Long John Silver’s Acquires 76 Franchised Restaurants as Part of Brand Revitalization

by Katie Lee

Louisville, Ky. — Long John Silver’s, the nation’s largest quick-service seafood company, has acquired 76 LJS restaurants owned by ServUS, located primarily in Indiana. ServUS is owned by veteran franchisee Bob Ruckriegel who opened the third Long John Silver’s restaurant in 1969. Financial terms were not released.

“This is an excellent opportunity to continue our brand revitalization,” says Brian Unger, president and COO of Long John Silver’s. “We’re thrilled to add an extensive lineup of well-performing restaurants to our company-owned portfolio and to continue the legacy that Bob has left behind.”

ServUs’ owned Long John Silver’s restaurants are located primarily in central and northern Indiana as well as western Kentucky and southwestern Michigan. This acquisition grows the LJS’ company-owned system to 200 restaurants and includes the addition of ServUS’ highly experienced operations team.

“This brand holds a special place in my heart and we’re very proud of the work we’ve put into these restaurants for the last 49 years,” says Ruckriegel. “I know these restaurants and the team running them are in great hands.”

Long John Silver’s recently began the process of revitalizing its brand, swapping the nostalgic Cape Cod building elements for clean, nautical-themed lines of a new design. The newly renovated restaurants have already reported double-digit growth and the newest Long John Silver’s locations from ServUs in Indiana will showcase this fresh, contemporary change as well as adding the brand’s new grilled platform to the restaurants. The brand shifted from a 100% franchised system and began acquiring restaurants in late 2015. Today, Long John Silver’s owns 20% of the restaurants in its system, making it the largest restaurant operator for the brand.

Founded in 1969, Long John Silver’s has nearly 1,000 restaurants in the U.S. For more information, visit www.ljsilvers.com.

SOURCE: Long John Silver’s

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