Young Ones to Watch: Darren Keeler, VP of Marketing and Creative at Shuckin’ Shack

Darren Keeler was spinning records as a nighttime Top 40 DJ before switching careers to the franchising industry in 2019. Living in Carolina Beach put him right next to the original Shuckin’ Shack, a family friendly seafood franchise and a place he was already pretty familiar with.

A friend of co-founders Matt Piccinin and Sean Cook, Keeler took a job in the Shuckin’ Shack main office, working his way up with innovative marketing strategies. He’s now the vice president of marketing and creative for Shuckin’ Shack Franchising.

“I saw myself in this team,” Keeler said. “We all have the same goals, characters and personalities. I saw myself fitting very well into this team, and I just took a dive.”

When it comes to the franchising industry’s resilience during the pandemic, Keeler said he’s impressed.

“The industry is innovating itself,” he said. “We thought during the pandemic things were going to be at a standstill, but that’s just not the case. Innovations have happened really quickly in the last two years.”