Southern Rock Restaurants Signs 52-Unit Hawaiian Bros Deal

Southern Rock Restaurants/Southern Rock Hawaii signed a 52-unit development agreement with Hawaiian Bros Island Grill to develop Florida locations across Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tampa, and Orlando over the next six years. The operator plans to develop 24 restaurants over the next three years. 

Leading the development is Southern Rock CEO Max Piet, a restaurant industry veteran with 35-plus years of experience and extensive knowledge of building and running multi-unit fast casual businesses in the Florida market. Currently, Piet and his team own and operate nearly 200 restaurants as McAlister's Deli and Dave's Hot Chicken franchisees in 13 states. Southern Rock has been repeatedly recognized as Franchisee of the Year, Developer of the Year, and fastest-growing franchisee in the US. 

"Hawaiian Bros is a rapidly growing brand built around a simple, proven model, strong culture, and commitment to exceptional hospitality. We see tremendous opportunity for it in these outstanding Florida markets," Piet said. "I'm especially excited to introduce Hawaiian Bros to areas I know and love. This is an important new chapter for Southern Rock, and we look forward to growing the Hawaiian Bros brand with a sharp focus on great teams and strong leadership." 

The agreement is one of Hawaiian Bros' largest development commitments and establishes a significant growth pipeline in a new state. 

"Entering Florida is a highly anticipated milestone for Hawaiian Bros, and we couldn't ask for a more experienced group to help establish our presence in the state," said Grant Kreutzer, senior vice president of franchise development at Hawaiian Bros. "Max knows these Florida markets extremely well, and Southern Rock has an impressive track record of building and operating successful multi-unit restaurant businesses at scale. Their strong infrastructure makes them exactly the kind of operator we want growing alongside Hawaiian Bros."