brands, such as Salvation Army, work well as co-tenants. The Peach Cobbler Factory is famed for its wide variety of cobblers, as well as puddings, shakes, cookies and cinnamon rolls, in unique Southern-influenced flavors such as sweet potato pecan, orange marmalade or apple walnut raisin.
Slim & Husky’s, the pizzeria and cinnamon roll eatery founded by three African Americans, has been intentional with its goal to expand into neighborhoods with a large proportion of African Americans that have traditionally been underserved. Future expansion will take place at a rate of up to 15 new units per year over the next two years, with immediate growth concentrated into the metros of Texas, Miami, New Orleans, Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham, N.C., Detroit, Washington, D.C., Jacksonville, Fla., Birmingham and Huntsville, Ala., Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City. Continued growth will also take place in Memphis, Tenn., and Atlanta.
Preferred square footage requirements for future sites is between 2,500 and 4,000 s.f., in either standalone buildings, end caps or inline units in retail street-front spaces, including the ground floor of mixed-use buildings, as well as grocery-anchored shopping centers, urban lifestyle centers and traditional food courts in malls. Sites tend to be in metro neighborhoods, including streets off Main and Main. Its restaurants have a hip-hop music theme, and the walls feature murals of African American icons in the musical genre. Slim & Husky’s has a menu of artisan pizzas and specialty cinnamon rolls, while featuring local beer and wine.
Slutty Vegan, the plant-based soul food chain founded by an African American woman, is scheduled to open up to 10 new units per year over the next two to three years. This is due to a $25M Series A funding round the brand received last year, led by both Enlightened Hospitality Investments, co-founded by the founder of Shake Shack, and the New Voices Fund. Units will pop up by the end of this year in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Harlem, N.Y., Deep Ellum, Texas, and Columbus, Ga., the latter which will be the brand’s first new build drive-thru unit. Upcoming growth is rumored to be on the West Coast, in Los Angeles and possibly Phoenix. In February, Slutty Vegan also opened a storefront in the campus of Georgia Tech, in Atlanta, which is not the first college unit for the brand, as a restaurant opened adjacent to the University of Georgia, in Athens, last year.
Sites can be leased or purchased and tend to be in the 1,000- to 3,000-s.f. range. Space should include a walk-up window. Depending on the success of the upcoming drive thru, future spaces may incorporate that element as well. Co-tenants can include brands popular in ethnically urban locations, such as Citi Trends. Sites can be one or two blocks off Main and Main, preferably in a neighborhood with a large African American population. Slutty Vegan is known for its meat-free tasty comfort food with whimsical naughty names, such as burgers named “Fussy Hussy” and “One Night Stand.”
The Slutty Vegan founder is a bit of a celebrity herself, as she has written a cookbook and appeared on popular television talk shows.
While Celebrity’s Soul Food only has five restaurants open, the brand has 50 upcoming restaurants under development, with an ultimate goal of opening as many as 200 restaurants within five years. This is due to Celebrity’s Soul Food partnering with United Franchise Group, the same company responsible for the growth of other restaurant brands such as the Great Greek Mediterranean Grill and Jon Smith Subs. New markets targeted will include Western states such as California, Arizona, Colorado and Texas, as well as Southern states such as Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Florida, the latter of which is expected to get up to 30 units in a three- to five-year time frame. Look for Dayton Beach and St. Augustine to see units by 2024.
Celebrity’s Soul Food, which has a fast-casual “bistro style” format, as well as a full-service version of its restaurant, seeks end caps in the 3,500-s.f. range and freestanding restaurant spaces in the 7,000-s.f. range, in upscale retail centers along a high-traffic corridor. Both suburban and metro urban neighborhoods are sought after, and sites should have strong daytime and residential population. Ground-floor spaces in mixed-use buildings are also considered. Celebrity’s Soul Food is known for providing scratch-made soul food standards with a twist, such as barbecued glazed alligator ribs, braised oxtail cornmeal, dusted catfish and jerked jackfruit pineapple bowls.
