Johnny Rockets today announced its first agreement to private-label its signature menu items for home consumption.
Blackwood Industries, Inc., based in Orlando, has been selected to represent the brand through the distribution of branded hamburger patties and other related products, as of Oct. 1, 2015.
This announcement comes on the heels of a recent Johnny Rockets announcement to launch three new expressions of the brand, in addition to its existing diner-style restaurants. Johnny Rockets Route 66 and Johnny Rockets Express are now joined by Johnny Rockets At Home, designed to license a complementary suite of consumer products through a number of retail venues.
"We believe that diners around the world have some kind of emotional tie to our brand," says Johnny Rockets chief development officer, James Walker. "We want to recreate that special combination in American homes by providing quality products with an added touch of entertainment and fun, just as we serve in our restaurants."
The international restaurant chain, purchased in June 2013 by Sun Capital Partners and boasting a recently appointed team of progressive restaurant experts, plans to offer relevant food and beverage products, specialty items, and small housewares through a number of non-restaurant outlets and is especially targeting big-box value retailers.
This new agreement with The Blackwood Group is the first step in expanding the Johnny Rockets brand outside of existing restaurants.
"We know that there is a trust level that comes with offering branded restaurant products in retail stores," says John B. White III, founder of Blackwood Industries, Inc. "With 18 years of experience in this arena, we are a multi-faceted team that works closely with suppliers, manufacturers, and merchants to make sure the products we source and supply provide the closest possible representation of the brands that appear on their packages."
"By creating products that utilize flavors and pairings found in our Johnny Rockets restaurants, we believe we can allow guests to bring a little bit of that experience into their home," says Joel Bulger, Johnny Rockets chief marketing officer. "In fact, we're already envisioning relationships in the future where we'll partner with music and entertainment groups to enhance the experience of enjoying Johnny Rockets at home even more."
