North Carolina-born Brixx pizza is expanding nationally
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Brixx at Birkdale in Huntersville. Photo: Courtesy of Brixx
Brixx, the pizza chain that has become a family favorite in the Southeast in the decades since it first opened in Charlotte in 1998, is expanding nationally.
Why it matters: The company's executives are betting that Brixx's wood-fired pies and casual dining approach will resonate with diners outside its core in the Carolinas — from Maryland to Texas, and possibly one day overseas.
Details: Brixx currently has 22 stores across the Carolinas, as well as in Virginia and Tennessee. Seven more are in the pipeline and slated to open in the next year, including one in Concord, says Rocky Tradd, Brixx's VP of sales and development.
- The goal is to expand to 80-100 restaurants by 2030.
- The typical Brixx restaurant is 3,000 to 3,500 square feet, with good visibility from the street. Brixx locations usually have ample patio seating since outdoor dining is a big part of the brand's value proposition — hence its popularity with families.
- That's why Tradd sees markets like Florida and Texas with temperate climates as a logical fit for Brixx. The brand is already in talks with franchisees in Austin and Maryland, he adds.
By the numbers: A typical Brixx restaurant does $2.5 million in revenue per year, and a few generate around $4 million, Tradd says. A franchise fee is $45,000 for one unit.
- "We're a value generated company. We give our franchisees top profit opportunities," Tradd says.
Yes, but: A regional chain's national expansion isn't always successful — even if it is wildly popular in its home market. Take Charlotte-born Bojangles, for instance, which has most of its locations in the Southeast.
- In 2016, a franchisee for the chicken-and-biscuits chain closed eight restaurants in Orlando after just a year.
- The company, which is considering selling itself, is once again in the midst of an aggressive national expansion, with stores planned from New York City to Tampa Bay.
- A big challenge for regional brands expanding outside their core: Lack of brand recognition. Plus, restaurant chains have to smartly innovate their menus if they want to be competitive with other expanding brands, analysts have told Axios.
Between the lines: Tradd points to Brixx's relatively lighter menu — restaurants don't have fryers and instead use brick ovens, nothing is frozen, they offer lighter fare like hummus and salads with salmon — and low-key atmosphere as distinguishing factors in a competitive fast-casual environment.
- In 2023, Brixx replaced Domino's as the official pizza of the Charlotte Hornets, a deal that increased the brand's visibility at Spectrum Center and kicked off what executives described as an ambitious expansion, CBJ reported.
- Around that time is when Brixx appointed a fresh set of leaders, including Tradd and new president Scott Isaacs, to help lead the company's growth.
What they're saying: Getting in front of customers, educating prospective franchisees about Brixx's appeal and not changing what customers love about the brand will position it well for growth, Tradd says.
- "It's going to take a leap of faith in some form from somebody who wants to build thousands of miles away from Charlotte, but you've gotta start somewhere," he adds.