Craveworthy Brands acquires Hot Chicken Takeover parent company

Fast-casual restaurant platform company completes the acquisition of Untamed Brands.

Craveworthy Brands acquires Untamed Brands

Courtesy of Craveworthy Brands

Craveworthy Brands, a fast-casual restaurant platform company that is home to concepts such as BD's Mongolian Grill, Dirty Dough, Flat Top Grill, Genghis Grill, Krafted Burger Bar + Tap, Lucky Cat Poke Co., Pastizza Pizza & Pasta, Scramblin' Ed's, Sigri Indian BBQ, Soom Soom Mediterranean, The Budlong Southern Chicken and Wing It On, has completed the acquisition of Untamed Brands, the multibrand operator and parent company of taim Mediterranean Kitchen and Hot Chicken Takeover.

Craveworthy's acquisition of Untamed marks a pivotal moment in the company's trajectory of growth and solidifies its position in the healthy Mediterranean and popular chicken segments, respectively. Following the recent addition of Sigri Indian BBQ to its growing list of restaurant brands, this milestone underscores Craveworthy's commitment to innovative culinary excellence and satisfying guests with quality dining experiences in various fast-casual sectors.

Untamed Brands launched in 2021 with taim, a New York City-based concept founded in 2005 by double-time Food Network champion Chef Einat Admoney as a falafel joint that complemented her full-service concept Balaboosta. Taim uses market-fresh produce, authentic herbs and spices and time-honored techniques of Mediterranean cooking to serve pitas, bowls, salads and mezze. Taim currently operates 13 restaurants across New York and Washington, D.C.

In late 2021, Untamed Brands acquired HCT, a Columbus, Ohio-based concept with a cult-like following, serving Nashville-style hot chicken and Southern-influenced sides. HCT was founded in 2014 by Joe DeLoss with a fair-chance hiring mission, which provides supportive careers to individuals whose personal circumstances may typically prevent them from obtaining steady employment. HCT currently operates seven restaurants throughout Central Ohio and two Columbus sports team stadium locations.

Craveworthy will seamlessly integrate taim with Soom Soom, which is the Mediterranean concept Craveworthy partnered with C3 to franchise in 2023. Taim will share an identity and vision with Soom Soom, amplifying the unified brands' appeal for bold Mediterranean flavors and reach with a newly expanded footprint from coast to coast. HCT's locations will serve as a catalyst for the creation of a fresh hot-chicken concept with Craveworthy's Budlong, synergizing their complementary offerings and kick-starting rapid growth. Taim and HCT will feature new branding and refreshed restaurant designs and further emphasize the guest dining experience in the coming future.

Beyond the acquisition, Craveworthy will customize franchise programs for the revitalized brands and seek entrepreneurs who want to partner with up-and-coming restaurant concepts. By instilling its proven operating procedures, creative marketing strategies and dedicated finance processes, the company will optimize restaurant systems and elevate awareness of the brands.

Founded in 2022, Craveworthy Brands is a hospitality-first company dedicated to invigorating and supercharging legacy brands while nurturing and growing emerging brands, as well as delivering quality food and immersive guest experiences. As Craveworthy continues to expand its presence nationally, it projects $1 billion in systemwide sales within approximately five years and plans to acquire additional brands, open nearly 17 corporate locations and open over 60 virtual restaurants throughout 2024.

"Taim and HCT are beloved concepts with long histories of serving high-quality cuisine and providing excellent service. They bring a fresh perspective and complement our existing portfolio extremely well, which allows us to cater to diverse consumer preferences and truly tap into new markets," said CEO and Founder of Craveworthy Brands, Gregg Majewski.

"Craveworthy has a wealth of experience in nurturing emerging restaurant brands and implementing scalable strategies. Combining our strengths and shared commitment to culinary innovation, hospitality and elevating guest experiences, this will be an exciting, new chapter for taim and HCT," said Phil Petrilli, CEO and founder of Untamed Brands.

"Successfully integrating taim and HCT will be a game-changer for Craveworthy Brands and place the Company at the helm of the restaurant landscape, as we continue to expand our footprint and presence throughout the U.S.," said Majewski.

Harrington Park Advisors served as exclusive financial advisor, and DLA Piper served as legal counsel to Untamed Brands.

Source: Craveworthy Brands

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

On-Demand Join us for an exclusive look into the future of the protein industry with The National Provisioner’s 2024 State of the Industry webinar, a key feature of our October eMagazine. Dive deep into transformative insights as consumer research experts from Circana take the stage.

IPPE 2025

The International Production & Processing Expo is the world's largest annual poultry and egg, meat, and animal food industry event of its kind. A wide range of domestic and international decision-makers attend this annual event to find solutions for their business, network with industry colleagues, and learn about the latest technological developments and issues facing the industry.

The 2025 IPPE already has 1,200+ exhibitors that will occupy more than 583,000+ square feet of exhibit space. The 2025 IPPE will offer timely and important information and an efficient way for producers and processors to find solutions to enhance their operations.

We look forward to being with you again at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Mark your calendar to join us Jan. 28 - 30, 2025. You will not want to miss this "must-attend" event for our industries!