Longhorn Steakhouse
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| Wholly owned subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Genre | Steak house |
| Founded |
Atlanta, Georgia (1981) |
| Founder | George McKerrow, Jr. |
| Headquarters | 1000 Darden Center Drive Orlando, Florida, U.S. 32837 |
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Number of locations
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435 (2014) |
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Area served
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United States, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia |
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Key people
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Clarence Otis, Jr. (CEO/Chairman of Darden) |
| Products | Steaks, Chicken, Burgers Salads |
| Parent | Darden Restaurants, Inc. (formerly operated by Rare Hospitality) |
| Website | longhornsteakhouse |
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Footnotes / references |
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LongHorn Steakhouse is an American casual dining restaurant chain that is owned and operated by Darden Restaurants, Inc., headquartered in Orlando, Florida. As of 2015, LongHorn Steakhouse generated $1.5 billion in sales in its 480 locations.
LongHorn Steakhouse was founded in 1981 by George McKerrow, Jr. and his father. McKerrow was a former manager at Victoria Station, a San Francisco based concept with railroad cars used as dining areas that was popular in the US during the 70's and 80's. The first location, originally called LongHorn Steaks Restaurant & Saloon, opened on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a former antique store, then an adult entertainment business. The walls were still painted black and some of the booths were divided by recycled black partitions. He filled it with steer heads and western paraphernalia. The LongHorn featured top quality steaks grilled in a butter sauce.
It was across from a very popular restaurant, Harrison's on Peachtree. Harrison's was the favorite hangout of Atlanta Journal and Constitution columnist Ron Hudspeth and Lewis Grizzard. Hudspeth regularly featured quotes from "Pete the barkeep" at Harrison's. Harrison's had a very limited bar menu. So regulars ventured over to the Longhorn for a quality steak after a night of drinking. However, in January 1982, a sudden snow storm that became known as SnowJam 82, trapped the area's commuter population within the city limits and McKerrow offered $1 drinks and menu specials to the stranded motorists. Hudspeth featured it in his column. This helped turn the struggling restaurant around.
By 1990, the franchise expanded further south. It primarily has locations throughout the Eastern United States. It also has a few locations in the Midwest, Southwest, and Puerto Rico.
In August 2007, LongHorn Steakhouse, formerly owned and operated by RARE Hospitality International Inc., was purchased by Darden Restaurants, Inc.
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Wikipedia