Franchising

College student-founded seafood boil concept seeks franchisees

Provided

November 24, 2020

What started as a last-minute college project of a student who spent more time surfing than studying is now looking to expand its one-of-a-kind franchise opportunity across the East Coast.

Having recently opened its first franchise location in Virginia, Outer Banks Boil Company — a North Carolina-based takeout and catering concept that specializes in true low-country Carolinian-style seafood boils — is looking to expand its footprint from Maine to Florida. The brand has five total units in North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia.

"I always knew that I'd prefer board shorts and flip flops over a suit and tie, but I could have never imagined that a senior project would drive me in that direction," Outer Banks Boil Company founder Matt Khouri said in a company press release. "To see a class project develop into a successful and rapidly expanding business concept really is the American dream come true, it's a very fulfilling feeling."

Specifically eyeing beach communities, cities and college/university towns, Khouri plans to open at least three to five units in 2021 and at least five locations each year thereafter.

Khouri, originally from Eldersburg, Maryland, finished his studies at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington in 2012, and moved to Corolla in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with a loose plan to offer the "best pot on the beach."

Working every job he could imagine to pay the bills, he offered his seafood boils from his apartment kitchen, and the kitchens of friends, at vacation homes in the evenings. He'd bring the boil to the homes and steam it up there, offering local knowledge and some fun along with the food.

The first year, Khouri did about 10 boils, the next year 30, the year after 60 and by the fourth year, more than 100 events. By 2019, Outer Banks Boil Company had expanded to four locations in two states and did more than 1,100 catered events that year. In 2020, the burgeoning brand added a fifth location in its third state and is on pace to cater more than 2,500 events by the end of the year.

"The response has been nothing short of amazing, but it really wasn't until folks started expressing interest in taking our concept and putting it in their areas that we knew we were truly onto something," Khouri said. "Late last year, we began answering the call for even more locations and started exploring nationwide franchising as an option."

So what exactly is a boil and how does it work?

Jumbo shrimp, spicy andouille sausage, red bliss potatoes, corn on the cob and sweet Vidalia onions are layered, seasoned and steamed together in a boiling pot of spiced water. Seafood such as snow crab legs, clams, mussels, scallops and lobster tails can also be added, as well as local favorites depending on store location. For non-seafood fans, Outer Banks Boil Company also offers pulled pork, barbecue, coleslaw, cornbread muffins and key lime pie for dessert.

When cooking is complete, the boil is dropped onto a table fully equipped with a table cloth, plates, forks, knives and other essentials for a traditional Carolina low-country boil.

"Our goal is to provide our customers not just a meal, but a memory," Khouri said. "With our years of experience fine-tuning these events, now franchise owners can enjoy the benefits of our alternative dining offerings without the need for a restaurant. This concept is a hit both on and off the beach."

Khouri said the pandemic has actually fueled demand for his business.

"While many restaurants struggled to adapt their systems and processes to continue operations during Covid-19, our concept was perfectly prepared for the shift in the landscape. As dining rooms shut down throughout the country, the demand for takeout food and the restaurant experience rose, which helped our concept flourish during the lockdowns and continue providing people with access to delicious and authentic low-country seafood boils," he said.

To augment the company's growth plans, Outer Banks Boil Company is seeking entrepreneurial and driven franchisees to partner with. Including a franchise fee of $45,000, the initial investment range to open an Outer Banks Boil Company franchise location is $116,000 to $225,000, according to the release.