Angry Crab Shack, a full-service franchise restaurant specializing in seafood and boils with bold Asian-Cajun flavors, is on pace to double its system-wide footprint in 2022 after closing out 2021 with immense growth and performance. Coming off of a challenging two years for the restaurant industry due to the pandemic, Angry Crab Shack saw increases in AUV of 33 percent in 2021 over 2020 and 10 percent over 2019.
As consumers are increasing their seafood intake each year, Angry Crab Shack is capitalizing on the growing seafood boil trend to bring family and friends together for a memorable and unique dining experience. In 2021, Angry Crab Shack signed franchise agreements to bring restaurants to Atlanta; Casa Grande and Scottsdale, Arizona; Houston, and Seattle. Targeted franchise expansion states for 2022 include Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Texas.
“2021 was more difficult to manage than 2020, but the changes we made to our infrastructure, training, and operations in 2020 helped us to better navigate the economic effects we realized in 2021,” says Andy Diamond, president of Angry Crab Shack. “With this foundation in place, we were able to place a stronger emphasis on franchise growth, resulting in new signed franchise agreements to open in additional markets throughout the country. We expect this growth to continue well into 2022 with targeted expansion plans in place to add new restaurants coast to coast.”
Angry Crab Shack has set aggressive expansion goals to sign 20 franchise agreements in 2022 through multi-unit deals with seasoned restaurant operators throughout the United States. The brand’s proven performance coupled with high-tier franchise support has resulted in eager entrepreneurs and multi-unit operators flocking to the franchise opportunity.
“Impressive sales, competitive investment levels, great earnings, and a real estate strategy focusing on second generation sites, position the brand as an attractive investment opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to enter the full-service restaurant industry,” adds Diamond, noting the initial investment to open an Angry Crab Shack ranges between $401,540 and $726,500.
While the brand enjoyed impressive franchise growth in 2021, Angry Crab Shack’s commitment to supporting its communities still did not waiver. In 2021, it partnered with eight charity organizations in local communities the brand serves, including Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona, Las Vegas, and Houston. Phoenix Children’s Hospital, the brand’s longstanding charitable partner, received $200,000 in donated funds, totaling $367,152 since 2018. The Arizona Housing Coalition received $55,000 in donated funds, totaling $195,790 in total since 2017. Other organizations benefitting from Angry Crab Shack’s charitable donations in 2021 included the Mesa Food Bank, St. Mary’s Foodbank of Phoenix, Houston Food Bank, American Service Animal Society, and Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Nevada.
In 2021, Angry Crab Shack donated $325,000 in total across these charitable organizations. In fact, Angry Crab Shack’s charitable efforts were honored as the brand was awarded the 2021 Community Impact Award from the Phoenix Business Journal for displaying an exemplary effort in community service.
Angry Crab Shack’s 2022 goals remain focused on its vision to provide seafood lovers with broad menu choices, outstanding service, and genuine hospitality in a one-of-a-kind environment, while continuing to innovate menu offerings and simplifying operations for franchise owners to provide high-quality menu items and convenience for all guests.
