Foghorn’s expands into Core Brewing Co. locations

A conversation between two Springdale-based business owners in December led to a venture combining craft beer and chicken wings into one establishment that’s growing across the state.

Jeff Hodges, owner of restaurant and sports bar chain Foghorn’s, and Jesse Core, owner of Core Brewing Co., have collaborated on the venture, and the result for Hodges has been the creation of Foghorn’s Express — a smaller restaurant format leading him to expand his brand outside of Northwest Arkansas.

Since Jan. 1, Hodges has more than doubled the number of restaurant locations he operates after opening a Foghorn’s in Siloam Springs and four Foghorn’s Express locations. Each Foghorn’s Express is within a Core Public House. Also, Hodges soon plans to operate a food truck next to Core Public House in downtown Springdale.

“They want to focus on the beer. We want to focus on the food,” Hodges said. “And then blend the two together because our products complement each other so well.”

In Northwest Arkansas, the company has five Foghorn’s and one Foghorn’s Express. It also has a Foghorn’s Express in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Hot Springs. The express locations are open when the Core Public House is open and have a limited menu but include favorites like wings, tenders and burgers. The food truck is expected to operate Thursday through Sunday also with a limited menu.

The food truck previously operated in the parking lot of the Siloam Springs location at 1400 U.S. Highway 412 before it opened Feb. 5. The five Foghorn’s restaurants have patios and can seat between 200 and 400 people depending on the location. The express restaurants can seat between 75 and 100 people. Foghorn’s has about 185 employees, and the majority are in Northwest Arkansas. Eight employees work at the express locations in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Hot Springs. The previous express locations all opened in March, and the first express location opened Jan. 1 at 2558 E. Mission Blvd. in Fayetteville.

Hodges declined to release 2017 revenue for Foghorn’s, which was founded in 2004, but he said the business has seen same-store sales growth of between 5% and 10%. In 2016, revenue was between $4 million and $5 million.