Huddle House
Huddle HouseHuddle House is an American chain of 24-hour diner-style restaurants with over 360 locations in 21 states, primarily found in the Southern United States. The chain was started in 1964 in Decatur, Georgia by John Sparks, with the goal of providing a 24-hour eatery. It is named after the act of huddling in football. The original Huddle House in Decatur was established to give fans a place to eat after "the big game" on Friday nights. Its competitors include, Waffle House, IHOP, Cracker Barrel, Denny's, and Bob Evans.
Huddle House opened their first 24-hour restaurant in April 1964 in Decatur, Georgia. In 1966, they began actively franchising. The company now expands primarily through franchising, but also continues to operate company units. The combined organization has continued to expand and today encompasses more than 400 units throughout the traditional South and new development areas opening in the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, and the Southwestern United States. In 2001, Huddle House was awarded the "Hot Again" award by Nation's Restaurant News as the #1 revitalized brand in America.
In 2006, Huddle House was acquired by Allied Capital. In 2009, Ares Capital acquired Allied Capital. In 2012, Ares sold Huddle House to Sentinel Capital Partners.
The company signed a lease agreement with Pilot Flying J in late 2011 to operate Huddle House locations within several Pilot Flying J locations. In addition to opening locations in Huddle House's traditional footprint in Kansas and Oklahoma, the deal also included Huddle House's first location in Fargo, North Dakota, its northernmost reach to date.
In addition to Kansas and Oklahoma, Huddle House has locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
...
Wikipedia
