Big Whiskey’s first franchisee to add more NWA stores

The first Big Whiskey’s franchisee, who opened his Bentonville, Arkansas, restaurant in March 2017, signed on for three more stores.

The deal with Shane Miller paves the way for additional Big Whiskey’s restaurants in northwest Arkansas, according to a news release.

“As northwest Arkansas continues to grow, it allows businesses like ours the opportunity to expand further into the region and serve more customers where they live,” Miller said in the release. “We have guests from all over the area and we know there’s a demand outside of Bentonville.”

Miller’s restaurant has posted more than 10% growth each year since opening, according to the release.

The release did not detail the locations and the timeline for the new stores, though Big Whiskey’s President Austin Herschend says plans are underway. Officials also did not disclose the terms of the franchise agreement.

BigWhiskeysFranchise.com indicates the projected initial investment for a single startup restaurant is between $755,500 and $1.4 million, including a $50,000 franchise fee. Franchisees also pay a 5% royalty and 3% of sales for marketing.

Big Whiskey’s’s most recent franchise opened Oct. 18 in Jefferson City. H2B Restaurants LLC, which is co-owned by local businessmen Ed House and Ryan Bohl of Bohl, House, & Samek CPAs, launched the eatery. Less than a month earlier, a franchise in Las Vegas closed after about seven months in operation, Springfield Business Journal previously reported.

Big Whiskey’s currently has 11 restaurants, two of which are owned by franchisees. Franchise stores in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Birmingham, Alabama, have been announced, and according to the release, a third store in the Kansas City area is planned.