Long John Silvers

Name: Long John Silvers

Type of Food: Sea Food

Interesting Fact: The name and concept were inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s book Treasure Island.

History: The history of Long John Silver’s can be traced to 1929, when Jerome Lederer, the company founder, opened a six-seat hamburger stand he called the White Tavern Shoppe in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The concept proved popular and thrived until World War II caused Jerome to close 10 shops due to shortages of meat, sugar, and manpower.

Lederer regrouped in 1946, establishing his company as Jerrico Inc. and introducing a new restaurant in Lexington, called Jerry’s Five and Dime. There the focus was promoting 15-cent roast beef sandwiches. In 1947, realizing that people were not willing to pay that much for a roast beef sandwich, Lederer converted Jerry’s menu around the newly popular hamburger.

As he rebuilt his company, Lederer hired Warren W. Rosenthal to manage his restaurants in 1948. Soon the two men were looking for a restaurant concept they could duplicate across the country. Rosenthal, who had been made chief executive officer of Jerrico, eventually served as president and gained ownership of the company as well when Lederer died in 1963.

In 1969, Rosenthal was inspired to try out a new market for quick-service seafood in face of massive competition in the market of standard American favorites such as hamburgers, pizza, and fried chicken.

Shortly after taking Jerrico public in 1969, Rosenthal launched Long John Silver’s Fish ‘n’ Chips, in Lexington, Kentucky. (The original location, on Southland Drive just off Nicholasville Road, was previously a seafood restaurant named the Cape Codder, which accounts for the Cape Cod style of Long John Silver’s early chain restaurants.)

In 1971 Long John Silver’s became Jerrico’s most successful chain and it expanded to more than 200 units. In 1990 the company divested its other restaurant concepts to focus on Long John Silver concept and renamed themselves Long John Silver Restaurants Inc.

By end of the 1990’s Long John Silver Restaurants Inc. becomes part of Yorkshire Global Restaurants Inc, which in turn was purchased by Tricon Global Restaurants, which is now known as Yum! Brands.

Today, Long John Silver has over 1200 units worldwide – and more than 200 additional locations in multi-brand restaurants. The chain hosts nearly four million customers each week.

Website: www.ljsilvers.com

View the menu: here

Find your local Long John Silvers: here

Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Boston Pizza

Name: Boston Pizza

Type of Food: 25 varieties of gourmet pizza as well as pasta, baby back ribs, chicken, seafood

Interesting Fact: Despite its name, Boston Pizza was not founded in Boston, and as yet has no locations in Boston or even Massachusetts. The company is Canadian! The name Boston was chosen because it was a considered a recognizable and established name.

History: The Boston Pizza concept began in Edmonton, Alberta in 1964 when Greek immigrant Gus Agioritis opened “Boston Pizza and Spaghetti House”. Although he lacked any significant restaurant experiences, Agioritis achieved success by combining hard work with a business strategy that included a focus on growth through franchising.

The company started franchising in the 1960s; Gus’ two younger brothers, Nino and Trifon helped found the first restaurant in Edmonton and each started a franchise in Saskatoon and Regina, respectively. When the company and its franchise rights were sold, Nino and Trifon established pizzerias under new names: Nino’s Pizza and Trifon’s Pizza still exist in these cities. Six years after opening, Gus had 17 locations (two corporate and 15 franchised) in operation across Western Canada. In 1978 Agioritis sold the company to Ron Coyle.

In 1983, Jim Treliving, a former RCMP officer who was one of the original franchisees (who had opened his first restaurant in 1968 in Penticton, British Columbia), along with business partner George Melville, bought the chain. By 1995, the company boasted 97 restaurants in Western Canada.

The first U.S. restaurant opened in 1998 under the name “Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza”. Today there are over 350 restaurants in North America and Mexico combined. Jim Treliving, Chairman and Founder of Boston Pizza Restaurants L.P. is looking towards expansion into Australia, the United Kingdom and eventually Asia.

Website: www.bostonpizza.com

View the menu: here

Find your local Boston Pizza in Canada here and Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza here

Specials:
-Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons Boston Pizza

-Newsletter – Gift Card - Coupons Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza