Shane’s Rib Shack- Two Westfield graduates make it happen Perry

When John Blount of Hawkinsville and Lauren Frenchko of Perry saw a vacant lot behind Wendy’s in Cochran they knew that it would have moneymaking potential. Its proximity to the Middle Georgia University campus was the key.

Blount was coming back from a disappointing turn in college. He hadn’t graduated with his friends and was learning the fast food business from the bottom up at Zaxby’s in Eastman.

By the time he was in his fifth year at Zaxby’s, he said, he was sure he could do a restaurant. “I knew how to make one run,” he said.

He researched franchises, and due to Frenchko bringing Shane’s items to eat, he decided to look a bit deeper into the company.

“Shane’s was at the top of the list. I liked the fast casual setup, they got the food out fast and it wasn’t a full-scale restaurant,” he said. “Also, many franchises cost a lot of money but this was affordable. We said we could do it and I liked the brand.”

Three things appealed to him, he said: the financial part of it, the type of restaurant it was, and the food.

“I thought the food was jam up and I liked the way they did things,” he said. He debated it a couple of months and then approached his parents. Nothing in his background spelled success in food service, he said, and his father didn’t initially warm up to the idea. He brought it up a few more times and was encouraged that his father didn’t completely dismiss the notion.

He kept in touch with the Shane’s corporate office during this time and was told they held an event called “discovery day,” where potential franchise owners could come to the corporate office and learn about the Shane’s brand. The day was filled with presentations and PowerPoint demonstrations, and company founder Shane Thompson was there to answer questions. They also visited a couple of the restaurants to see how they operated.

“That turned the tide,” Blount said. “After my father met the people and saw how they worked he was sold on it.”

It took a couple more years before they decided that Sam Nunn Boulevard in Perry would be the ideal place for a Shane’s “fast casual” dining experience. It took some more negotiations because the parking setup in the shopping center didn’t exactly appeal to Blount. He wanted some dedicated parking slots, but was told it wouldn’t work.

Finally, he was out of time. Though not perfect the lease was wrapped up and work started in earnest in February of this year.

The restaurant’s site had been a retail business before and so there was a lot of work to do to accommodate the needs of a restaurant, he said.

But things came together for Blount and Frenchko and the restaurant opened in mid-July. “It’s been a whirl,” Frenchko admitted with a tired but genuine smile. “Perry is a great community, and we’re settling down here. The city still has a hometown feel and it’s growing.”

Before opening the restaurant to the public they held a “soft opening” for family and friends that was also attended by members of Perry’s police and fire departments.

Frenchko and Blount are studying ways to give back to the community, they said. The Westfield School graduates are no strangers to Houston County and want to strengthen ties to the area, they said.

“I went to Westfield from kindergarten to 12th grade, and Lauren, originally from Alabama, went to Perry Middle School before transferring to Westfield where we met,” Blount said. “We believe that Perry is a step up from other cities, no matter how you look at it. We work a lot but we want to be here.”

The young adults say they want to build a solid foundation at work before branching out in the community and want to explore volunteer work and sponsoring events.

Blount said one option is advertising the Perry Panthers during basketball season by having t-shirts with the team’s schedule printed on back.

There are large photos exploring Perry’s past on the restaurant’s the walls, and some old cheerleading uniforms too.

The Perry location is the 47th in Georgia for the company and 73rd restaurant nationwide. The new restaurant created more than 40 new jobs for the area.

According to Blount, the Chamber of Commerce will welcome Shane’s Rib Shack into the community with a ribbon-cutting ceremony later this month, along with a grand opening celebration which will include a prize wheel that customers will spin for free prizes including the company’s Signature BBQ Sauce Bottle, t-shirts, hats, menu items such as the three-piece Tenders, Big Dad Sandwiches, six-piece Wings & Fries and more. The new Perry location is at 1365 Sam Nunn Blvd.

John and Lauren say their focus at the moment is on food – barbecue in the grand Southern tradition.

“We’re both good cooks,” Frenchko said. “Together, we make it happen.”

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