Norman Brinker
| Norman E. Brinker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
June 3, 1931 Denver, Colorado |
| Died | June 9, 2009 (aged 78) Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Occupation | Restaurateur |
| Spouse(s) |
Maureen Connolly (1955-1969) Magarit Fendt (1971-1976) Nancy Goodman (1981-2000) Toni Chapman (2003-2009) |
| Children | Brenda, Christina, Cindy, Eric (né Leitstein), Mark |
| Parent(s) | Kathryn and Eugene Brinker |
Norman Eugene Brinker (June 3, 1931 – June 9, 2009) was an American restaurateur who was responsible for the creation of new business concepts within the restaurant field, such as the salad bar. He served as president of Jack in the Box, founded Steak and Ale and helped establish Bennigan's.
He was born on June 3, 1931. He began his career in the 1960s in Southern California with fast food company Jack in the Box, rising to oversee its expansion into a regional chain in the United States. After leaving the company he founded several chains, including Steak and Ale. With its sale to Pillsbury in 1976, Brinker rose to new heights, eventually becoming president of the company's entire restaurant operations. At the height of his tenure with Pillsbury he was responsible for the creation or oversaw the operations of such restaurants as Bennigan's, Burger King and Häagen-Dazs. It was when he left Pillsbury in 1984 to purchase a small gourmet burger shop called Chili's that Brinker saw his greatest business success. The company eventually became one of the largest restaurant holding companies in the world with 5 chains operating 1900 restaurants in 25 countries. Now known as Brinker International, the company currently employs over 100,000 people and has system-wide sales exceeding US$4 billion annually.
During the 1950s, Brinker engaged in a hectic and busy lifestyle. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1952; during his stint in the service, Brinker used his passion and talent for horse riding to earn a place on the United States Olympic Equestrian team in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, and the 1954 modern pentathlon world championships in Budapest, Hungary. While stationed in San Diego, California, he chose to attend San Diego State College, now San Diego State University. It was during his time in college that he met and married Tennis Grand Slam winner and world champion Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly in 1955, became president of his class, and graduated with honors in 1957. His marriage, which produced two children, ended in 1969 when she succumbed to ovarian cancer. His 1971—1976 marriage to Margrit Fendt produced two more children. In 1981, Brinker met and later married his third wife, Nancy Goodman, on February 14, 1983. He was gravely injured in a polo accident in 1993, was chair of the United States Polo Association, inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame on March 6, 1998, and retired from Brinker International in 2001. They engaged in many Republican causes and fund-raising missions during their time together. The couple was amicably divorced in 2003. He married his fourth wife, Toni Chapman, in March 2003 and remained with her until his death in 2009.
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