Tupelo Honey, the Asheville, North Carolina-based Southern kitchen and bar with 14 locations across seven states, will continue the expansion of the beloved restaurant with six new locations to open in the next 14 months. Confirmed locations include Boise, ID, a second location in Uptown Charlotte, N.C., Grand Rapids, M.I. and Des Moines, IA. With these expansions, Tupelo Honey will create more than 700 new jobs and open new supply chain routes to deliver their responsibly sourced and scratch-made Southern fare to their new Midwest neighbors.
Over the last 10 years, with the leadership of CEO and owner Stephen Frabitore, Tupelo Honey has built a robust corporate infrastructure that is primed to open four to five stores per year over the next five years with new capital investments. To aid in Tupelo Honey’s expansion, they have retained Duff & Phelps to serve as the exclusive financial advisor for their capital raise initiative kicking off fall 2019. Year-to-date, Tupelo has been experiencing industry leading results in guest count and comp sales.
Since opening the original location in Downtown Asheville, N.C., in 2000, the Tupelo Honey team began its expansion with locations primarily within the Southeast, including stores in South Asheville and Raleigh, N.C., Knoxville and Franklin, Tenn., Greenville and Myrtle Beach, S.C., Arlington, Va. and Sandy Springs, Ga. In 2017, Tupelo Honey headed West, opening its doors in Denver, Colo., followed by Frisco, Texas. Throughout the rapid growth and success of venturing into new markets, Tupelo Honey strives to stay true to its roots of Southern hospitality, responsible sourcing and chef-driven menus.
“We’ve been looking for the right locations to continue our brand expansion over the last few years.” said Frabitore. “In 2020, we will open at least three Midwest locations and look forward to sharing our scratch-made Southern story with new guests. In Charlotte, we’re excited to expand our audience to the very heart of Uptown.”
Guests can expect to see Southern-inspired menus with lunch, brunch and supper options, spearheaded by four-time James Beard Award semifinalist chef Eric Gabrynowicz, and all holding true to Tupelo Honey’s “forever free” mantra: of serving antibiotic, hormone free-protein and sustainably raised and farmed seafood. Longtime favorites will be available among the new locations, including the iconic fried green tomatoes with basil, goat cheese grits and roasted red pepper coulis; Southern fried chicken BLT with apple cider bacon, dijonnaise, lettuce and tomato; and of course Tupelo Honey’s famous fried and roasted chicken, available in a variety of flavors including original honey dusted, sweet and spicy with sriracha honey sauce, cilantro and sweet tea roasted chicken. Don’t miss out on making the experience over the top with a selection of “Shoo Mercy” specials including “Shoo Mercy” sweet potato pancakes topped with fried chicken, bacon and fried eggs or “Shoo Mercy” shrimp and grits with Tupelo Honey’s “forever free” chorizo, sautéed spinach, blistered tomatoes and a fried egg.
Construction is underway across the new locations so stay tuned for additional updates on specific location progress, from opening timelines to when guests can begin making reservations.
