Shane's Rib Shack, New Fast-Casual BBQ Concept, is Smokin'; Raving Brands Sets Ambitions for Leadership Position in Latest Fast Casual Segment

Shane's Rib Shack, a three-year-old homegrown concept that got its start in rural McDonough GA, comes from humble beginnings...but the future of Shane's promises to be everything but. Raving Brands acquired this tin roof favorite with the cult-like following in 2005 and is growing it fast!

Fast forward through a handshake, a few signatures and a few months, and Shane's has eleven franchised locations - all but one in Georgia. (That one just opened in Mandeville, LA less than a month ago.) Shane's has hit the ground running with 18 slated to open by the end of the year.

Even more aggressive, Shane's has some bone-breaking long-term growth plans to boast 1000 deals in development by 2010...just five years away. To date, this new-to-franchising concept has about 75 deals in development across nine states. Investors from Phoenix to Cincinnati to Tampa have put money on the national appeal and financial success of Shane's.

"Shane's is the type of concept that is difficult to find across any Restaurant category. Shane has the food, the image, the experience and a scalable concept," explains Chris Morocco, Raving Brands Executive Partner. "Essentially, the only thing we need to do is make sure the new 'shacks' come with heating and air. We don't believe there's a category leader or any significant national players within fast casual rib shack/barbecue. We are a rib shack brand serving 'true' barbecue, ribs, chicken and wings along with some great sides."

Shane's is famous in Georgia for its sauce and everything it touches - baby back ribs, its trademark heaping pork sandwich, chopped barbecue chicken platters and made from scratch sides. Wings come with their own sauce, although Shane's customers have figured a way to satisfy their craving for Shane's Sauce - a combination of wing sauce and Shane's Sauce mixed together called "Q."

Unlike most rib joints and barbecue concepts, Shane's only serves Baby Back Ribs verses the lesser quality Spare Rib and St. Louis Rib cuts. Additionally, as a means of maintaining the finest quality products, Shane's intentionally avoids beef products because of their unpredictable nature and difficulty keeping moist. All pork is smoked for 10 hours and then hand-chopped to order. You will never find a mechanical cutter either.

About Shane's Rib Shack

Georgia-based Shane's Rib Shack is a "true" rib shack serving pork-based Baby Back Ribs, hand-chopped pork and rib sandwiches, pork and chicken platters, wings, chicken tenders and more. Shane makes his own barbecue sauce concocted years ago by his grandfather, Big Dad. Shane's serves sides such as baked beans, fresh slaw, potato salad, Brunswick stew and corn on the cob, made from homemade recipes. Shane's offers a selection of salads including its popular Smoked Chicken Salad and Pork Salad as well as a kid's menu. Shane's Rib Shack is a part of Atlanta-based Raving Brands restaurant portfolio, which also includes the successful Moe's Southwest Grill, Mama Fu's Asian House, Planet Smoothie, PJ's Coffee and the recently launched Doc Green's Gourmet Salads.