A new takeout and catering franchise that specializes in true low-country Carolinian-style seafood boils is setting its sights on Virginia Beach for growth.
Business partners Kyle Vrhovac and Parker Byrd opened the first franchise location of the Outer Banks Boil Company in Charlottesville in July 2020. After seeing the success of the concept amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the duo – who recently added Kyle’s childhood best friend Evan Verbeek to their ownership group, – are poised to open their second location in Virginia Beach at the end of the first quarter in 2021.
For Vrhovac, the decision on where to open a second Outer Banks Boil Company was easy.
“Having been born and raised in Suffolk, I wanted to share the Outer Banks Boil Company concept with the community I grew up in,” said Vrhovac. “I have family and friends in the area, so to bring our business and our food back to Virginia Beach to share with them is a really special feeling.”
After visiting the Outer Banks looking for rental properties, Byrd and Vrhovac happened upon an Outer Banks Boil Company location and fell in love with the concept. After researching the brand even further, the duo knew that this was the perfect concept for them, and knew that there was great opportunity in the Charlottesville and Virginia Beach markets.
“I’ve been doing seafood boils all my life with my family and friends, but never knew it could be a business until finding the Outer Banks Boil Company,” stated Byrd. “We were both searching for ways to get into business for ourselves, and Outer Banks Boil Company gave us the opportunity to do something that we were passionate about and become our own bosses.”
So what exactly is a boil?
Jumbo shrimp, spicy andouille sausage, red bliss potatoes, corn on the cob and sweet Vidalia onions are layered, seasoned to perfection and expertly steamed together in a boiling pot of spiced water. Seafood such as snow crab legs, clams, mussels, scallops and lobster tails can also be added, as well as local favorites depending on store location. For non-seafood fans, Outer Banks Boil Company also offers pulled pork barbecue, coleslaw, cornbread muffins and key lime pie for dessert.
The Virginia expansion comes at a time when Outer Banks Boil Company continues to grow its footprint along the East Coast. In addition to adding the new location in Virginia Beach, Outer Banks Boil Company also signed a deal to open three locations in the Tampa, Florida marketplace, the first of which is slated to open in February. The rapidly expanding brand has five total units operating in North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia. Specifically eyeing beach communities, cities and college/university towns, Outer Banks is planning to open at least 3-5 units in 2021 and at least five locations each year thereafter.