![]() Bennigan's current logo | |
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Restaurant |
Founded | 1976 |
Headquarters | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
Key people | Paul Mangiamele (CEO) |
Owner | Legendary Restaurant Brands, LLC |
Website | bennigans |
Bennigan's is an Irish pub-themed American casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1976 in Atlanta, Georgia by restaurateur Norman E. Brinker as one of America's original casual dining concepts. The chain operated under the restaurant division of Pillsbury for most of its history, until Pillsbury was bought out by the British liquor conglomerate Grand Metropolitan. Due to laws preventing liquor manufacturers from also operating liquor sellers, the chain was sold to Texas-based Metromedia restaurants, until the company filed for bankruptcy in 2008. The chain then went through a series of restructuring and ownership changes until it was purchased by Legendary Restaurant Brands, LLC in 2015. The company is now operating out of Dallas, Texas.
Bennigan's was established in 1976 in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the Pillsbury Corporation. The first significant Bennigan's location was opened in Tysons Corner, Virginia, the following year. The concept was the brainchild of company vice president and Steak and Ale founder Norman E. Brinker. By the early 1980s Bennigan's had become one of the best known of the new style mid-range casual dining franchised "fern bar" eating and drinking establishments in the United States. In 1983, Brinker led an exodus of senior management from the S&A and Bennigan's division, purchasing a small regional restaurant concept that focused on gourmet hamburgers, Chili's. [1] Bennigan's continued to grow across the United States, as well as opening locations in fourteen countries.
When Pillsbury was acquired by Grand Metropolitan in 1989 (Grand Met later merged with Guinness in 1997 to become Diageo), the company was spun off. As a major liquor distributor selling such brands as Bombay gin, J&B and other spirits, Grand Metropolitan was bound by "Three-tier" laws that prohibited liquor distributors from owning liquor retailers. S&A management, underwritten by Metromedia, led the leveraged buyout of S&A in 1991 [2]
The failure of Bennigan's executives to update and grow the restaurant concept, and a degrading quality of their menu items over a period of time, led to a fall of sales and customer patronage. [3] John Owens, a Morningstar analyst, was quoted by the Boston Herald as saying: "Bennigan’s was the weakest of the major players" and Bob Goldin, an executive vice president of the restaurant industry consulting group Technomic was quoted by The New York Times as saying:“All these bar and grill concepts are very, very similar, [...] They have the same kind of menu, décor, appeal,” This translated into a lack of customer loyalties. [4]
In May 2006 Bennigans closed most of its New York and New England locations.[ citation needed ]
In July 2008, all of Bennigan's 150 corporate locations across the US were closed due to parent company Metromedia Restaurant Group of Plano, Texas filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection [5] and initially the firm's 138 franchisee-owned locations remained open, but many later closed in the months and years after the bankruptcy filing. Several international locations, however, remained open. In South Korea, for instance, over 30 locations still operated as usual. [6]
The brand was restructured in 2010 as a result of ownership changes. The operator of Bennigan's in South Korea announced that all locations in the country would close by January 31, 2016. [7]
In October 2008, Atalaya Capital Management acquired the Bennigan's [8] and Steak and Ale brands.[ citation needed ] The assets include the Bennigan's Franchising Co., which owned the rights to franchise the Bennigan's brand and was instrumental in keeping franchise-owned restaurants operating during the bankruptcy period. In a statement by the firm, it was stated that the company planned to reposition the brand by re-establishing its place in the high-margin bar segment and by focusing on sandwiches and appetizers. It also said the company planned to reopen 50 or 60 formerly company-owned Bennigan's locations by finding new or existing franchisees to operate the restaurants. [9]
In May 2011 new management of the firm stated that they wanted to return the brand to its roots but also give Bennigan's new life in the 21st century. [10] In an interview of CEO Paul Mangiamele, he stated that the company's strategy to turn the brand around was multi-pronged. The company planned to introduce a new logo, store prototype, financial and franchise models, an updated menu, improved marketing, adding a catering operation and a new attitude. [9]
On February 11, 2015, CEO Paul Mangiamele and his wife, Gwen, closed on a Management Buy Out (MBO) of the company from its parent private equity firm, for an undisclosed price. The new company, Legendary Restaurant Brands, LLC, is now the owner of the Bennigan's restaurant chain, its fast-casual concept Bennigan's On the Fly, and the Steak and Ale brand. [11]
As of August 2024, Bennigan's operates 21 brick-and-mortar locations across the United States and internationally, along with 21 delivery-only "Bennigan's On The Fly" concepts in the United States and Dubai. [12] The company has also announced plans for over 100 units in development, including international locations in Amsterdam, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Pakistan. [13] [14]
Burger King Corporation is an American multinational chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based restaurant chain. After Insta-Burger King ran into financial difficulties, its two Miami-based franchisees David Edgerton (1927–2018) and James McLamore (1926–1996) purchased the company in 1959 and renamed it "Burger King". Over the next half-century, the company changed hands four times and its third set of owners, a partnership between TPG Capital, Bain Capital, and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, took it public in 2002. In late 2010, 3G Capital of Brazil acquired a majority stake in the company in a deal valued at US$3.26 billion. The new owners promptly initiated a restructuring of the company to reverse its fortunes. 3G, along with its partner Berkshire Hathaway, eventually merged the company with the Canadian-based doughnut chain Tim Hortons under the auspices of a new Canadian-based parent company named Restaurant Brands International.
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Ruby Tuesday Inc. is an American multinational foodservice retailer that owns, operates, and franchises Ruby Tuesday restaurants. The concept was started in 1972 by Samuel E. (Sandy) Beall III.
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Chili's Grill & Bar is an American casual dining restaurant chain founded by Larry Lavine in Texas in 1975 and is currently owned and operated by Brinker International.
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is an American multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in Orlando, Florida. As of May 2023, the firm owns three fine dining restaurant chains: Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Eddie V's and The Capital Grille; and seven casual dining restaurant chains: Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Burger, Yard House and Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen. Until July 28, 2014, Darden also owned Red Lobster. Darden has more than 1,800 restaurant locations and more than 175,000 employees, making it the world's largest full-service restaurant company.
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Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouse are a chain of buffet/steakhouse restaurants that are a part of Homestyle Dining LLC based in Plano, Texas. Its menu includes steaks, seafood, and chicken entrées, all of which come with their buffet. A lunch menu is also served.
Village Inn is a casual-dining restaurant chain in the United States. Its restaurants are known for their breakfast menu items. Also, they feature a variety of salads, sandwiches, burgers, melts, and dinner items. Their pies have won numerous awards from the American Pie Council.
Sizzler USA Restaurants, Inc., doing business as Sizzler, is a United States-based restaurant chain with headquarters in Mission Viejo, California, with locations mainly in California, plus some in the nearby states of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, and Oregon, as well as Puerto Rico. It is known for steak, seafood, and salad bar items.
Romano's Macaroni Grill is a casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. As of April 2024, the company operates 31 locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, as well as 6 locations in Puerto Rico.
Schlotzsky's is an American franchise chain of restaurants, specializing in sandwiches and pizza. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Schlotzsky's has more than 330 franchised and company-owned locations throughout the United States. Most locations are in the south and southwestern United States, but the company is expanding into areas across the country, particularly the north and southeast.
MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual is a casual dining chain which operates across Canada. The brand is owned by RAMMP Hospitality Brands Inc. with its headquarters in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Houlihan's is an American casual restaurant and bar chain with locations operating throughout the country, 60% of which are franchised. It is headquartered in Leawood, Kansas. The first Houlihan's opened on April 1, 1972, in Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, and there are now 35 restaurants in 15 states. It was originally named Houlihan's Old Place because it was first located in the space of Houlihans Clothing Store.
Steak Escape is a restaurant chain based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. Locations are typically found in food courts in shopping malls as well as airports, all serving a variety of menu items, including cheesesteaks. The company is known as the originator of the mall cheesesteak concept. The chain is owned by Columbus, Ohio-based Escape Enterprises.
Mr. Steak was an American steakhouse restaurant chain started in 1962 by James A. Mather in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At its peak, the chain operated 278 restaurants throughout the United States. The chain saw a decline in the 1980s when it attempted to diversify its menu options, drawing focus away from the steak in favor of fish, salads, and chicken.
Steak and Ale is an American chain of restaurants that was influential in the growth of casual dining. Founded in 1966, it achieved major success in the 1970s and 1980s before declaring Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding and closing its remaining 58 locations on July 29, 2008. The first new Steak and Ale restaurant since then opened on July 8, 2024, in Burnsville, Minnesota, with more planned for the Midwest and Texas.
The Metromedia Restaurant Group was an American casual dining company that operated and franchised more than 800 restaurants under the names Steak and Ale, Bennigan's, Bonanza, Ponderosa, The Plano Tavern, The Southlake Tavern and the 29 Degree Tavern. The company was headquartered in Plano, Texas. It was part of the Metromedia Company, which was privately owned by businessman John Kluge until his death and is related in lineage to the former entertainment company of the same name.
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Norman Eugene Brinker was an American restauranteur who was responsible for the creation of new business concepts within the restaurant field. He served as president of Jack in the Box, founded Steak and Ale, helped establish Bennigan's and Chili's, and founded Brinker International.