New brand president Tony Read believes better team member experiences lead to better guest experiences.
When Artistry Restaurants acquired Hickory Tavern in early 2025, it wasn’t buying a turnaround project as much as it was inheriting a Carolina institution.

For nearly three decades, the 20-unit chain has occupied a unique place in North and South Carolina. It has served as a sports bar, a family restaurant, a neighborhood gathering place, and a venue for everything from birthday parties to rehearsal dinners. The challenge wasn’t redefining Hickory Tavern. It was bolstering what had already made the brand successful and positioning it for the next stage.

That responsibility now belongs to Tony Read.

The longtime restaurant executive, who spent three decades with Outback Steakhouse before joining Hickory Tavern as brand president, stepped into the role just as Artistry accelerated investments in the concept, from a redesigned menu to upgraded interiors and partnerships intended to deepen the restaurant’s connection with its communities.

Read says accepting the position wasn’t about leaving one company for another. It was about finding an organization whose philosophy aligned with his own.

“I’ve traveled North and South Carolina for years with another brand, and the culture drew me in,” Read says. “The mission drew me in… It had to be somewhere that had the same core values as me. I was perfectly fine where I was. It wasn’t like I got pushed out or anything. I was with the other brand 30 years. It had to be something that had the same core values that I had, and that’s a people-first approach.”

That mindset has shaped nearly every decision he’s made during his first months leading the brand.

Instead of immediately focusing on financial metrics or operational initiatives, Read spent his early weeks familiarizing himself with coworkers and restaurant employees. His primary belief is that if a company builds a culture where people matter, “they will do some amazing things for you.”

“I’m a firm believer that the guest experience will never exceed the team member’s experience,” Read says. “You ever go to a drive-thru, and you get to the window—how long does it take you to recognize if that person wants to be there or not? Immediately. And what I tell my team is how foolish of us to think that our customers don’t have that same ability.”

“The team members are at every table. They’re cooking all the food. It’s vitally important for success of a company, in my opinion, that if you have an elevated and enhanced team member experience then they will do amazing things for you,” he adds.

That people-first approach comes as Hickory Tavern enters one of the most significant periods in its history.

Artistry brought Hickory Tavern into a growing portfolio that includes Oak & Stone, Shrimp Basket, Boca, Atlantic Beer & Oyster, Sandbar Amelia Island, and The Chapman.

The acquisition gave the restaurant group an established presence in the Carolinas and another brand with deep community roots.

Read quickly realized those roots represented one of Hickory Tavern’s greatest competitive advantages.

“We are a neighborhood gathering spot,” he says. “It was definitely the feeling that I got when I came in here.”

“Even though we’re slated as a sports bar, I think we’re bigger than that and the community feels that. That’s why we’ve always pitched ourselves as this neighborhood gathering spot,” he continues.

Although Read is proud of Hickory Tavern’s identity, he also acknowledges there was a need for evolution, particularly with the menu.

To lead that effort, Hickory Tavern turned to chef Cliff Pleau, whom Read previously worked alongside during his Outback career.

Among the additions are Knot Your Average Pretzel, made with Bavarian pretzels from Milwaukee Pretzel Company, shrimp scampi and barbecue chicken flatbreads, loaded mac and cheese, expanded wing offerings, specialty cocktails, and new beverage options including Cheerwine Dirty Soda and refreshed margaritas.

Read says guests want familiarity alongside discovery.

“I think consumers and guests, they love their old staples, but they also every now and then want to try something different,” Read says.

Menu innovation is only one piece of Hickory Tavern’s strategy to strengthen its connection with guests.

One of the chain’s biggest activations this year came through a newly formed partnership with Sysco. Together, the companies transformed the chain’s Harris Boulevard restaurant in Charlotte into the centerpiece of a NASCAR-themed Full Throttle Fan Experience leading into the Coca-Cola 600.

The event featured family activities, race-themed décor, food specials, and an appearance by NASCAR driver Cole Custer.

“We actually had our car wrapped at the Coca-Cola 600, which is pretty incredible for a local chain like this to have,” he says. “Literally Hickory Tavern on both sides… You just don’t get those kind of things as a small brand.”

The celebration attracted hundreds of guests before race weekend, complete with bounce houses, face painting, and autograph sessions.

“Cole Custer came in as the driver and signed autographs, met with our customers. It was very genuine,” Read says. “Every single person that came up, he signed autographs, took pictures… he was just incredible.”

That level of engagement with the community mirrors how Read views leadership.

Across four decades in the restaurant business, including his years helping Outback launch its off-premises business and leading multi-unit operations, he’s become convinced that restaurant success isn’t created solely through menu innovation, marketing campaigns, or operational improvements.

It’s built through people.

“One of the things I’ve learned over 40 years is don’t lose sight of what’s important in the eyes of the customer,” Read says. “Sometimes we get caught up in our own world and think this is important because it’s important to us. But if it doesn’t matter to the guest, then we’ve missed something.”

Source https://www.fsrmagazine.com/feature/hickory-taverns-growth-strategy-starts-with-its-people/