--- title: "Shuckin’ Shack Expands Its Footprint Throughout North Carolina with Hickory Opening" url: https://burnaze.com/article/c4502e07-8282-4e58-aa05-1fe27a5cd6e7 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/shuckinshack/shuckin-shack-expands-its-footprint-throughout-north-carolina-with-hickory-opening-2711969 category: "Restaurants" industry: "Restaurants" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2020-01-03T18:13:40.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T22:33:48.118Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/40ea09573140844c055b47e7b971c03a574.jpg --- # Shuckin’ Shack Expands Its Footprint Throughout North Carolina with Hickory Opening **TL;DR:** Shuckin' Shack has expanded to 12 North Carolina markets with its latest opening in Hickory. The brand has quickly become a seafood staple in the southeastern region, providing a fresh and delicious menu in a comfortable atmosphere. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2020-01-03. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/shuckinshack/shuckin-shack-expands-its-footprint-throughout-north-carolina-with-hickory-opening-2711969).* ## Story **From its beginnings in 2007 as a 900-foot shack in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, to operating 15 locations across four states,** **Shuckin’ Shack** **has quickly become a seafood staple in the southeastern region. By providing a fresh, delicious menu and a** **comfortable, relaxed atmosphere** **that appeals to families of all ages and demographics,** **Shuckin’ Shack** **has been able to experience** **significant growth, especially in the state of North Carolina.** **The brand has officially reached 12 markets in the state of North Carolina, thanks to its most recent franchisee Brian Rogers. Rogers and his business partner and co-owner Brad Honeycutt opened their Shuckin’ Shack in Hickory on November 22, 2019.** **You don't have to go far to find the other North Carolina Shuckin' Shack locations, which can be found all along the coast, throughout the triangle, and into the Southern Piedmont.** **Rogers, a North Carolina native who served in the United States Marine Corps for four years, has quite a history in the restaurant industry. “I come from a long line of family members in the restaurant business, including my grandfather, uncle and aunt, and father,” Rogers said.** **Reflecting on his early days working at his father’s restaurant, Rogers highlights how much he was able to learn from the experience. “Learning from and working with my father in the restaurant that we owned together taught me what you need in order to succeed—everything from menu development and design to negotiations on items, products, etc.,” he said.** **After moving on from his father’s restaurant, Rogers went to work for** **Longhorn Steakhouse** **as a General Manager. “I was able to apply what I learned from working with my father to my position at Longhorn. And, there, I also learned how crucial employee training is to get the best product for your people and provide the best experience,” he said.** **The experience he gained from working with his father and then for Longhorn Steakhouse led Rogers to become a franchise owner with** **East Coast Wings + Grill; he opened his first location in Hickory, North Carolina in 2011. Then, earlier this year, Rogers heard through the grapevine about an opportunity with Shuckin’ Shack.** **After learning about the brand from a “friend of a friend,” Rogers visited one of their North Carolina locations and decided to fill out a franchise inquiry right then and there. “The management and environment is what really inspired me to invest in the brand,” Rogers said. “They’re not so cookie-cutter and I love their laid-back environment. They have a great concept with what they provide and I loved the lower labor margins and not needing as much staff due to their small footprint. Since staffing is one of the largest issues in the industry, the importance of getting qualified employees and retaining them drove me to be more interested in the brand’s concept and the simplicity of operations at a smaller scale.” **In addition to the management and environment, according to Rogers, he also appreciated the hands-on training and constant support he received from the Shuckin’ Shack leadership team. “The support has been phenomenal,” Rogers said. “Everyone has been very available and has kept in contact with us in terms of where we’re at and where the project is headed. They’re all about hands-on training, which has been great for us.”** **When asked why he thought Hickory would be an ideal location for Shuckin’ Shack, Rogers noted that the concept is unique and already so well-received in the state, providing them ample opportunity to push it out farther away from the coast.** **In regard to the future, Rogers noted that they want to get the Hickory location off the ground and running successfully before they look to expand further—but they are definitely not opposed to adding more locations. “We have looked at several areas for development, but nothing that’s nailed down yet,” he said.** **Shuckin’ Shack began franchising in 2014 and is currently seeking qualified franchisees who prioritize good hospitality and want to be a part of its authentic mission. It recently launched an array of new menu items including** **burgers, sandwiches and brunch options—making Shuckin’ Shack the perfect restaurant for lovers of both surf and turf foods.** ***Start-up costs for a Shuckin’ Shack franchise range from $234,200 to $541,350 and include a $37,500 single-unit franchise fee. For more information on available franchise opportunities, visit*** *** ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - Restaurants (sector) - unit expansion (topic) - restaurant industry (topic) - franchisee (topic) - north carolina (location) - Shuckin' Shack (company) - East Coast Wings + Grill (company) - LongHorn Steakhouse (company) - seafood market (topic) - Hickory (location) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/shuckinshack/shuckin-shack-expands-its-footprint-throughout-north-carolina-with-hickory-opening-2711969). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/c4502e07-8282-4e58-aa05-1fe27a5cd6e7).