Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint has been acquired by Florida-based Green Shoot Brands, according to several media reports.
The 22-unit casual-dining chain operates across seven states. Financial terms were not disclosed, according to the Nashville Business Journal.
Founders Aaron Ludwig and Mike Sabin and president Jason Owenby will continue running the company. A Green Shoot spokesperson told The Tennessean the acquisition includes all Jack Brown’s locations, with further expansion planned.
“The burger, the beer and the feel won’t change,” the spokesperson told The Tennessean.
Ludwig and Sabin opened the first Jack Brown’s in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 2009. The childhood friends built the concept around burgers, craft beer, and a dive-bar atmosphere, eventually expanding into Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
The menu centers on American Wagyu beef burgers with toppings that range from macaroni and cheese to peanut butter. The Greg Brady features housemade macaroni and cheese, American cheese, and barbecue potato chips, while the Elvis combines peanut butter, applewood-smoked bacon, American cheese, and Duke’s mayonnaise. Fries and deep-fried Oreos round out the streamlined food lineup.
Craft beer is another cornerstone. Jack Brown’s stocks local and international selections and operates the Notch Club, which offers merchandise and beer-tasting trips for participating guests.
The acquisition adds a burger-and-beer concept to Green Shoot’s nine-brand portfolio. The company operates 410 units across 27 states and Washington, D.C., with more than $500 million in system sales, according to its website. The group franchises with Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Jamba, Carvel, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Little Caesars, PopUp Bagels, and Dave’s Hot Chicken.
Green Shoot began in 2019 with the acquisition of Fresh Dining Concepts. It expanded through acquisitions within its original snack-brand portfolio before broadening its restaurant holdings under CEO Mike Evans, who joined in 2024. Nothing Bundt Cakes and Little Caesars followed in 2025, with PopUp Bagels, Dave’s, and Jack Brown’s added this year.
The ownership change also includes the departure of an early Jack Brown’s investor. Chenault Sanders told the Nashville Business Journal he sold his interests in the restaurant business to support its continued growth in Nashville. Sanders and his partners will retain the real estate housing the Germantown and Clarksville restaurants.
