When Michael Kontras chose to franchise Bailey Seafood in 2019, his goal was to extend the reach of the family-owned-and-operated business, offering his “choose your own fish and watch it being cooked” model to areas well beyond his Buffalo, New York, headquarters. By Jessica Jones
When Michael Kontras chose to franchise Bailey Seafood in 2019, his goal was to extend the reach of the family-owned-and-operated business, offering his “choose your own fish and watch it being cooked” model to areas well beyond his Buffalo, New York, headquarters.
“We thought a great way to expand in 2020 was to open a few delivery-only ghost kitchens and several small traveling pop-ups because pandemic guidelines were forcing restaurants across the country to shift to take-out only,” said Kontras, who employed this model to take the Bailey Seafood concept as far as Miami, Florida.
A specialist in grab-and-go, Bailey Seafood offers a range of homemade soups, seafood boils and skillets, and has become known for generous portions. Founded in 1985 by Kontras’ father, Bailey Seafood originally operated as a market providing fresh cuts of fish. When Michael joined the business in the early 1990s, he expanded its offerings and gradually introduced a menu of takeout dishes.
“We have a proven, successful takeout menu that has worked for decades and we thought the ghost-kitchen model was a great way to share it with other parts of the country,” Kontras said.
“I wanted to get out of the raw fish market because it’s a lot of work and a lot of long hours,” Kontras said. “I also recognized that my generation doesn’t like to cook their own fish like past generations did. Takeout is a big business with younger customers. So we shifted to takeout and the business grew.”
Bailey Seafood quickly gained a reputation as the area’s go-to spot for a fast and fresh dinner, with menu favorites including its signature Belly Busters and Super Sandwiches. In 2018, the company expanded its menu and remodeled the Buffalo flagship location, adding 23 extra feet of open kitchen space to accommodate increasing orders of specialties including hand-breaded fish, fresh salads and house-made sweet potato pies.
Since franchising in 2019, in addition to introducing those temporary ghost locations, Bailey Seafood has had brick-and-mortar store openings in Pennsylvania, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. The extensive and wide-ranging Bailey Seafood menu is also consistent across all locations. “All franchises will be offering our core menu – fish fries, Super Sandwiches, seafood boils, Belly Busters, etc. – along with whatever local seafood is available in their area,” Kontras said. “Most other seafood will be purchased directly from the processor, which will keep food costs down tremendously.”
Each store features Bailey Seafood’s signature open-kitchen design, which allows customers a view of their seafood being fried, baked, steamed, or sautéed.
Kontras said the brand is very close to signing a Las Vegas store, and is also experimenting with some new menu items. “We’re putting our own unique spin on fish tacos,” he said. “It’s a very exciting addition.”
For more information about franchising, visit baileyseafoodfranchise.net.
– Jessica Jones