You will read about many a trendy hospitality concept in TimeOut, a hype layered on top of a hype, niche concepts loved (fleetingly) by young London urbanites.
At Piper, we love the unsung heroes of the industry. Loungers, Hickory’s Smokehouse and Turtle Bay are relatively unknown to Londoners and yet captivate customers all around the country. They provide a unique experience to the other 55m who are looking for brands that understand their needs and not just of those in W1.
There are few brands that can inspire the kind of love that Hickory’s has done in every community it has opened in. Since 2014, Hickory’s has grown from three to six sites (Wall Heath, Burton Green and Castle Bromwich, Chester, West Kirby and Rhos on Sea), with many more sites in the pipeline in the North-West and The Midlands. With more than half of customers driving more than 30mins (many more than an hour) to eat and drink at Hickory’s, the brand constantly gets emails pleading for them to open up near them.
We are, therefore, really excited about this week’s reopening of Hickory’s at Wall Heath, a site that sadly burnt down last year. The outpouring of support from the local community has been incredible – the Facebook page was overwhelmed with an unprecedented numbers of well-wishers alongside those that turned out in their nighties to shed a tear as they watched their Hickory’s burn to the ground. This is just a reflection of the innovative ways in which the brand engages with the local community, from engaging kids play areas, late-night American Super Bowl parties…and duck racing in Chester.
Out of the ashes, we are really proud of the beautiful new Hickory’s that will emerge at Wall Heath, kicked off by a breakfast for the 100 firefighters that fought so valiantly to save the building. Over the last 12 months, Piper has worked with Hickory’s and brand consultancy Keane to redesign the interiors to better communicate what Hickory’s is all about: warm, family-friendly southern US hospitality serving delicious, authentic food and drink.
For more information, please contact:
Yasha Estraikh
Email: yasha@piper.co.uk
Phone +44 (0)207 727 3842