In terms of procurement, the chain gets its lobsters from the East Coast, its Dungeness crab from the Pacific Northwest, its king crab from the Bering Strait (between Russia and Alaska), its snow crab from Canada, and crawfish from the Gulf of Mexico. For the U.K., it will be somewhat different. For example, Diamond says the group will likely use a brown or spider crab instead of Dungeness and obtain snow crab from Norway. Angry Crab Shack uses Sysco for distribution, and so will Mason and M.
“Since they know what our seafood is like it's just finding a comparable quality, comparable taste, and hopefully at a comparable price of products,” Diamond says. “Everything will be locally sourced as it is, the spices will be locally sourced, paper goods, everything like that, will mirror what we do here in the U.S.”
More international growth could be on the radar. Angry Crab Shack has a franchise store in Yuma, Arizona, that’s about two-and-a-half hours away from Mexicali, Mexico, and the owner of that restaurant has interest in partnering with others south of the border. South America could be a possible destination as well. In Europe, the brand has trademarks throughout the U.K. and Ireland, and Diamond is banking on the new U.K. stores building interest internationally.
“I would imagine that we will get some more interest from other countries, and when we do, we'll look at it exactly the way we do with every franchise partner," Diamond says. "We look at the candidate, the market they are interested in opening to determine if it is a good fit for both parties."
The brand oversees 14 franchises and five corporate stores in Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Nevada, and Texas. Prior to COVID, Angry Crab Shack set a goal to reach 100 locations by 2025, and Diamond says the chain is sticking with it despite some slowdowns over the past couple of years. Operators are now starting to return to growth. One franchise company in Atlanta is preparing to sign a lease for an agreement signed in 2019, and that’s because one of the owners is a traveling emergency nurse who’s been occupied.
This year, Angry Crab Shack entered Texas and opened three units in Arizona. A deal was signed to bring another two locations to Arizona, but Diamond says most growth going forward will be in the Midwest, Texas, and Southeast. In 2023, the chain will open two units in Atlanta and make its debut in Washington State. Additionally, the company is in talks with a “very large” franchising group to bring the concept to California.
Diamond, who is an accountant by nature, is wary of economic conditions heading into 2023. He recommends that franchise partners not make decisions based on what’s in the bank account. That means continuing to advertise, market, and putting money into training, salaries, and quality food.
He believes operators must do what’s best for the business. And he’s confident in the U.K. franchisee following all of those guidelines.
“The group from the U.K. doesn't seem overly concerned about the economics,” Diamond says. “The market is heavily populated with a lot of pedestrian traffic near the location.”