Hickory’s Smokehouse
A family-friendly BBQ smokehouse restaurant brand legend that brings the flavours and hospitality of the Deep South to local communities in the NW and Midlands.
Invested £6m in 2014, Exited to Greene King in 2022
In 2014 we invested £6m into Hickory’s Smokehouse when it was three units strong, with a view to opening many more smokehouses across the north-west. We had been tracking the BBQ segment for some time and had heard about the restaurants’ outstanding reputation among customers.
Hickory’s offers guests a unique dining experience – delicious BBQ food served in vibrant surroundings with sports, cinemas and children’s play areas. Meats are slow cooked for up to 12 hours on smokers imported from Tennessee, while the walls are decked with US memorabilia. The final key ingredient is exceptional customer service inspired by Southern hospitality and delivered by a team that is supported with employee wellbeing, growth and development opportunities.
During our time partnered with Hickory’s we helped the brand cement it’s DNA and proudly supported their work to have a great impact on guests, employees and the communities they were based in by:
- Converting former pubs into Hickory’s bringing back life to the local community
- Working with Cash for Kids to raise money for their local communities, raising over £150k
- Investing in their teams and as a result being voted no.1 Best Large Company to work for twice
In 2022 we exited to pub retailer and brewer Greene King after growing revenue fourfold and increasing the number of sites to 17. The partnership between Greene King and Hickory’s supports their ambitious plans to bring the Hickory’s experience to many more guests across the UK.