What sets us apart from other sports bar and grill franchises?
We cater to any demographic but especially to families. We do serve beer, wine and liquor, but we’re not like a typical rowdy sports bar. We identify more as family-casual — a little more laid back, a little less loud, a lot more kid-friendly. Eyes are more focused on friends and family than on the TVs.
Native serves around 20 unique, award-winning flavors that guests can order by the individual wing, as well as an extensive menu of pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads and more.
Each restaurant is divided into a bar and restaurant, with approximately 30-40 flat-screen TVs throughout, offering sports coverage for families and serious fans and a customer base spanning all generations, from Baby Boomers and Gen Xers to Millennials and Gen Z.
“We really pride ourselves on being a family sports grill rather than a sports bar,” CEO Dan Chaon says.
We target churches, schools, clubs and athletic programs. The teams come in for game-film review and team meetings. Our approach is to really target ourselves and our messaging around a family sports grill. We clearly are a more comfortable environment.
The franchisee experience
“One of the things you’ll love about Native Grill is the close-knit franchise family,” says Michelle Kim, who opened her first Native Grill in 2019 and is already looking forward to opening more. “I want to build my own empire.”
As a smaller franchise system, we can empower franchise owners by giving them a bigger voice in the direction of the company. We give franchisees room to experiment and innovate, and we’re nimble enough to quickly bring the best new ideas to everyone.
A true neighbourhood pub
A neighborhood pub franchise may sound like a contradiction, but each Native location is a little different, with special touches meant to reflect the neighborhood it serves. Our neighborhood focus is far deeper than decor.
“We’re very proactive in supporting and sponsoring our schools,” says franchise owner Rod Ticknor, who owns two Native Grill franchises in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix, Arizona. “We sponsor the Elementary Art Walk, Halloween festivals, donate gift certificates and baskets, feed teams. On Friday night the football team at the high school comes back into the restaurant and we replay the game. We advertise locally. We’re not just a Native, we’re a Native owned by Rod and Kim Ticknor. That goes a long way because we're seen as locals.”
Evolving toward even stronger bottom lines
Today’s Native continues to evolve. We’ve stayed on the leading edge of technology to better prepare our franchisees for success, so when the 2020 pandemic hit, we were able to quickly pivot to curbside carryout and delivery. The runaway success of our curbside carryout and delivery is allowing us to adjust the business model in ways that could enhance the bottom line for franchisees.
For instance, with so much revenue coming from carryout and delivery, dining room square footage is not as important for generating revenue. Reducing square footage should result in huge savings in real estate costs, while also allowing franchisees to take advantage of smaller high-traffic locations.
Less dine-in also reduces labor costs by allowing restaurants to employ less waitstaff.
“With that evolution and the new prototype and the strength of the CCD sales, we know that we can eliminate our staff probably by 35% to 40%,” Chaon says. “Which, of course, helps your unit economics and productivity.”
How we differ from other bars and grillsThe customer experience
What sets us apart from other sports bar and grill franchises?
We cater to any demographic but especially to families. We do serve beer, wine and liquor, but we’re not like a typical rowdy sports bar. We identify more as family-casual — a little more laid back, a little less loud, a lot more kid-friendly. Eyes are more focused on friends and family than on the TVs.
Native serves around 20 unique, award-winning flavors that guests can order by the individual wing, as well as an extensive menu of pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads and more.
Each restaurant is divided into a bar and restaurant, with approximately 30-40 flat-screen TVs throughout, offering sports coverage for families and serious fans and a customer base spanning all generations, from Baby Boomers and Gen Xers to Millennials and Gen Z.
“We really pride ourselves on being a family sports grill rather than a sports bar,” CEO Dan Chaon says.
We target churches, schools, clubs and athletic programs. The teams come in for game-film review and team meetings. Our approach is to really target ourselves and our messaging around a family sports grill. We clearly are a more comfortable environment. – Dan Chaon, CEO
The franchisee experience
“One of the things you’ll love about Native Grill is the close-knit franchise family,” says Michelle Kim, who opened her first Native Grill in 2019 and is already looking forward to opening more. “I want to build my own empire.”
As a smaller franchise system, we can empower franchise owners by giving them a bigger voice in the direction of the company. We give franchisees room to experiment and innovate, and we’re nimble enough to quickly bring the best new ideas to everyone.
A true neighbourhood pub
A neighborhood pub franchise may sound like a contradiction, but each Native location is a little different, with special touches meant to reflect the neighborhood it serves. Our neighborhood focus is far deeper than decor.
“We’re very proactive in supporting and sponsoring our schools,” says franchise owner Rod Ticknor, who owns two Native Grill franchises in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix, Arizona. “We sponsor the Elementary Art Walk, Halloween festivals, donate gift certificates and baskets, feed teams. On Friday night the football team at the high school comes back into the restaurant and we replay the game. We advertise locally. We’re not just a Native, we’re a Native owned by Rod and Kim Ticknor. That goes a long way because we’re seen as locals.”
Evolving toward even stronger bottom lines
Today’s Native continues to evolve. We’ve stayed on the leading edge of technology to better prepare our franchisees for success, so when the 2020 pandemic hit, we were able to quickly pivot to curbside carryout and delivery. The runaway success of our curbside carryout and delivery is allowing us to adjust the business model in ways that could enhance the bottom line for franchisees.
For instance, with so much revenue coming from carryout and delivery, dining room square footage is not as important for generating revenue. Reducing square footage should result in huge savings in real estate costs, while also allowing franchisees to take advantage of smaller high-traffic locations.
Less dine-in also reduces labor costs by allowing restaurants to employ less waitstaff.
“With that evolution and the new prototype and the strength of the CCD sales, we know that we can eliminate our staff probably by 35% to 40%,” Chaon says. “Which, of course, helps your unit economics and productivity.”