Wanna see a Food Shack in your town?

Bring the Shack to
your town

Since 2010, The Food Shack has been serving raving fans our tacos, BBQ, and island-style street eats in Middletown, Rhode Island. We’re beginning to explore growth through franchising in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut — and if you want to be a part of it, we’d love to connect!

  • Made in Middletown, RI since 2010
  • Seed Oil Scout Verified
  • Serving more than just food
  • RI · MA · CT
  • Real Food. Real People.
  • Scratch-Made. Seed Oil Free.
  • A Brand People Root For
  • 10% Profits to End Trafficking
Our Story

It started with a guy & a grill.

2009 — When a trip to Hawaii inspired us to start a restaurant. After witnessing a guy serving Hawaiian plate lunch in front of a grocery store with a line that wrapped around the building we looked at each other and said “why wouldn’t this work back home?” Followed up with several “what could go wrong’s,” a college senior project, and a little store front next to a glass shop, “Flat Waves Restaurant: gourmet food on a paper plate” was born.

After a decade of learning many of the “what could go wrong?” the hard way — concept adjustments, a name change, menu changes, and a lot of learning — we really got it right. Today, The Food Shack still operates in its original, yet expanded location in Middletown, Rhode Island, and has become an Aquidneck Island staple for locals & tourists alike. Our core principle never changed — casual doesn’t have to mean cutting corners.

“When are you opening one near me?”

We regularly get that question — and we are ready to start exploring the possibility of sharing The Food Shack with Southern New England.

Why a Food Shack in Your Town

Your town deserves better than another chain.

Most communities have plenty of fast food, coffee shops, pizza & burger joints. But what’s missing is fast casual that’s actually good for you — made with real, top-shelf ingredients at a reasonable price. “The Shack” fills the gap.

Real food, made from scratch.

Slow-smoked meats, house-made sauces, marinades, dressings and more. Seed oil free, and a menu built on ingredients you can pronounce.

A crowd-pleasing menu.

Tacos, BBQ, bowls, burritos, mac & cheese, acai bowls and more. There’s something for every eater, from the picky kid to the barbecue purist.

A brand people root for.

A mission bigger than lunch, a team that shares in the profits, and a kick-back island style that people feel the second they walk in.

Catering built in.

Island Time Catering Co. operates as the catering division of The Food Shack, serving casual parties and events throughout RI and Southern New England already!

Who We're Looking For

The right partner matters more than the resume.

Here’s who we’d love to talk to:

  • You love your community. You live in or near the town you want to serve, and people there already know you.
  • You believe in the food. You get why real ingredients matter, and you'd be proud to serve it to your own family.
  • You're a hands-on leader. You're ready to be in the restaurant, coach a crew, and set the tone every day.
  • You have restaurant or business experience — or are ready to learn. Multi-unit operators, single-store owners, chefs, managers, and first-time entrepreneurs with a plan are all welcome.
  • You're financially prepared. We'll talk about specifics in a real conversation, but a meaningful investment is expected.

Not sure you’re “franchise material”? Tell us your story anyway. Some of the best conversations start with, “I’ve never done this before, but…”

Start the Conversation
Where We're Looking

Rhode Island, Massachusetts & Connecticut.

We’re starting close to home. We know Southern New England: the beach towns, the college towns, the busy Main Streets, and the neighborhoods that have never had a place like this. If your town is in one of these three states, we want to hear from you.

Rhode Island

South County, West Bay, Bristol County, Providence and more.

Massachusetts

From the South Coast to Greater Boston and beyond.

Connecticut

From the shoreline to the heart of the state.

Don’t see your town? Tell us where you’d love a Food Shack anyway. Your answer helps us decide where to look first.

How It Works

Start the conversation.

We’re early in this. No paperwork yet — just an honest look at whether this could be a fit for both of us.

1

Fill out the short form.

It takes about three minutes. Tell us a little about yourself and your town.

2

We’ll reach out.

Someone from our team will personally get back to you, usually within a week.

3

Let’s talk.

We’ll set up a call — or a visit to the Shack — to hear your story, share our vision, and answer your questions.

4

See if it fits.

If we’re both excited, we’ll talk about what next steps could look like. If the timing isn’t right, we’ll keep you in the loop as we grow.

Interest Form

Want to see a Food Shack in your town?

Tell us a little about yourself. This is a no-obligation way to start the conversation. It’s not an application, or an offer.
  • Takes about three minutes.
  • Someone from our team responds personally, usually within a week.
  • No commitment on your side or ours — just a conversation.
  • Focused on RI, MA & CT — but tell us your town anyway.

Faq

Not yet. We’re exploring whether franchising makes sense for The Food Shack, and this page is how we’re starting the conversation with people who might be interested. Raising your hand doesn’t commit you or us to anything.
We love what we do and would love to grow this brand with people who share some of the same passion and philosophes we do. We believe the mission (real food, a team that shares in the win, and helping kids who cant help themselves along) is worth multiplying, and we’d rather grow with people who care about it than go it alone.
Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. We’re starting in Southern New England, where we know the communities and can readily support with our commissary and in person. Tell us where you’d like to see one and we’ll take it into account.
A passion for great food, a hands-on approach to leading people, and the financial ability to invest in a restaurant. We’ll get into specifics in a real conversation.
We haven’t set franchise fees or investment levels yet, and we’ll be upfront when we do. Your conversation with us will help shape what a Food Shack franchise looks like.

It helps, but it’s not the only path. Strong operators, leaders, and first-time entrepreneurs with a serious plan are all welcome to reach out.

That’s the whole point. Our ingredient standards, our scratch-made approach, and our commitments to giving back and profit-sharing are what make the shack the shack. Any future partner would need to be all-in on them.
Someone from our team will reach out personally to say hello, learn your story, and answer your questions. If it’s a fit, we’ll talk about next steps. If it’s not the right time, we’ll keep you posted.

Disclaimer:

This page is not an offer to sell a franchise, and no offer will be made through this page. The Food Shack is exploring franchising and is gathering expressions of interest only. Any future offer would be made only by a franchise disclosure document in states where registration or notice filing requirements have been met and where the law allows. Submitting the form does not create any obligation for you or for The Food Shack.