Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen
Private | |
Industry | Restaurant |
Founded | 1979 |
Founder | Aubrey Good & Doug Rogers |
Headquarters | Irving, Texas, U.S. |
Number of locations | 160 |
Key people | Doug Rogers (CEO), Don Breen (CFO), Tom Koenigsberg (Chief Brand Officer) |
Owner | Oak Investment Partners and Catterton Partners |
Website |
www |
Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen is an American restaurant chain based in Irving, Texas. Founded in 1979, the chain has more than 160 locations in 23 states as of 2016.
History
Cheddar's was founded in 1979 by Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers.[1] The first location was in Arlington, Texas, and the chain reached 10 locations by 1995.
By 2003, Cheddar’s had 42 restaurants in 13 states[2] and Brazos Private Equity Partners made an initial investment to grow the company that year. In August 2006, when the company had 55 restaurants in 15 states, Oak Investment Partners and Catterton Partners jointly purchased Cheddar’s.[3]
In August 2007, the company recruited Kelly Baltes from Darden Restaurants to serve as CEO.[4] Today the company has more than 135 company-owned and franchise locations in 23 states.[5]
In October 2014, Ian Baines became CEO.
In 2015, The company changed its name to Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, to reflect its ideals of made-from-scratch cooking and continuing to serve goodness to the community as it always has.[6] As of April, 2016, the company currently has 160 locations, of which 100 are corporately operated and 60 are franchised.
Menu
The neighborhood-style restaurants serve steaks, chicken, seafood, burgers, salads and desserts. [7] All locations feature a full bar. In 2013, the restaurant introduced a “575 calories and under” menu to meet growing demand for lighter fare.[8]
Awards and honors
In 2012, Zagat ranked Cheddar's the nation's No.1 full-service restaurant chain as well as Top Overall American Cuisine, the Top Rated Food and Top Rated Decor and Facilities.[9]
Consumer Reports named Cheddar's #1 in the Pub Style or Grill Category in its two restaurant surveys in 2009[10] and 2012. The company also received the top ranking in value in Nation's Restaurant News/WD Partners' Consumer Picks Edition in 2011,[11] 2012, and in 2013[12] for value, likelihood to return and likelihood to tell others.
References
- ↑ Company Overview of Cheddar’s Casual Café, Inc, Business Week.
- ↑ Brazos Partners Sells Cheddar's, Dallas Business Journal.
- ↑ Catterton, Oak firms buy Cheddar's from Brazos, Nation's Restaurant News.
- ↑ Cheddar’s Casual Café Names New Chairman, PRIME Newswire.
- ↑ Cheddar’s Casual Café names Peter Gaudreau EVP of operations, Nation's Restaurant News.
- ↑ http://cheddars.com/our-story/
- ↑ Taris Savell: Classy decor marks Cheddar's Casual Café, Pensacola News Journal.
- ↑ Cheddar’s Launches New Spring Menu Including Lighter Side Options Under 575 Calories, Restaurant News.
- ↑ 2012 Fast Food Survey Results are Live Archived July 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine., Zagat.com.
- ↑ Best Chain Restaurant Survey Finds Good Eats At Any Budget, Consumer Reports.
- ↑ Consumer Reports releases restaurant ratings, Nation's Restaurant News.
- ↑ Consumer Picks, Nation’s Restaurant News, Nation's Restaurant News.
External links
- Cheddar's — official site