Luby's

Luby's, Inc.
Public
Traded as NYSE: LUB
Industry Casual dining restaurant
Founded 1947 (1947) (as Luby's Cafeterias, Inc.)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Headquarters Houston, Texas, U.S.
Key people
 Christopher J. Pappas, President and CEO; K. Scott Gray, Sr. VP and CFO; Peter Tropoli, COO; B. Todd Coutee, Sr. VP of Operations
Products Homestyle food, cafeteria, American
Revenue Increase$400.80 million USD (2014)
Increase$-1.45 million USD (2014)
Number of employees
 8,210 (2006)
Subsidiaries Fuddruckers
Koo Koo Roo
Cheeseburger in Paradise
Website www.lubys.com

Luby's, Inc. (formerly Luby's Cafeterias, Inc. and NYSE: LUB) operates restaurants under the brands Luby's, Fuddruckers, Koo Koo Roo, and Cheeseburger in Paradise. It was founded in 1947 in San Antonio, Texas, United States by Robert Luby (1910-1998).

Its 95 Luby's cafeteria-style restaurants are located in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley, El Paso, and other cities throughout Texas; with one each in Arkansas and Mississippi, and two in Oklahoma. Its headquarters is in the Near Northwest district of Houston, Texas.

Its Fuddruckers restaurants include fifty-six company-operated locations and 129 franchises across the United States with one location in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, five in Puerto Rico, and one each in Villahermosa, Tabasco, and Santo Domingo. Its former Koo Koo Roo Chicken Bistro location (closed in June 2014 and due to reopen as a Fuddruckers) served chicken sandwiches, tossed salads, vegetables, and soups in Santa Monica, California. Luby's Culinary Services provides contract food service management to eighteen healthcare, higher education, and corporate dining locations, such as Texas Children's Hospital, Lone Star College, and formerly, Baylor College of Medicine, which ended its relationship with Luby's in March 2015.[1][2][3]

History

Luby's headquarters in Near Northwest and in Houston, 2011.

Bob Luby was one year old when his father, Harry, opened his first cafeteria called the New England Dairy Lunch. Bob opened his first Luby's Cafeteria in 1947, focusing on fresh food and customer service. Luby's soon expanded outside of San Antonio, Texas to Tyler, Harlingen, El Paso, and Beaumont.

In 1959, the original partners formed Cafeterias, Inc. Luby's continued to expand, entering other Texas cities and locations in contiguous states. Luby's entered Houston for the first time when it opened Romana Cafeteria in 1965. Locations opened in New Mexico in 1966 and in Oklahoma in 1980.

In 1973, Cafeterias, Inc. became a publicly traded company. To honor Bob Luby, Cafeterias, Inc., was renamed Luby's Cafeterias, Inc., in 1981. One year later, Luby's shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange. By 1987 Luby's had reached 100 locations.

In 2001, Chris and Harris Pappas of Houston's Pappas Restaurants (owners of Pappasito's Cantina, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, etc.) joined the Luby's management team. Three years later, Luby's moved its corporate headquarters from San Antonio to Houston.[4] The addition of the Pappas management team saw several Luby's restaurants begin to transition from traditional cafeteria-style establishments to hybrid cafeteria/fine dining establishments, replacing drink cart attendants with traditional waitstaff and extensively remodeling selected locations.[5]

Luby’s celebrated its 60th anniversary in December 2006 with publishing “Luby’s Recipes & Memories: A Collection of our Favorite Dishes and Heartwarming Stories,” a cookbook featuring its most requested recipes, helpful hints and tips and photography of real guests and their personal memories and stories throughout the book.[6] The cookbook went on to win several awards, including the “USA Gourmand Award” for best cookbook photography and the “Independent Publisher Award” bronze winner for cookbooks. In 2008, Luby’s published a special edition of the cookbook that included 12 additional recipes. The 60th anniversary cookbooks were a response to the popularity of the original Luby’s cookbook, published in 1997 in honor of the Company’s 50th anniversary.[7]

In 2009, due to the economic recession, Luby's closed 25 stores and laid off staff as a cost-cutting measure.[8]

In 2010 Luby's Culinary Services introduced "What's Brewing?", a coffeehouse concept store in Downtown Houston.[9][10]

The same year, on June 18, Luby's announced it was buying Fuddruckers and Koo Koo Roo for $61 million after parent company Magic Brands LLC went bankrupt.[11] The acquisition was final later in the summer.

On June 13, 2011, to celebrate the first anniversary of its milestone Fuddruckers acquisition, Luby’s launched its first company-owned Fuddruckers location. Situated in the heart of downtown Houston’s seven-mile (11 km) tunnel system, the 3,330-square-foot (309 m2) concept store showcases a more compact footprint.

In 2013, Luby's acquired Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Headquarters

Luby's has its headquarters in Suite 600 of the 13111 Northwest Freeway building in the Near Northwest district and in Houston, Texas.[12][13]

In July 2004, Luby's announced that it would move its headquarters from San Antonio to Houston, where Pappas Restaurants has its headquarters. At that time Luby's did not yet state to where it would be moving; the company stated that it would most likely move to a suburb in Greater Houston. 80 jobs were transferred to Houston.[14] After the Pappas takeover and before the move, several members of the Luby's management had traveled between Houston and San Antonio.[15]

Food

Luby’s is a cafeteria restaurant, specializing in made-from-scratch comfort food and offering a variety of fresh salads, entrees, sides, vegetables, breads, and desserts to choose from to “build” one’s perfect meal along the 30-foot (9.1 m) line. Luby’s Fried Fish, often referred to as the “square fish” since it is a block of cod, and homemade Macaroni and Cheese, made from real American cheese, are the two most popular items. During Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season, Luby’s offers several complete meal packages as well as whole meats and sides for guests to purchase for their celebrations.

Lu Ann Platter

The "Lu Ann Platter", a popular combination platter served at Luby's, is a half portion entree with vegetables. This plate was the inspiration for the character name Luanne Platter from the animated Texas comedy/drama, King of the Hill. The cafeteria itself is characterized as "Luly's" on the show. In a 2010 promotion, Luby's had a "Luann" model visit stores.

Luby's shooting

Main article: Luby's shooting

A deadly mass shooting occurred at a Luby's restaurant at 1705 East Central Texas Expressway in Killeen, Texas, on October 16, 1991, when George Hennard gunned down 24 people.[16] This location reopened after cleanup and redesign of the front wall; it closed permanently on September 9, 2000.[17] A Chinese-American buffet restaurant now occupies the former location.[18]

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Wollam, Allison (January 19, 2010). "Luby's cooks up Lone Star College deal". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  2. ↑ Luby's Culinary Services
  3. ↑ "Luby's Opens New Dining Facility at Baylor College of Medicine". Red Orbit. August 20, 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  4. ↑ Aldridge, James (July 16, 2004). "San Antonio Business Journal". San Antonio Business Journal. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  5. ↑ Wollam, Allison (December 3, 2006). "Luby's to dish out new design with Post Oak remodel". Houston Business Journal.
  6. ↑ Oelrich, Shannon. "Where Texans Go To Eat". Texas Co-Op Power. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  7. ↑ "Luby's Cafeteria Recipes". Food.com. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  8. ↑ "Luby's closes 25 stores." KTRK-TV. Monday November 16, 2009. Retrieved on February 26, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Luby’s posts 2Q net loss as sales slide." Houston Business Journal. Thursday March 18, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Luby's Culinary Services Introduces What's Brewing at 1301 Fannin in Downtown Houston." PR Newswire. Retrieved on March 22, 2010.
  11. ↑ Baertlein, Lisa (June 18, 2010). "UPDATE 1-Luby's buys Fuddruckers for $61 million". Reuters. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  12. ↑ "Area Map." Near Northwest. Retrieved on February 8, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Contact." Luby's. Retrieved on February 8, 2011. "Office 13111 Northwest Freeway, Suite 600 Houston, Texas 77040."
  14. ↑ Athavaley, Anjali. "CAFETERIA STYLE / Home is where the CEO is / Luby's will move its headquarters to Houston, bringing 80 jobs along." Houston Chronicle. Saturday July 17, 2004. Business 1. Retrieved on February 26, 2010.
  15. ↑ Aldridge, James. "Luby's relocating corporate headquarters to Houston." San Antonio Business Journal. Friday July 16, 2004. Retrieved on February 26, 2010.
  16. ↑ Shooting rampage at Killeen Luby's left 24 dead Houston Chronicle, August 10, 2001
  17. ↑ "Luby's in Killeen, Texas, site of 1991 massacre, closes its doors." CNN. September 11, 2000. Retrieved on February 26, 2010.
  18. ↑ http://kdhnews.com/news/luby-s-tragedy-years-later/article_403bf9be-b235-590e-80c5-3039c908264e.html
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