SALES SOARED MORE THAN 20% LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO TECHNOMIC. | PHOTOS COURTESY OF BUBBA’S 33
ba’s what country music is to Roadhouse. It helps create the energy and atmosphere of the restaurants. With its emphasis on alcohol, sports and rock music, Bubba’s was envisioned as a more adult-oriented brand than Roadhouse. So its founders were surprised when it turned out to be a hit with families. “We’re really a casual-dining family concept” rather than a traditional sports bar, said Travis Doster, chief communications officer. It helps that Bubba’s offers a wide menu that appeals to many different tastes and oc- casions. There’s pizza, burgers, chicken wings, appetizers, sandwiches and salads—what the
chain refers to as a “food for all” philosophy. Executives expected pizza to be the star of the menu, but burgers and wings are the clear fa- vorites. And like at Roadhouse, the food comes first. “It’s always been about the food for us,” Morgan said. “It’s got to be food that people want to eat. You got to serve it smoking hot. Picture perfect, recipe right. That’s our tro- phy.” Much of Bubba’s menu is made from scratch. That has helped the brand stand out in the crowded sports bar segment, where the menu can sometimes be secondary to what- ever game is on TV. At Bubba’s, it’s the other
U.S. and alcohol flowed freely again. Today, Bubba’s marks the occasion with a celebra- tion every Dec. 5. The first Bubba’s 33 opened in Fayette - ville, North Carolina, in a converted Texas Roadhouse. A Texas Roadhouse now sits across the street, a sign of the two brands’ compatibility. Roadhouse and Bubba’s share a lot of the same DNA. Both pride themselves on good food, good service and a fun atmosphere. That focus on fundamentals has fueled Road- house’s meteoric rise over the past decade, and it is doing the same for Bubba’s. “We use the same philosophy,” Morgan said. “It’s all about legendary food and leg- endary service, high-level hospitality. And it’s about being great partners in our communi- ty.” But while Texas Roadhouse has the add- ed benefit of being in the booming steak seg - ment, Bubba’s is more of a bar concept. Each location has two bars, some of which are out- doors. It offers a wider beer selection and sells more cocktails than its sibling brand. It’s also more sports-focused. Early restau - rants had as many as 70 televisions, though that number has shrunk to 45, thanks to larg- er screens. “Anywhere you sit in Bubba’s, you can see sports on the TV,” Morgan said. But not every TV shows sports. Some screens show music videos from Taylor’s be- loved ‘70s and ‘80s. Rock-and-roll is to Bub-
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