 Freebirds is a privately owned company headquartered in College Station, Texas. Currently, the company operates 12 restaurants in the state of Texas, with locations in College Station, Austin, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Alan Hixon, president and COO of Freebirds World Burrito Ltd., says great ideas are essential in the restaurant business. “I think in the restaurant business, you'll find a handful of great concepts and then you'll find hundreds of knock-offs of every one of those,” he says. “When you find that handful, you've really got something.”
Hixon says that he doesn't doubt that Freebirds is one of those great concepts, and it regularly provides him with a high enjoyment level.
“It's one of the things that attracted me to it,” he says. “It's a blast to be a part of something that's so fun.”
Freebirds is a privately owned company headquartered in College Station, Texas. Currently, the company operates 12 restaurants in the state of Texas, with locations in College Station, Austin, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth.
The company is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Aside from burritos, Freebirds also specializes in quesadillas, tacos, nachos and salads.
Hixon says the company is positioned in the fast-casual niche. “It is a counter service environment, where you customize your own product,” he explains. “We compete within that arena, with all the other players that are in that arena.”
Works of Art
An important part of Freebirds is the design of its locations, Hixon says. Though the company tries to have consistent elements at its locations, it also tries to create an individual identity at each restaurant, by “incorporating some unique and thought-provoking design elements into the locations' overall design.”
The artwork at Freebirds' locations is done by hand and airbrushed, Hixon says, with the intention of creating an art package for each store that will bring out its inherent qualities. He explains Freebirds goes into each location with the mindset that it will be a work of art.
“We put so much emphasis on the quality of the environment,” he says. “We have a very whimsical decor.”
This includes such features as mural paintings by the company Great Big Signs, as well as a custom-made motorcycle for each store.
Hixon notes that one Freebirds location features a representation of the Statue of Liberty riding a motorcycle and holding one of the company's burritos.
“We have a heck of a lot of fun with it,” he says. “It's not something you're going to go into on each corner of America and say, 'I've seen this before.'”
An effort for individualism also extends into other aspects of the restaurants. “We break a lot of rules,” he says, noting that the employees are not required to wear uniforms. “We want them to be individuals.”
“It's not a deal where we're going to feel like a very stale service,” he says, adding that the locations stress a fun interaction and feature alternative music.
Hixon also feels the company is positioned well enough to go into big markets and co-exist with the other players. “We've just always been very focused,” he says.
Feeling the Groove
According to Hixon, personality is very important at Freebirds. “We really want folks that can subscribe to the culture,” he says. “You've got to feel it when you walk in the stores,” he stresses about the employees. “There's a groove there. There's a culture that exists.”
He also notes that many employees stay with Freebirds for a long time. “Several have been here for more than 10 years,” Hixon says.
The company also stresses its service style. “Every customer works one-on-one with the server through the process,” he explains. “They're there to make sure you get exactly what you want.
“People interact very closely with the customers,” Hixon says, noting that the employees have to be personable to work at Freebirds.
Hixon believes that Freebirds is very much a team operation. “Our team is getting so [good] right now at opening these stores,” he says. “There's strong folks leading the core strategies of the company.”
“It's not a one-person or two-person show by any stretch,” he declares. Freebirds is also heavily involved in its communities, Hixon says, adding that the company participates in outdoor and cycling activities.
Each fall, the company has its Freebikes program. In this program, Freebirds provides bikes to students at an elementary school based on an essay/picture contest. The company notes that last year, it had given away 40 bikes, helmets and locks to children.
According to Hixon, Freebirds tries to target under privileged schools. Last year, the company also had its first annual United We Roll contest in College Station, where Freebirds and United Way had local celebrities rolling burritos for customers.
Freebirds also sponsors disc golf courses and underwrites tournaments, Hixon says. Proceeds go to furthering and promoting the alternative sport in the communities where Freebirds are locted in. He notes that this leads to the construction and renovation of disc golf courses, as well as the funding of additional events.
Spreading Its Wings
Hixon says Freebirds has recently introduced chips and queso in its locations as well as beer. But he notes that Freebirds is not the kind of restaurant that will be introducing a new meal selection every couple of months.
Hixon says the company also is planning to move past the regional level. “It's been a crawl-walk-run process,” he explains. “We're going to be positioned to do some real big things.”
“We're looking at markets outside of Texas in those neighboring states,”. “There's a lot of additional opportunity for us in those states.”
This June, Freebirds announced that it would be opening its first location in San Antonio. This will mark the company's 13th location.
“With so many people asking us when we were going to open a store in San Antonio, the Alamo City was a natural choice for Freebirds,” Hixon said in a statement. “We're hoping for the same fanatical following in San Antonio that we receive from Texans and visitors in the state's other major metropolitan areas.” |
