Ford’s Garage, the 1920s garage-themed burger and craft beer restaurant franchise, expanded its national footprint in the first quarter of the year with the opening of three new locations. The new restaurants and franchise owners include:
- Florence, Kentucky at Saratoga Square Shopping Center; Mike McGuigan, franchise owner
- Novi, Michigan at Twelve Mile Crossing; Billy Downs, franchise owner
- Oviedo, Florida at Oviedo on the Park; Marc Brown, franchise owner
“We welcome these three new locations to the Ford’s Garage family and look forward to hosting their patrons for a fun dining experience combined with a delicious menu and unique atmosphere,” says Steven Shlemon, President of Ford’s Garage and its parent company, ICON Restaurant Group. “We’re extremely pleased with the consistent growth of the brand and look forward to extending that growth in the coming months with additional franchise locations in new markets.”
Ford’s Garage is an official licensee of the Ford Motor Company, and the brand has become a dining destination throughout the country, drawing customers with its nostalgic style and hand-crafted American fare — like their Burgers of Fame, named after local dignitaries and community leaders. It was founded in 2012 in Fort Myers, Florida near the winter home of Henry Ford. The décor includes vintage vehicles, fixtures and gas pumps and even a Model T or Model A car suspended above the center bar.
The theme is carried throughout the restaurant. Servers wear mechanic shirts, napkins are composed of blue shop towels, restroom sinks are made from tires and the faucets are fuel pump nozzles. Even the bars are decidedly vintage, mixing Prohibition-style elements like brick, richly colored woods and a copper bar top hammered by hand.
“I’m thrilled to continue my journey with Ford’s Garage by bringing this hugely successful concept to a new market,” says Mike McGuigan, Florence, Kentucky franchise owner and founder of the Ford’s Garage concept. “I’ve been involved in themed restaurants for almost my entire career, and this is one of the most exciting – offering freshly made food and an incredible experience with universal appeal for all ages.”
Ford’s Garage now franchises 22 locations throughout the country, including a unique collaborative restaurant on the property of Bozard Ford, one of the nation’s leading auto dealerships located in St. Augustine, Florida. It’s a successful, first–of-its-kind relationship that drives customer traffic organically between the dealership and the restaurant that they’re looking to replicate in other markets.
