The Football Hero Turned Restauranteur is a Strong Advocate of the Franchise Business Model
Football great Lincoln Kennedy is an entrepreneur extraordinaire. Kennedy, who played with the Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders, invested in restaurants starting nearly two decades ago. He retired from his playing days in 2004 and ended up moving to Phoenix, where he became active in the NFL Retired Players Association. That was how he came to meet another former NFL player, Ron Lou, the founder of the Angry Crab Shack, which specializes in enticingly spiced seafood boils.
“My first-ever restaurant opened in Atlanta, one that I took over from the previous owners in 1994. It was my first business as a sole owner. After that I bought a Subway franchise and a Blimpie sandwich shop in Seattle.” (He no longer owns them.) As a postscript, Kennedy mentions that he established an online cigar company in 2010.
Restaurants are his thing once again, and he may be well-situated for ongoing success, according to Toast’s overview for 2023. It projects annual sales in the restaurant industry at $863 billion – that’s 4% of the country’s gross domestic product. In addition, Toast’s write-up said that pent-up demand for restaurant meals remains high, with nearly 40% of adults expressing an interest in eating at restaurants more often.
And Today: Angry Crab Shack Franchisee
Kennedy certainly plans to feed into that pent-up demand. He opened his first Angry Crab Shack in Phoenix in 2019. His second Angry Crab Shack opened in Las Vegas in 2021. “Both locations were existing restaurants that were converted to become Angry Crab Shack locations, thus eliminating the need to build a new site.”
He’s a strong advocate of the franchise business model because of the support and guidance from the franchisor. “I don’t think I would have ventured out on my own because I didn’t want to be involved with the day-to-day operations of the restaurant,” explained Kennedy. “I wouldn’t know what I was doing or where to begin. I wanted the franchise because the franchisor not only provides just about everything needed to survive, but more importantly, the detailed blueprint for operating and expanding the business.”
Lincoln’s Angry Crab Shack has done more than survive – it’s thriving, although Kennedy admits the Covid-19 pandemic was worrisome. “Maintaining the Phoenix location and opening the second one in Vegas in the midst of the pandemic was a challenge. We were able to stay open by improving and expanding the ‘take-out’ component of the business.”
Kennedy’s Role as an Owner
“I don’t manage the day-by-day operations with my current restaurants. I’ve learned enough about the business to pay attention to the details so I can be involved with major decisions and marketing. I pay attention to trends and key times during the year to make a greater impression upon the communities our restaurants are located in. I’m really big on community involvement.” He supports children’s hospitals, first-responder organizations and local school districts, giving discounts to students and teachers. Last year, Kennedy and other Angry Crab Shack franchise partners reached nearly $1.5 million in contributions to various charities since 2017.
He says that franchisor support has been “extremely helpful” to his success. “From advice on marketing as well as possible new products and services, they’ve been great. Also, because the Angry Crab Shack business model has been instrumental to the success of our restaurants, I plan to open additional locations.”
Kennedy’s career as a franchise partner and restaurateur has been fulfilling. “The most rewarding element of being a business owner is creating memorable experiences for my guests and seeing how food brings people together. I believe these are not only important keys to operating a successful business, but also values that I want to share with my three kids as they learn the business.”
About Angry Crab Shack
Founded in 2013, Angry Crab Shack is a fun, casual seafood restaurant specializing in seafood boils with bold Asian-Cajun flavors that are unique to the brand and which guests find irresistible. Headquartered in Mesa, AZ., the seafood concept began franchising in 2017 and has since grown to 23 operating franchise locations across Arizona, Alabama, Nevada, Texas, Georgia, Washington and London England.
The franchise has agreements signed to bring additional restaurants to Arizona, Georgia, Texas, and across the pond to London. “Restaurants will open in Arizona and Georgia over the next few months with a goal of having 100 locations open and operating by 2030,” says Angry Crab Shack President Andy Diamond.
Diamond says the franchise has a goal of expanding throughout the United States, and internationally adding more sites in the United Kingdom, and opening new franchises throughout the Gulf States and Singapore. Expansion targets are cities with 200,000 or more in population. The franchise expects to award six to eight new franchises and open approximately 10 new restaurants in 2024.
Why Choose Angry Crab Shack?
The franchise’s expansion is fueled by “Its unique restaurant concept and menu, history of innovation and excellent return on investment,” Diamond says. “Other benefits of investing in an Angry Crab Shack franchise are its comprehensive training programs, experienced corporate support team, strong global brand recognition, and the opportunity to build long-term value in a business.”
Diamond says that he looks at several factors when considering potential franchise partners. “Naturally they must be financially qualified, and it’s a major plus if they have prior business, management or business ownership experience, preferably in the restaurant segment.” In terms of soft skills, Diamond looks for “a coachable and dynamic personality, organizational and problem-solving skills, and the ability to manage people.”
For additional information about the family-friendly Angry Crab Shack franchise, visit www.angrycrabfranchise.com/.
