Atlanta — Huddle House, an iconic family dining brand for the last 60 years, is undergoing a transformative evolution. Under the leadership of CEO James O’Reilly and Chief Operating Officer Blain Shortreed, the brand unveils a reimagined brand identity that includes a trio of new restaurant prototypes to accelerate the brand’s geographic expansion.
“As we celebrate 60 incredible years, we lay the foundation for the next 60 in a big way, stepping confidently into our evolution,” says James O’Reilly, CEO of Ascent Hospitality Management, the parent company of Huddle House. “This new chapter, driven by extensive customer research and a refined brand positioning, reflects our commitment to meet the needs of today’s diners while staying true to our core values.”
Huddle House unveiled a redesigned logo that modernizes the iconic “HH” — a nod to the signature imprint on every fresh-cooked waffle — blending 60 years of heritage with a contemporary edge. Paired with the new tagline, “Bring it in,” Huddle House reaffirms its role as a welcoming hometown gathering spot, delivering high-quality food, personalized service and unbeatable value. The brand updated every asset that guests touch including packaging, photography, advertising and signage (to name a few).
At the heart of Huddle House’s transformation is a bold redesign of Huddle House restaurants. Studio 11 Design is leading this redesign, balancing Huddle House’s timelessness with contemporary dining expectations. In addition to a totally redesigned and improved new small-town mainline restaurant, Huddle House has also developed two new restaurant concepts designed to accelerate growth in urban, suburban and non-traditional settings.
The QSR conversion format focuses on drive-thru and walk-up ordering, catering to busy urban and suburban areas with a menu packed with Huddle House classics and portable options like sandwiches, burgers, burritos and waffle tacos. This prototype will be piloted with a select group of franchisees. The Huddle House non-traditional format targets high-traffic locations such as airports, colleges, malls and travel centers. The non-traditional concept is designed for convenience, with portable, off-premise dining options in a smaller space of 500 to 1,200 square feet.
“The new transformed restaurant designs will serve as the blueprint for the transformed Huddle House, opening up new trade areas and new growth potential beyond what has ever been possible before,” says Blain Shortreed, COO of Ascent Hospitality. “Our new assets will be more welcoming, higher-tech, more off-premise centric, and will feature Huddle House classics, and our new / evolved menu platforms such as burritos, smashburgers and waffle tacos.”
After 18 months of rigorous development and testing, Huddle House is currently rolling out significant upgrades to its core offerings — a key pillar of its transformation. Guests can now enjoy the new soft and buttery Southern Country Biscuit, all-new crispy and juicy Chicken Tenders, the new Smashed Huddle Burger, a reimagined Huddle Burger with a soft buttery potato bun, and all-new crispy crinkle fries.
Huddle House has been serving freshly prepared, quality home-style food since 1964. Huddle House Inc. is an Ascent Hospitality Management brand with nearly 300 locations open or in development. For more information, visit https://huddlehousefranchising.com and www.HuddleHouse.com.
SOURCE: Huddle House Inc.