Charlie Brown's Steakhouse (or simply Charlie Brown's) is a regional American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 casual dining

Casual dining

This is a list of casual dining restaurant chains around the world, arranged in alphabetical order. A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately-priced food in a casual atmosphere...

 restaurant chain based in Mountainside, New Jersey

Mountainside, New Jersey

If you are looking for the community in Ontario, see Mountainside, Ontario.Mountainside is a borough in Union County, New Jersey, United States...

. There are locations in New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 and Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

.

History

Charlie Brown's Steakhouse was founded in 1966 in Warren, New Jersey, by three businessmen. Their mission was to serve the highest quality cuts of meat to their patrons. The business soon became a success, which led to the opening of various Charlie Brown locations throughout New Jersey, as well as expanding to the bordering states of New York and Pennsylvania. Considered a New Jersey Steakhouse icon, the overwhelming success of Charlie Brown's Steakhouse can be credited to the concept's architects and their impeccable execution of serving fresh cuts of meats alongside garden fresh produce from the highest quality farms in the Garden State. The restaurant was originally owned by CB Holding Corp. In 1997, Charlie Brown's was sold to Castle Harlan

Castle Harlan

Castle Harlan is a private equity firm based in New York that focuses on buyouts and growth capital investments in middle-market companies across a range of industries. Founded in 1987, invests in controlling interests in middle-market companies in North America and Europe, as well as in...

, and then acquired in 2005 by Trimaran Capital Partners

Trimaran Capital Partners

Trimaran Capital Partners is a middle-market private equity firm formerly affiliated with CIBC World Markets. Trimaran is headquartered in New York City and founded by former investment bankers from Drexel Burnham Lambert. Trimaran’s predecessors were early investors in telecom and Internet...

. As of April 2011, Charlie Brown's Steakhouse is currently owned by Praesidian Capital, a private equity company.

Menu

Charlie Brown's offers many fresh foods made to order, including steak, seafood, sandwiches, salads, chicken, BBQ ribs, pasta, and burgers. The restaurant is well known for serving their signature raisin bread, as well as their "Farmer's Market Salad Bar", where patrons can enjoy unlimited helpings of fresh salad, dressings, and other specialties.

Bankruptcy

The restaurant filed for bankruptcy in November 2010, as part of a restructuring that included the closing of 47 restaurants. In 2011, a New York private-equity company agreed to pay $9.5 million to buy Charlie Brown's Steakhouse. CB Restaurants Inc. is in line to take over 20 Charlie Brown’s restaurants, including 17 locations in New Jersey.