Smoky Boys BBQ and Grill Haus is looking to steadily roll out a a new brand identity as it eyes further expansion in central London, co-founder Sharif Rahman tells MCA.
The dry-aged halal beef concept founded in 2015 by Rahman and Hiron Miah, operates 12 venues predominantly in and around London including Stevenage, Kensington, Hounslow, and debut in Watford.
After signing up with seven new franchise partners in 2022, its strategy is now to move in on central London and continue to target high footfall locations, Rahman tells MCA.
The brand’s 12th restaurant opening at Southside Shopping Centre in Wandsworth showcases a more colourful brand identity which deviates from the original smokehouse aesthetic.
“The wooden look we had before, everyone kind of used it,” he says.
“We had a lot of men coming in, especially with the huge burgers and big milkshakes. With the new colours and menu, it just feels like it welcomes everybody.”
A growing market in halal burgers requires the brand to create “something different” says Rahman, who believes a more inclusive colour palette, alongside a more varied menu will help the brand appeal to a wider demographic as it expands.
After a further renovation of the brand’s first site in Watford, Smoky Boys is looking towards slowly rolling out this elevated format across its existing sites.
However, Rahman says the brand won’t go with a cookie-cutter approach, adding “we don’t want to stick with one specific design.”
Rahman says that at the beginning of the brand’s journey in 2015, some of the sought after central locations felt out of reach, but it is now braver in targeting high rent areas.
“We went more in the suburbs before, but now that we’ve run a bit more and we’ve got a good reputation we want to go more central in London.
“When I started first, I didn’t want to pay so much rent so I would play it safe.
Although in and around London has been the brand’s “preferred area” so far, it is not ruling out any area of the UK.
“We do want to go everywhere”, Rahman says, adding “it is all about good opportunity.”
He hopes that a tiered approach to pricing will keep the brand inclusive and accessible to a mass market.
“You’ve got items which are very reasonable in price, then you have the more premium options. I believe we have an option for everybody.
He feels that the brand can still stay competitive with pricing without compromising on quality.
“A lot of people in a recession, they compromise on the quality of the food. Whatever happens, we make sure everything we sell is premium.
“So far that’s what has worked for us, so we will continue it no matter how big we get.
