Big Whiskey’s Franchising has announced the signing of its newest franchisee in Kansas City. H2B Restaurants recently secured the rights to open the first Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant & Bar franchise in the Kansas City, Missouri, metro area. H2B, a Missouri-based restaurant group owned by Ed House, Ryan Bohl, and J.D. House, had been considering the venture for some time. “We’ve followed the growth of Big Whiskey’s for years and we’re excited to now be part of that expansion,” says Ed House, H2B’s managing partner. “When we learned the Kansas City franchise was available, we knew it would be the perfect market for our first Big Whiskey’s.”

Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant & Bar currently operates three restaurants in Springfield, Missouri, plus one each in Ozark and Branson, Missouri. The brand will open its first franchise location in Bentonville, Arkansas, later this year. The first Big Whiskey’s was started in downtown Springfield in 2006, and the brand began franchising in late 2015.

“We’re pleased to have Ed, Ryan, and J.D. as the newest members of the Big Whiskey’s family,” says Austin Herschend, the company’s franchising CEO. “We’ve been impressed with H2B’s multi-unit business experience. They will be a superb addition to the Big Whiskey’s brand.”

He added that the parent company will also open its first corporate-owned restaurant in Kansas City in the near future “so we can maximize our impact in the market.”

Herschend predicated both units will open in early 2017 and intends to open up to eight restaurants in the market. “We’re aggressively looking for more opportunities in Kansas City.”

Both H2B and Big Whiskey’s are working closely together to find ideal sites that complement each other but don’t compete,” House explains.