Eric Langan
President and CEO
We were looking at both. As far as what are the Bombshells numbers I just knew that that because of all the pre-operating costs and reopening costs, and we were in government, we were basing everything on $5 million units. Our new units are closer to $7 million units, or higher. So we have to rethink the margins on those higher units. So as we expand, I guess it just depends on do we know if we're opening more $5 million units, we have a couple of $3.5 million units, or $4 million unit so we're at the end of the day it's going to depend on the mix of units and whether we're highly successful in picking $7 million units right. I mean, that's, the real key right now. We've got to find the right locations. I've looked at a lot of properties that I'm very comfortable we would do $4.5 million to $5 million. It cost me the same amount of money to build a 4.5 million to 5 million across those $7 million unit. So we're very focused on the demographics and the traffic needs of building these stores that will do 140,000 a week in sales. That's our focus right now. So that's what's changed. That's why the margins have gone from 22% to 27%. Is it sustainable I don't see why not. I mean, maybe it's 25% or 24% sustainable number over the long haul if the sales mix changes for some reason or you remember Bombshells is now going on, they opened in May of 20 during the pandemic with restrictions unbelievable numbers, and we all kept saying there can we do this. How long can you do this for I want to do this work? Why? I don't know, we're going on 18 months now. I mean, we're still doing the numbers. So I don't see a reason for a big drop off in the numbers at this point, I think that the brand is especially in the Houston market is an unbelievable brand in that market. There's name recognition. I mean, anywhere I go, people know Bombshells in that town now. And that was kind of the idea. When we built we said, Look, we're going to focus on one market, going to own that market. And then we're going to take the concept other places. I think we've done that. And when people talk about, well it's Bombshell anybody could build it sure. Anybody with $6 million, can go out and build a store. The problem is how many people going out and building restaurants to be on a competitive nature at that price range? And if they don't spend the money they don't have they don't have what Bombshells has, because that's what it costs to build our concept and to do the things the way we do them. So I think we have while we don't have the motive of this of the adult clubs. I still think we have a cash, motor cost people money, sort of amount of money, and they're going to have to throw an event, their concept, we're going to spend that kind of money on vendor concept. And so I think we've been very successful in our niche of what we do with bombshells. As we expanded into the Dallas Fort Worth market, we're looking to expand an Austin as well. And we're still working in Florida. It's just everybody in New York moved to Florida, and the prices went crazy. And I'm sorry, I just can't pay $8 a foot to lease a building. Even if I think it's going to $200,000 a week in sales. At the end of the day the rent starts becoming 9%, 10%, 11% of revenues. And it's like, No, I can't I can't do that. We'll just go stick with the model that we know. And we know it works, and will if those prices come back down to reality at some point at $60 I think we can make it work. Maybe we were looking in the high 40s in that market, when we were when we first got down there. And we were getting NOIs out. And we were getting close on negotiations. And I'm not kidding you. It literally seems like within a two week period, the prices went up 50%. They went from 40 to 60. And then from 60 to 80, probably within a month from that time. And it's like, okay, let's just go back to Texas right now. We're looking in Arizona real hard right now. And we're really we're talking with franchisees, and know their markets and know their demographics. And we're able to teach them what kind of demographics they need. And we're running all the traps and I think we'll sign up more franchisees here, in the near future as well. And that's really we love that model, too.