Buddy's Bar-B-Q plans to expand, eyeing locations outside of Tennessee

Buddy's Bar-B-Q is hoping to go where it has never gone before: outside of Tennessee.

The locally owned chain hopes to add to its 19 locations across East Tennessee with franchises in places like Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia, Buddy's Bar-B-Q CEO Mark Lemoncelli told Knox News.

He also said Nashville is an option for Buddy's to expand west.

The move toward becoming a regional brand will be supported by new commercials, social media pages and smartphone app from InnoVision Marketing Group based in San Diego.

"We do have aspirations to go outside the state of Tennessee," Lemoncelli said. "We kind of in our minds think it would be something like our neighboring states. We don't ever expect to be a large national brand, but something regional."

Buddy's Bar-B-Q plans to expand with franchises

Buddy's Bar-B-Q might open 10 new stores in five years, Lemoncelli said, but that number could grow or shrink depending on construction costs and finding the right locations. Buddy's has hired a coordinator to facilitate franchise growth and new franchise offers.

Buddy's has already franchised out five locations: two in Chattanooga, and one in Sevierville, the Emory Road area and Lenoir City.

"We know that we want to grow both internally as well as through our franchise partners," Lemoncelli said.

Buddy's also will undergo a rebranding. The name and mascot won't change, but Buddy's will work with InnoVision to make the restaurant chain's image consistent across every location.

In the past five years, Buddy's opened five locations, remodeled 11 existing locations and updated every location with new technology. The partnership, expansion and rebranding will build on the growth Lemoncelli started when he became CEO five years ago.

Fans of Buddy's won't need to worry about the food or atmosphere changing. When the newest stores opened, Buddy's created guidelines for future locations to follow based on Buddy's "hometown brand" that InnoVision will help develop as new restaurants take shape.

InnoVision also works with Island Fin Poké Co., which has made a splash with its first Knoxville location in Turkey Creek.

Buddy's Bar-B-Q on Magnolia Avenue gets an update after fire

The Buddy's Bar-B-Q at 3700 E. Magnolia Ave. is undergoing construction after a kitchen fire in February caused extensive damage to the kitchen and interior.

The building "is completely gutted, brought down to the studs again" to begin the rebuilding process. Lemoncelli hopes to reopen the location in October.

No one was injured in the fire. The employees have transferred to other Buddy's locations until the Magnolia Avenue restaurant reopens in fall.

History of Buddy's Bar-B-Q in Knoxville

The original founders of Buddy's Bar-B-Q, Buddy and LaMuriel Smothers, started cooking in 1966 with their first restaurant, the Pixie Drive Inn in Seymour. They hired Hettie Guffey as a cook to help out and the restaurant took off.

Buddy's Bar-B-Q started in 1972 with the first store at 5806 Kingston Pike. The restaurant continued to grow as people became more familiar with Buddy's, especially after the 1982 World's Fair.

It has grown to 19 locations across East Tennessee with more in the works.

Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Buddys BBQ plans more locations outside of Knoxville