A Tampa-based franchisor is getting ready to take Gigglewaters, the 1920s-style restaurant and one-screen movie theater in Safety Harbor, on a bigger Florida tour after what it says was a record year. The company wants to move the brand beyond its downtown flagship and bring the concept, along with its GiggleTruck, into more Pinellas County communities and other West Central Florida markets.
According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the franchisor, which the outlet values at roughly $350 million, has outlined plans to grow Gigglewaters through both traditional brick-and-mortar franchise deals and mobile units. The outlet reports that the move follows a record year for the company and growing demand for experience-driven dining.
From Safety Harbor: The Gigglewaters Experience
At its downtown Safety Harbor home base, Gigglewaters combines elevated comfort food and craft cocktails with a tucked-away, full-service, 32-seat movie theater, according to the restaurant’s website. The owners opened the concept in 2018 and have since built a steady local following through events, private rentals and themed screenings.
Franchising And The GiggleTruck
Gigglewaters dipped its toes into franchising in 2024 when longtime team member Hilary Hawks became the brand’s first franchisee and rolled the GiggleTruck into Pinellas South, as reported by Florida Inno. The company’s franchise page promotes food trucks as a lower-cost way into the system and lays out investment ranges for both mobile and brick-and-mortar formats. Own a Gigglewaters notes that prospective operators can choose from truck-only franchises up to full restaurant buildouts.
What This Means Locally
If the expansion plays out as planned, more Gigglewaters locations would likely bring added evening foot traffic and a different kind of late-night draw to smaller downtowns across Pinellas and nearby counties. The brand has been offering franchise opportunities since 2021 and lists a Clearwater corporate address on its franchise profile, according to Entrepreneur, signaling an ongoing push to scale beyond the Safety Harbor flagship.
Prospective franchisees can review the company’s franchising details and inquiry form through its franchise site, and neighbors should expect to see more GiggleTruck appearances at community events as additional openings roll out over the coming year. We reached out to the company for comment and will update this story if they respond.
