Greenville's Bacon Bros. opening location in Houston

The New Year promises to be a big year for one Greenville restaurant. Bacon Bros. Public House plans to begin franchising its carefully curated foods concept in 2016.

The first franchise location is set to open in Houston in the spring, said Jason Callaway, Bacon Bros. corporate's chief operating officer.

"It all started because we were trying to find a way to expand out footprint," Callaway said. "We were first apprehensive because the franchise model has a negative connotation but we thought let's take it and do something different with it."

That difference means not only opening more restaurants, but also spreading the Bacon Bros. philosophy of supporting local producers and a commitment to thoughtful cuisine.

Initially, the restaurant's operators opened up opportunities in the southeast, Georgia, North and South Carolina and Tennessee. But when Houston businessman Travis Cook approached the company about opening in his city, Texas was added to the mix, Callaway said.

Cook is searching for suitable restaurant sites and plans to open sometime in the spring or summer of 2016, Callaway said.

Callaway plans to fly to Houston to help finalize site plans and to meet with local farmers. The commitment to local food and to supporting a local food system is central to the Bacon Bros. philosophy, Callaway said, and it will remain a tenant of all Bacon Bros. franchise locations.

"The number one factor we're looking for is the passion for what we do," Callaway said. "Our local sourcing, sustainability and the way we see ourselves in our communities."

In order to accommodate the changes, Greenville's Bacon Bros. location will become the company's corporate headquarters and training facility. To that end, the Pelham Road restaurant will undergo an expansion in January that will double the restaurant's kitchen and add more seating as well.

Major renovations, set to begin Jan. 1, will add about 1,200 square feet of space.

Bacon Bros. corporate plans to open or sign three new franchises in 2016. Franchise locations will share Bacon Bros. menu and approach to sourcing, Callaway said. The menus will be about 90 percent the same in each location, with the other 10 percent dictated by what can be gotten locally.