This polished casual chain is known for opening in second-use spaces and appeals to the young sophisticated diner with warm surroundings, hand-laid tile, small plates, signature cocktails and local architectural touches that give it local appeal.
The strategy has worked. Bar Louie opened nine company-owned units and one franchised location in the latest year, boosting its unit count by 14.5 percent to 79. Sales grew even faster, by 23.2 percent, an increase of nearly 10 percentage points from the previous year. That moved Bar Louie from No. 196 in terms of domestic sales up to No. 176, and making it the sixth fastest growing chain in the Second 100 census.
2014 Second 100 top 10 growth chains at a glance >>
Keys to Growth:
Evolving menu. Bar Louie rotates in seasonal “limited edition” items every couple of months to keep up with trends. Current items include beef brisket sliders with peach moonshine barbecue sauce and grilled pear slaw; a Peruvian hanger steak dish called lomo saltado; and BLT flatbread. Seasonal cocktails rotate on and off the menu frequently, too, ensuring that there are always interesting libations to keep the bar crowd interested.
Strong ownership. Sun Capital Partners bought Bar Louie in spring of 2010, and since then it has increased its unit count by 80 percent from 44.
Good market position. The polished casual segment has enjoyed success in recent years as affluent consumers have chosen to splurge a bit more on dining and entertainment.
Understanding its customers. Bar Louie’s owners understand what sorts of promotions appeal to their customers, such as happy hour promotions that connect to celebratory holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras and Cinco de Mayo.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
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