--- title: "Chicken in a Barrel Capitalizes on Growing Momentum in Home State of Hawaii by Targeting the Island of Oahu for Development" url: https://burnaze.com/article/dfedfa27-2242-4739-85e8-d10dddd1f2b5 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/chicken-in-a-barrel-capitalizes-on-growing-momentum-in-home-state-of-hawaii-by-targeting-the-island-of-oahu-for-development-2704840 category: "Chicken" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Chicken" published: 2017-11-16T17:12:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T04:10:40.440Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/3b2a07fafc30644079a8735f3dbce8783366.jpg --- # Chicken in a Barrel Capitalizes on Growing Momentum in Home State of Hawaii by Targeting the Island of Oahu for Development **TL;DR:** Chicken in a Barrel, a restaurant chain founded by Mike Pierce, is expanding to the island of Oahu, Hawaii, after initial success on Kauai. The brand is actively looking for franchisees to bring its concept to Oahu, with plans for further growth in Hawaii and California. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2017-11-16. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/chicken-in-a-barrel-capitalizes-on-growing-momentum-in-home-state-of-hawaii-by-targeting-the-island-of-oahu-for-development-2704840).* ## Key facts - Chicken in a Barrel expands to Oahu - Start-up costs range from $244,510 to $295,208 - Two business models available for franchisees ## Story When Mike Pierce first founded Chicken in a Barrel in Kauai, Hawaii, he was simply on a mission to bring a family tradition to the local community. Instead of getting together for traditional barbecue around the table, dinner for Pierce and his family took place around a barrel. Pierce has long prepared meals by smoking poultry, ribs, beef and pork in a custom barrel before serving a delicious meal right off the hook. So, with the support and encouragement of his family, Pierce thought that this unique approach to smoking meat would be just as big of a hit with other families as it was with his own. And now, nearly eight years since the first Chicken in a Barrel restaurant opened its door for business, it’s clear that Pierce was right. Business for Chicken in a Barrel began to take off as soon as the concept launched its first restaurant, and it’s been growing ever since. In addition to the brand’s corporate locations, Chicken in a Barrel is expanding through franchising, with local owners signed on and preparing to open their own restaurants in Hawaii and California. And the brand’s plans for future franchise growth don’t stop there—Chicken in a Barrel is actively looking for franchisees to bring its proven concept to the island of Oahu. ## Hawaii expansion plans “There’s never been a better or more exciting time to be a part of the Chicken in a Barrel brand. We’re building on incredibly strong momentum both in Hawaii and on the Mainland*, ultimately allowing us to set our franchisees up for long-term success,” said Brent Bierma, co-owner of Chicken in a Barrel. “That’s why we’re eager to move into the Oahu market. Not only has our business model been proven to work, but it’s clear that there’s climbing demand for our unique restaurant concept across our home state. People come from all over to eat at Chicken in a Barrel, and now, we’re catering to that demand by opening up more restaurants in popular local communities.” Franchisees who sign on to bring the Chicken in a Barrel brand to Oahu will gain access to a wide variety of competitive advantages in addition to the ability to leverage a recognizable—and respected—brand name. Chicken in a Barrel boasts a strong support system that includes both initial and ongoing training. Franchisees are also able to learn best practices from another as it pertains to the grand opening process because of the brand’s sense of family and community—Chicken in a Barrel is rooted in a common value system that brings people together. ## Franchise models and costs And the brand offers two different business models for its franchisees, ensuring that its business ownership opportunity is affordable and accessible. Start-up costs for a roadside express location range from $244,510 to $295,208, and initial investments for a full-service restaurant fall between $497,100 and $687,500. “We’re confident that Chicken in a Barrel will take off on the island of Oahu the same way that it has everywhere else it’s opened its doors. We bring something unique to the table that extends beyond our custom barrels for smoking meat—we’ve created an environment that both business owners and customers truly want to be a part of,” said Patrick Pepper, co-owner of Chicken in a Barrel. “Helping our franchisees reach their full potential is incredibly rewarding, and we’re looking forward to helping more local owners realize their dreams of business ownership as we expand in Oahu and beyond.” ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - Restaurants (sector) - unit expansion (topic) - franchising (topic) - California (location) - restaurant concept (topic) - Hawaii (location) - hawaii expansion (topic) - O'ahu (location) - Kauai (location) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/chicken-in-a-barrel-capitalizes-on-growing-momentum-in-home-state-of-hawaii-by-targeting-the-island-of-oahu-for-development-2704840). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/dfedfa27-2242-4739-85e8-d10dddd1f2b5).