The Meat House To Open 20 Stores

opening its newest store in Charlotte, N.C., on April 17, The Meat House will open 20 franchise locations of its gourmet butcher shop concept by year's end.

Seven years after opening their first store in Portsmouth, N.H., The Meat House's founding partners Justin Rosberg and Jason Parent officially launched a franchise development program in February. Already, The Meat House has territory agreements in place for more than 125 stores in 11 states, with another 100 stores in six other states currently under consideration.

To date, The Meat House has 11 companyowned stores and seven franchise locations.

Within the next year, The Meat House expects demand for its franchise model will catapult the brand's annual revenue from $18 million to more than $100 million.

Rosberg, who is the company's CEO, said the retail concept's growth has been "really consumer driven. Almost immediately after we opened in Portsmouth in 2003, we were asked if franchises were available." Part of the reason, Rosberg explained, is its company stores in Maine and New Hampshire are located in areas frequented by tourists.

Located in a 3,000- to 4,000-square-foot storefront, The Meat House offers premium meats as well as proprietary marinades, cheeses, produce, artisan breads, prepared side dishes, wines, beer and other specialty foods. Many of the meats, breads and other specialty foods are sourced locally, which gives the franchise operator the ability to customize its product mix to its clientele, noted Rosberg. "What we are selling in Costa Mesa, Calif., is different than what we are selling in York, Maine. A store manager can bring in products that his or her customers are looking for." Chainwide, The Meat House is seeing increased demand for local and all-natural products, he added.

While it is known for its high-quality meats, The Meat House prides itself on offering "unparalleled customer service and hospitality," noted Rosberg. And now that it is franchising its concept, selecting the right business partner is key to maintaining consistency.

The Meat House's area development program maintains strict qualifications for the selection of partners, and requires multi-unit franchise commitments. Area developers are required to open a minimum of four to eight stores in a period of four years. The company has also entered into several large-scale agreements, for between 12 to 35 stores, with experienced multi-unit operators and groups that have already demonstrated excellence in regional franchise development.

"The Meat House is dedicated to maintaining scalable growth with brand integrity and business excellence," said The Meat House's chief business development officer Tom Brown. "With that in mind, we will only enter into franchise agreements with completely committed, seasoned entrepreneurs and operators with demonstrated track records of success in restaurant operations or multi-unit franchise development." In addition to the store requirements, all area developers are required to carry a minimum financial net worth of $1.5 million and a liquidity of $500,000. The Meat House will offer support through all phases of business operations, including site selection, hiring, product purchasing and marketing.

For more information, visit www.themeathouse.com.

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