Mighty Quinn’s is known for “foodie” barbecue, and Emfire is ready to bring locations to Tampa Bay, Florida.
Being the new kid on the block can be a challenge, but it’s one Emfire Brands is looking to overcome. When Harsha Gowda, Hitesh Savla and Chuck Pasquotto founded the brand in 2020, their goal was to further elevate hospitality brands.
Emfire focuses on partnering with established restaurant concepts, including Mighty Quinn’s and Sugar Wings, a barbeque brand and chicken wing concept, respectively.
“If you think about it, the restaurant industry is about serving every single customer an amazing food experience,” said Gowda, Emfire’s chief strategy officer. “With both the food and the people and team members they deal with.”
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With a small team including Pasquotto as CEO and Savla chief operating officer, Emfire knew they had to focus on already-successful brands known for outstanding service. At the same time, the team knew it didn’t want just any concept; Emfire needed to stand out.
Chuck Pasquotto, Hitesh Sivla, and Harsha Gowda.
Mighty Quinn’s is the type of brand the team was looking for. It wasn’t known in Tampa Bay, where Emfire is based, and the barbecue franchise gives off a “foodie” vibe, Gowda said. While barbeque restaurants are common, Mighty Quinn’s focus on premium quality attracted Emfire to the brand. The same can be said of Sugar Wings.
With the franchise agreements signed, Gowda’s goal is simple: grow.
“We found brands that our kids love, our families love and that we’re proud of,” he said. “I’d say that we’re in our growth phase and looking for concepts like that.”
Emfire is a major partner for Mighty Quinn’s, Gowda said, with an agreement signed for four locations.
Despite being new to the industry, Emfire is confident in its growth strategy. For the time being, the company isn’t looking at other brands to add to its portfolio. Instead, the team plans to focus on developing restaurants for both brands.
That said, Emfire plans to develop with other concepts in the future, with restaurant and real estate concepts. Emfire is already talking with potential partners in Florida to discuss possible ventures within the next year.
Mighty Quinn’s prides itself on quality and unique flavors to its customers, which attracted the Emfire team to the brand.
Gowda and Pasquotto are ready to take on the challenging restaurant industry, despite their lack of restaurant experience. Pasquotto, in particular, compared his previous experience transporting radioactive medicine to the need for excellent service at Emfire’s concepts.
“Before the product is even produced, there’s a patient on a table waiting for that medicine,” said Pasquotto. “It’s a huge impact on that person and we have to get it there.”
Gowda brings his finance experience and Salva was an operator with other brands. The three will utilize skills from their former careers in their newest endeavor—and they’re thinking in the long term, even when it comes to choosing their next brands.
“I want to be long-term greedy,” said Gowda. “The only way you can succeed in the long-term is to bring everyone with you.”
Emfire plans to open at least one Mighty Quinn’s location in Tampa Bay in 2024 and has a lease signed for its first Sugar Wings location.