Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
Before we can talk about the barbecue at Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que and Hof’s Hut, we need to go back to a much simpler time in the 1930s where Dirk and Sjoukje (a Dutch immigrant) Hofman…
View PostMenchie’s Frozen Yogurt
Our first (and only?) love story… Most of us have had a bad first date. I remember a couple where I knew the chance of a relationship was over before knowing what I was going…
View PostSchlotzsky’s
Schlotzsky’s was started by Don and Dolores Dissman in 1971. They should be credited with doing one thing very well. Not many restaurants could pull off a menu with one sandwich but they found a…
View PostAu Bon Pain
Part one of a three part trilogy. Au Bon Pain (we’ll tackle the pronunciation later) began in France, now resides in Germany with one American businessman in the center. The story begins in 1976 when…
View PostFreebirds World Burrito
“Born in California. Raised in Texas” is their slogan. Mark Orfalea originally designed the restaurant around the roasted chicken concept similar to El Pollo Loco and wanted to deliver food to the UC Santa Barbara students.…
View PostHooters
Regardless of your thoughts on the chain, their story is at least unique. It almost begins as a joke or skit on Saturday Night Live. What happens when you have six businessmen in Florida who…
View PostCracker Barrel
Dan Evins could have probably remained prosperous in his family oil business, but he wanted to serve a different market. Dan turned to the restaurant industry and identified something missing. He saw the new interstate system…
View PostBiggby Coffee
The story of Biggby coffee is one of two separate friendships. If you read the company history page, they begin with the second relationship, but there’s a prequel. If you want to know how it…
View PostFleming’s Steakhouse
Paul Fleming has undoubtedly come a long way since growing up in Iberia, Louisana. He attended Loyola University and his first professional experience in the dining industry began as a dishwasher at a local New…
View PostNoodles & Company
The story of Noodles & Company starts in the trendy Greenwich Village in New York City when a 33-year-old brand manager for Pepsi stopped in Mamie’s Asian Noodle Shop for a bite to eat. Arron Kennedy was…
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