O'Charley's

O'Charley's

File:Ocharleys.png
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Restaurants
Founded	1971
Founder	Charley Watkins
Headquarters	Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Number of locations	230+
Area served	Southeast and Midwestern United States
Key people	Hazem Ouf(CEO)
Revenue	US$830.1 million (2010)
Operating income	US$-17.3 million (2010)
Net income	US$-34.9 million (2010)
Total assets	US$422.7 million (2010)
Total equity	US$178.2 million (2010)
Owner	American Blue Ribbon Holdings
Website	www.ocharleys.com

O'Charley's is a casual dining restaurants chain in the United States, with more than 200+ company-owned locations. O'Charley's is located in 17 Southern and Midwestern states, including four franchised O'Charley's restaurants in Michigan, four franchised O'Charley's in Ohio, three joint venture O'Charley's restaurants in Louisiana, and one joint venture O'Charley's restaurant in Wisconsin.

O'Charley's was part of the parent company O'Charley's, Inc. Enterprise, a multi-concept restaurant company that operated or franchised a total of 363 restaurants under three brands: O'Charley's, Ninety Nine Restaurant, and Stoney River Legendary Steaks. In 2012, O'Charley's, Inc. Enterprise was acquired by Fidelity National Financial and became part of American Blue Ribbon Holdings.

History

Charley Watkins founded O'Charley's restaurant in 1971 with a single restaurant on 21st Avenue South in Nashville, across the street from Vanderbilt University. Watkins ran O'Charley's from 1971 to 1984 when he sold the restaurant to David K. Wachtel. David K. Wachtel spent 23 years working for Shoney's where he eventually became president and chief executive officer of the restaurant company. Wachtel resigned from Shoney's in 1982. Wachtel intended to develop the O'Charley's restaurant into a restaurant chain. In mid-1987, the 12th O'Charley's opened in Lexington, Kentucky, occupying a site formerly used by the Bennigan's chain of restaurants. While the Lexington grand opening was under way, Wachtel was working on plans to convert two more Bennigan's units in Huntsville, Alabama and Nashville, Tennessee into O'Charley's.

In December 1993, Burns and McWhorter announced the formulation of a growth strategy designed to carry the 45-unit chain into the ranks of the country's largest regional dinner-house chains. In 1994, the company planned to open at least eight new O'Charley's restaurants, situating the new units primarily in southeastern markets such as Cookeville, Tennessee; Louisville and Paducah, Kentucky; and Palm Harbor, Florida. There was an expectation of restaurants opening for the year, but as time continued past 1994 other issues hindered this expansion. In February 1994, Wachtel resigned as chairman of O'Charley's, citing his "pressing commitments" with other business interests, the most notable of which was the 300-unit Western Sizzlin' budget steakhouse chain he had acquired in 1993. Burns was named chief executive and co-chairman and McWhorter was tapped as president and co-chairman. One month after Wachtel's resignation, the company was advised that four former O'Charley's employees had filed a federal lawsuit charging the restaurant chain with racial discrimination practices against African Americans in the company's hiring, assignment, and promotion procedures. Burns denied the charges

In 2007, O'Charley's closed its Nashville commissary and distribution center, and began using Performance Food Group to distribute product to all of its locations. In 2013, O'Charley's launched their "Free Pie Wednesday". Any customer ordering an entree on Wednesdays will receive a free slice of O'Charley's new award-winning pies. In 2014 O'Charley's selects BOHAN Advertising as a marketing partner.

Awards

Named to Forbes "200 Best Small Companies in America" list for the third consecutive year in 2002. American Blue Ribbon named by The Tennessean as a Top Workplace for 2014. Legendary Baking Takes Home 500th Blue Ribbon from American Pie Council.

External links

• O'Charley's.com