Red Robin
Encyclopedia
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is a chain of casual dining
restaurants founded in 1969 in Seattle, Washington, and now headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado
.
". He liked the song so much that he eventually changed the name to Sam's Red Robin.
In 1969, local Seattle restaurant entrepreneur Gerry Kingen bought the restaurant and expanded it. The business dropped the "Sam's" and simply became Red Robin. The first restaurant was 1,200 sq ft (110 m2). It was a favored hangout for University of Washington
students. Kingen continued to operate the location as a tavern for a few years, but later added hamburgers to the menu, and sales skyrocketed.
The original Red Robin closed on March 21, 2010 due to prohibitive maintenance costs for the old building.
In 1979, two Red Robin regulars, Mike and Steve Snyder, decided to open their own Red Robin in Yakima, Washington
. The Snyder Group Company became Red Robin's first franchisee. In 1980, Red Robin opened a restaurant in Portland, Oregon
. In 1983, Red Robin adopted a mascot named Red. In 1985, the corporate headquarters was moved from downtown Seattle to suburban Denver after Kingen sold a controlling interest in Red Robin Corp. to the Skylark Corporation of Japan
. With marginal successes and poor financial performance under Skylark's management, Kingen, then a minority owner, in 1995 stepped back into the CEO
position to nurse the company back to profitability. In 1994, the company introduced its "Bottomless Steak Fries
." In 2000, the company celebrated the opening of its 150th restaurant. As of November 2008, there are over 400 locations across the United States
and 20 in Canada
.
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...
restaurants founded in 1969 in Seattle, Washington, and now headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado
Greenwood Village, Colorado
The city of Greenwood Village is a prominent suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area and a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States...
.
History
The original Red Robin stood at the corner of Furhman and Eastlake Avenues E. in Seattle, at the southern end of the University Bridge. This building dates from 1940 and was first called Sam's Tavern. The owner, Sam, sang in a barber shop quartet and could frequently be heard singing the song "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)
"When the Red, Red Robin " was a 1926 popular song written by songwriter Harry M. Woods. The song was an instant hit for singers like "Whispering" Jack Smith, Cliff Edwards and the Ipana Troubadors...
". He liked the song so much that he eventually changed the name to Sam's Red Robin.
In 1969, local Seattle restaurant entrepreneur Gerry Kingen bought the restaurant and expanded it. The business dropped the "Sam's" and simply became Red Robin. The first restaurant was 1,200 sq ft (110 m2). It was a favored hangout for University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
students. Kingen continued to operate the location as a tavern for a few years, but later added hamburgers to the menu, and sales skyrocketed.
The original Red Robin closed on March 21, 2010 due to prohibitive maintenance costs for the old building.
In 1979, two Red Robin regulars, Mike and Steve Snyder, decided to open their own Red Robin in Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
. The Snyder Group Company became Red Robin's first franchisee. In 1980, Red Robin opened a restaurant in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. In 1983, Red Robin adopted a mascot named Red. In 1985, the corporate headquarters was moved from downtown Seattle to suburban Denver after Kingen sold a controlling interest in Red Robin Corp. to the Skylark Corporation of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. With marginal successes and poor financial performance under Skylark's management, Kingen, then a minority owner, in 1995 stepped back into the CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
position to nurse the company back to profitability. In 1994, the company introduced its "Bottomless Steak Fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
." In 2000, the company celebrated the opening of its 150th restaurant. As of November 2008, there are over 400 locations across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 20 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.