COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC

Full Service Restaurants

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

171companies1799–1999founding years165still active6no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedGreene King plc
1799
FoundedWhitbread PLC
1889
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedSchott Brothers, Inc.
1913
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedRallye SA
1924
FoundedBesnier SA
1933
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedIams Company
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedThe Riese Organization
1953
1955
EconomyMcDonald's franchising begins, remaking fast food.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedVICORP Restaurants, Inc.
1959
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedRuth's Chris Steak House
1965
FoundedFresh Foods, Inc.
1970
FoundedThe Yankee Candle Company, Inc.
1973
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedNew York Restaurant Group, Inc.
1977
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedCEC Entertainment, Inc.
1982
FoundedMcMenamins Pubs and Breweries
1983
FoundedWal-Mart de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedJillian's Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
1988
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedMashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise Inc.
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedTumbleweed, Inc.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

SWH Corporation →
Active
A subsidiary of Bob Evans Farms Inc., SWH Corporation is a Tustin, California-based company that operates the Mimi's…
Greene King plc →
Active · founded 1799 · United Kingdom
Located in eastern England, Greene King plc maintains a tradition of brewing beer in Bury St.
Bonnier AB →
Active · founded 1837 · Sweden
Bonnier AB is one of the Nordic region's leading media groups, losing out the top spot to Finland's SanomaWSOY in 2001.
Fuller Smith & Turner P.L.C. →
Active · founded 1845 · United Kingdom
While its larger U.K.
Boatmen's Bancshares Inc. →
Active · founded 1847
Boatmen's Bancshares Inc.
The Associated Press →
Active · founded 1848
The Associated Press (AP) describes itself as the largest newsgathering organization in the world.
Société du Louvre →
Defunct · founded 1855 · France
Société du Louvre does not run that Paris museum, but its properties are almost as distinguished.
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company →
Active · founded 1867
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is a prominent regional and specialty beer brewer.
Heidelberger Zement AG →
Active · founded 1873 · Germany
Heidelberger Zement AG is one of the world's five largest producers of construction materials.
Vorwerk & Co. →
Active · founded 1883 · Germany
For more than 100 years, Vorwerk & Co.
Whitbread PLC →
Active · founded 1889 · United Kingdom
Whitbread PLC is one of the leading players in the U.K.
Young & Co.'s Brewery, P.L.C. →
Active · founded 1890 · United Kingdom
1581: Humphrey Langridge operates the Ram Brewery.
Casino Guichard-Perrachon S.A. →
Active · founded 1898 · France
Casino Guichard-Perrachon S.A., or Groupe Casino, is one of France's largest retailers--battling it out with Carrefour…
Herman Goelitz, Inc. →
Active · founded 1898
Herman Goelitz, Inc.
The King Arthur Flour Company →
Active · founded 1904
The King Arthur Flour Company celebrates its 210th anniversary in the year 2000.
Suntory Ltd. →
Active · founded 1907 · Japan
Suntory Ltd.
Blue Diamond Growers →
Active · founded 1910
Blue Diamond Growers is the world's largest tree nut marketer and also ranks as one of the largest agricultural…
Hartmarx Corporation →
Active · founded 1911
Hartmarx Corporation is a holding company for a number of clothing companies, including its flagship brands of men's…
The Lane Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1912
The Lane Co., Inc.
Schott Brothers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1913
Schott Brothers, Inc.
Phillips Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1914
Phillips Foods, Inc.
MITROPA AG →
Defunct · founded 1916 · Germany
German-based MITROPA AG is Germany's fourth largest restaurant chain and one of Europe's leading caterers for people on…
Lutheran Brotherhood →
Active · founded 1917
Lutheran Brotherhood is the second-largest fraternal benefit society in the United States.
The Broadmoor Hotel →
Active · founded 1918
The Broadmoor Hotel provides luxury accommodations for its guest with 700 rooms and suites, as well as fine dining and…
Restaurant Associates Corporation →
Active · founded 1919
Based in New York City, Restaurant Associates Corporation (RA) is a subsidiary of Compass Group USA, a unit of the…
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1919 · Japan
Shionogi & Co., Ltd., ranks among Japan's leading developers, producers, and exporters of pharmaceuticals.
Zatarain's, Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
Zatarain's, Inc., is a leading producer of rice mixes.
Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1923 · Japan
Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Advance Publications Inc. →
Active · founded 1924
Family owned and operated, Advance Publications Inc.
Rallye SA →
Active · founded 1924 · France
Rallye SA is one of France's--and the world's--top retail groups.
Weis Markets, Inc. →
Active · founded 1924
Weis Markets, Inc.
Maid-Rite Corporation →
Active · founded 1926
Maid-Rite Corporation's franchise restaurants have been serving their signature "loose meat" ground beef sandwiches…
Palm Management Corporation →
Active · founded 1926
Palm Management Corporation operates 30 upscale steakhouses in major U.S.
Rayonier Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Rayonier Inc.
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation →
Active · founded 1928
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation operates the oldest and largest (174 acres) outdoor living history museum in the…
AMETEK, Inc. →
Active · founded 1930
AMETEK, Inc.
Porsche AG →
Active · founded 1931 · Germany
Porsche AG is legendary for its innovative and beautiful automobile designs.
Value Line, Inc. →
Active · founded 1931
Value Line, Inc.
Besnier SA →
Active · founded 1933 · France
Besnier SA is France's largest dairy products producer and one of the largest dairy products producers in Europe.
Strauss-Elite Group →
Active · founded 1934 · Israel
Merging two of Israel's oldest and largest food companies in 2004, the Strauss-Elite Group has become that country's…
The Steak n Shake Company →
Active · founded 1934
One of the oldest restaurant chains in the United States, The Steak n Shake Company operates more than 370 Steak n…
World's Finest Chocolate Inc. →
Active · founded 1939
World's Finest Chocolate Inc.
Army and Air Force Exchange Service →
Active · founded 1941
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is a government agency within the Department of Defense that operates…
Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. →
Active · founded 1942 · Japan
c.
Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation →
Active · founded 1943
Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation is the controlling body for a group of companies that operate and/or franchise a…
Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1945
Jos.
Kaman Corp. →
Active · founded 1945
Kaman Corp.
Sub-Zero Freezer Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1945
Sub-Zero Freezer Co., Inc., is the leading manufacturer of built-in refrigerators, which can be fronted with cabinetry…
Iams Company →
Active · founded 1946
Iams Company is a manufacturer of premium dog and cat foods which are distributed only through veterinarians, animal…
Cumberland Packing Corporation →
Active · founded 1947
Cumberland Packing Corporation is a relatively small, family-run business, yet it has been a major player in the…
Dal-Tile International Inc. →
Active · founded 1947
Dal-Tile International Inc.
Frisch's Restaurants, Inc. →
Active · founded 1947
Frisch's Restaurants, Inc., an Ohio corporation engaged in the food service and lodging business, is probably best…
Johnston Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1948
Although it got its start selling auto replacement parts, Johnston Industries, Inc.
Yamazaki Baking Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1948 · Japan
Yamazaki Baking Co., Ltd.
Asahi Breweries, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1949 · Japan
Asahi Breweries, Ltd.
Consorcio G Grupo Dina, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1951 · Mexico
Consorcio G Grupo Dina , S.A.
Bayer A.G. →
Active · founded 1952 · Germany
Bayer A.G., along with BASF and Hoechst, is heir to the German chemical cartel known as I.G.
The Riese Organization →
Active · founded 1953
The Riese Organization is composed of a group of private corporations--perhaps 200 or more--that owns and operates…
WD-40 Company →
Active · founded 1953
Since the 1950s, the San Diego-based WD-40 Company has dominated the U.S.
Dover Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Dover Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturing holding company composed of about 50 subsidiaries with…
Renault Argentina S.A. →
Active · founded 1955 · Argentina
Of Argentina's ten automakers, almost all are closely held subsidiaries or affiliates of their American, European, or…
Waffle House Inc. →
Active · founded 1955
According to a 2000 Nation's Restaurant News article, Joe Rogers, Jr., claimed that Waffle House had "successfully…
Embers America Restaurants →
Active · founded 1956
Embers America Restaurants, which began as a single-unit neighborhood restaurant in the mid-1950s, has transformed…
Bob Evans Farms, Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
Bob Evans Farms, Inc.
Controladora Comercial Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. →
Defunct · founded 1957 · Mexico
Controladora Comercial Mexicana, S.A.
IHOP Corporation →
Active · founded 1958
IHOP Corporation operates and franchises the International House of Pancakes restaurant concept in the United States…
Flanigan's Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
Flanigan operated his business under three names during the 1990s.
VICORP Restaurants, Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
VICORP Restaurants, Inc., is a U.S.
Sanrio Company, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1960 · Japan
Japan's Sanrio Company, Ltd.
Donatos Pizzeria Corporation →
Active · founded 1963
Donatos Pizzeria Corporation is a subsidiary of McDonald's Corporation, part of the fast-food giant's specialty food…
Portillo's Restaurant Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
Mentioning "Portillo's" in the Midwest garners instant recognition and makes mouths water.
Del Taco, Inc. →
Active · founded 1964
Del Taco, Inc.
Marie Callender's Restaurant & Bakery, Inc. →
Active · founded 1964
Marie Callender's Restaurant & Bakery, Inc.
National Picture & Frame Company →
Active · founded 1964
National Picture & Frame Company is a major designer, manufacturer, and marketer of a wide variety of low-priced…
TDL Group Ltd. →
Active · founded 1964 · Canada
TDL Group Ltd.
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide →
Active · founded 1965
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide boasts a roster of 820 restaurants in 55 countries, with annual sales exceeding $2…
Ruth's Chris Steak House →
Active · founded 1965
Ruth's Chris Steak House is an international chain of upscale restaurants.
Sea Containers Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1965 · United Kingdom
Sea Containers Ltd.
Cremonini S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1966 · Italy
Cremonini S.p.A.
Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Founded in Berkeley, California, in the mid-1960s, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc.
Bass PLC →
Active · founded 1967 · United Kingdom
Conceived as a single brewery in the late 18th century, Bass PLC was in the process of a historic transition at the…
Ceradyne, Inc. →
Active · founded 1967
Ceradyne, Inc.
Grupo Eroski →
Active · founded 1969 · Spain
Grupo Eroski is the distribution arm and the largest part of Spain's powerful cooperative group Mondragon Corporacion…
Offshore Logistics, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Offshore Logistics, Inc., with headquarters in Lafayette, Louisiana, provides a variety of services to the petroleum…
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.
CBRL Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
CBRL Group, Inc., was formed in 1998 as a holding company for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants, a chain of…
Fresh Foods, Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
North Carolina-based Fresh Foods, Inc., formerly known as WSMP, Inc., is a holding company for a variety of food…
New World Development Company Limited →
Active · founded 1970 · Hong Kong
Since its founding in 1970, New World Development Company Limited has been a leader in Hong Kong's bustling commercial…
J. Alexander's Corporation →
Active · founded 1971
J.
Golden Corral Corporation →
Active · founded 1972
Having started with one small steakhouse, Golden Corral Corporation has grown into one of the nation's strongest family…
Ruby Tuesday, Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Ruby Tuesday, Inc.
Desc, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1973 · Mexico
Desc, S.A.
Mexican Restaurants, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Mexican Restaurants, Inc.
Panda Management Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Panda Management Company, Inc.
Peter Piper, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Peter Piper, Inc.
The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
The Yankee Candle Company Inc.
NPC International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1974
NPC International, Inc.
The Summit Bancorporation →
Active · founded 1974
The Summit Bancorporation is the holding company for Summit Bank, New Jersey's fourth largest bank.
Brinker International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1975
Brinker International, Inc.
Chi-Chi's Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1975
Chi-Chi's Inc., owned by Prandium Inc., is a chain of 130 Mexican full-service restaurants that can be found in…
Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile →
Active · founded 1976 · Chile
: 212234 Copper Ore & Nickel Ore Mining; 331411 Primary Smelting & Refining of Copper Ore The state-owned Corporacion…
Romacorp, Inc. →
Active · founded 1976
Romacorp, Inc.
Autogrill SpA →
Active · founded 1977 · Italy
Autogrill SpA is the world's leading operator of travel restaurant facilities.
Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Without rival for years, themed restaurant phenomenon Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc.
New York Restaurant Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
The New York Restaurant Group, Inc.
Ryan's Restaurant Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Ryan's Restaurant Group, Inc., operates more than 300 restaurants in the southern and midwestern United States.
The Really Useful Group →
Active · founded 1977 · United Kingdom
The Really Useful Group is the umbrella corporation over a welter of entertainment and leisure companies that operate…
Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1978
Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc.
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants, Inc.
Leeann Chin, Inc. →
Active · founded 1980
Leeann Chin, Inc.
Matt Prentice Restaurant Group →
Active · founded 1980
The Matt Prentice Restaurant Group runs more than a dozen eateries in the metropolitan area of Detroit, Michigan, and…
Riklis Family Corp. →
Active · founded 1980
Riklis Family Corp.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company →
Active · founded 1980
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is one of the top ten beer makers in the United States and the country's largest…
Hotel Properties Ltd. →
Active · founded 1981 · Singapore
Singapore's Hotel Properties Ltd.
CEC Entertainment, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
CEC Entertainment, Inc., formerly ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc., is the holding company for the popular child-oriented Chuck…
Nimbus CD International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
In the mid-1990s Nimbus CD International, Inc.
Zingerman's Community of Businesses →
Active · founded 1982
Zingerman's Community of Businesses encompasses a delicatessen, a full-service restaurant, a catering service, a…
Accor S.A. →
Active · founded 1983 · France
Paris-based Accor S.A.
Applebee's International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Applebee's International, Inc.
Buffets, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Buffets, Inc.
El Pollo Loco, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
El Pollo Loco, Inc.
Grameen Bank →
Active · founded 1983 · Bangladesh
Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus pioneered the concept of 'micro-credit'--minuscule loans to the very poor.
Grupo Gigante, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1983 · Mexico
Grupo Gigante, S.A.
McMenamins Pubs and Breweries →
Active · founded 1983
McMenamins Pubs and Breweries owns and operates more than 50 establishments in Oregon and the state of Washington and…
Mendocino Brewing Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Mallya's interest in MBC stemmed from his ambitions as a businessman.
Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc., brings the trademark cuisine of one of America's most celebrated chefs to an audience…
Altera Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Founded in 1983, Altera Corporation is a leading maker of high-density programmable logic devices (PLDs), based on…
Bertucci's Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Bertucci's Corporation, a casual-dining chain, owns a collection of full-service Italian restaurants that operate under…
Eateries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Eateries, Inc.
Hooters of America, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Hooters of America, Inc.
Novellus Systems, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Based in San Jose, California, Novellus Systems, Inc.
Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.
O'Charley's Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
O'Charley's Inc.
Wal-Mart de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1984 · Mexico
Wal-Mart de Mexico, S.A.
American Classic Voyages Company →
Active · founded 1985
American Classic Voyages Company is parent company to two pleasure cruise companies, the Delta Queen Steamboat Company,…
Avado Brands, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Known until 1998 as Apple South, Avado Brands, Inc.
Cooker Restaurant Corporation →
Active · founded 1986
Cooker Restaurant Corporation is a 37-unit casual dining restaurant chain, with locations in Florida, Michigan, Ohio,…
Johnny Rockets Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Johnny Rockets Group, Inc.'s restaurants offer American nostalgia with a menu of basic American food, served in a…
Santa Barbara Restaurant Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Santa Barbara Restaurant Group, Inc.
5 & Diner Franchise Corporation →
Active · founded 1987
Mesa, Arizona-based 5 & Diner Franchise Corporation operates some 20 freestanding 1950s style, family-friendly diners…
Luminar Plc →
Active · founded 1987 · United Kingdom
Luminar Plc is the United Kingdom's leading nightclub owner and operator, with more than 250 nightclubs, bars, and…
Deschutes Brewery, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Deschutes Brewery, Inc.
Jillian's Entertainment Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Jillian's Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
Brightpoint, Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Brightpoint, Inc.
Rooms To Go Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
Rooms To Go Inc., a low- to mid-priced furniture store chain, has rapidly expanded to more than 60 stores since opening…
Elior SA →
Active · founded 1991 · France
Elior SA is one of the top three contract catering groups in Europe--and number one in France and Spain.
Logan's Roadhouse, Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
Logan's Roadhouse, Inc.
Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc.
Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group →
Active · founded 1992
Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group is owned by Sean Combs, an entertainment and media dynamo whose many business…
Gate Gourmet International AG →
Active · founded 1992 · Switzerland
Gate Gourmet International AG is a leading supplier of in-flight food service for the global airline industry.
HOB Entertainment, Inc. →
Active · founded 1992
HOB Entertainment, Inc.
Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, Inc. →
Active · founded 1992
Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, Inc.
Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise Inc. →
Active · founded 1992
Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise Inc.
The WesterN SizzliN Corporation →
Active · founded 1992
Foti stayed on as CEO of the combined company, which received a major financial boost in June 2000 when it reached a…
Ameristar Casinos, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1993
Ameristar Casinos, Inc.
Landry's Restaurants, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Landry's Restaurants, Inc.
Texas Roadhouse, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Texas Roadhouse, Inc.
Buca, Inc. →
Active · founded 1994
Buca, Inc.
Famous Dave's of America, Inc. →
Active · founded 1994
Famous Dave's of America, Inc.
Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc. →
Active · founded 1994
Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc.
Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority →
Active · founded 1995
The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority operates the Mohegan Sun casino for the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut.
Tumbleweed, Inc. →
Active · founded 1995
Tumbleweed, Inc.
DenAmerica Corporation →
Active · founded 1996
DenAmerica Corporation operates 200 full-service family restaurants, most of them branded, in about 25 states.
Footstar, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1996
Footstar, Incorporated is a holding company whose two subsidiaries, Footaction and Meldisco, are leading shoe retailers…
P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
P.F.
Richtree Inc. →
Active · founded 1996 · Canada
Richtree Inc.
Caffè Nero Group PLC →
Active · founded 1997 · United Kingdom
Caffè Nero Group PLC ranks as one of the three largest operators of espresso shops in the United Kingdom, trailing…
Total Entertainment Restaurant Corporation →
Active · founded 1997
Total Entertainment Restaurant Corporation is a Wichita, Kansas-based company consisting of three restaurant chains:…
Weatherford International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1998
Houston-based Weatherford International, Inc.
Cosi, Inc. →
Active · founded 1999
Cosi, Inc.
SanomaWSOY Corporation →
Active · founded 1999 · Finland
Finland's SanomaWSOY Corporation leapt onto the broader European media scene with the 2001 acquisition of VNU's…
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