Hog’s Breath to make a comeback in the Top End
The Hog’s Breath café is looking to reopen in the Northern Territory, three years after closing.
The popular family franchise is now looking for a partner to help it successfully set up in the region, after the Palmerston franchise closed its doors in January 2021.
A class action against the company had put the breaks on reopening until recently. The action was thrown out of court in January 2024.
“It’s fizzled out but we procrastinated on decisions at Hog’s pending that and now it’s cleared up we’ve resumed conversations about establishing again in the Top End,” Hogs Breath chief executive Steve Spurgin said.
“The growth areas we’re looking at and having success with our restaurants are in suburban spaces as opposed to town centres. There is more appeal if not too close to entertainment venues or party precincts.”
The steakhouse franchise had previously looked at a site in Darwin, but it was deemed unsuitable, due, in part, to the walk from carpark to restaurant which could have affected customer comfort.
Hog's is currently engaged in discussions with potential investors aimed at establishing restaurants to be owned by the investors themselves. These establishments are poised to deliver considerable cost savings for aspiring franchisees.
Initial investment estimates, encompassing the setup of kitchens and grease traps, hover around the $900,000 range.
However, this figure may reduce significantly to approximately $500,000 if the requisite infrastructure is already in place.
“If it’s done over a 10-year lease and the franchise runs the restaurant and the investor owns the asset and is receiving a rental,” Spurgin said.
“We’re in talks about that at the moment and hoping to have that operating in the near future.
It is expected that new venues will be smaller than previous ones accommodating up to 120 people.
Hog’s Breath first opened in Queensland in 1989. There are currently 40 outlets around the country.
Jonathan Jackson, 27th February 2024
