Childhood friends and former Marine Corps veterans Jeremy Press and Grant McDowell are turning a long-standing friendship into a six-unit franchise development plan for Huey Magoo’s in South Carolina. The partners will develop restaurants across Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Columbia, with operating partner Jason Twitty bringing more than two decades of retail and food service experience to the venture.
The first location is planned for Rock Hill in Spring 2027, followed by a restaurant near the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Press and McDowell grew up together in South Carolina before pursuing separate professional paths. Press has experience operating a Destination Athlete franchise, while McDowell has worked in real estate, giving the partnership experience across franchising, business development and local markets.
The decision to join Huey Magoo’s followed a search for a concept that could fit the partners’ business objectives and local communities. A visit to a Huey Magoo’s restaurant in Greenville and a subsequent trip to the company’s Discovery Day in Orlando helped shape their decision to pursue the brand. The partners were drawn to the concept’s focus on handcrafted chicken tenders and its franchise model.
Rock Hill emerged as the starting point because of its growth, schools, business activity and proximity to major sports markets. Columbia also represents an important opportunity, particularly with plans for a location near the University of South Carolina. By focusing on communities with which they have familiarity, Press, McDowell and Twitty are positioning the development around markets they understand.
As the group prepares to open multiple restaurants, keeping operational information organized will become increasingly important. Using Gorilla Dash, franchise teams can access the Resource Library for training materials, procedures and other operational resources in one place, helping new locations maintain consistency as they open. For multi-unit operators, having essential information readily available can make the transition from franchise agreement to daily operations more manageable.
Huey Magoo’s expansion in South Carolina illustrates how experienced operators can combine local knowledge, complementary business skills and a growing franchise concept. For Press and McDowell, the six-unit agreement represents the beginning of a new business chapter, with the first restaurant expected to open in Rock Hill in 2027.
