Romano's Macaroni Grill is an American

casual dining Restaurants fall into several industry classifications, based upon menu style, preparation methods and pricing, as well as the means by which the food is served to the customer. This article mainly describes the situation in the US, while categor ...

restaurant chain A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate many retail markets, dining markets, and service categories in many pa ...

specializing in Italian-American cuisine. As of April 2024, the company operates 31 locations in

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, and

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, as well as 6 locations in

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History

Romano's first restaurant was founded by restaurateur Philip J. Romano (who had also founded the hamburger chain

Fuddruckers Fuddruckers (sometimes abbreviated as Fudds) is an American fast casual, franchised restaurant chain that specializes in hamburgers. As of 2019, Fuddruckers had 49 company-operated restaurants and 107 franchises across the United States and ar ...

in 1979; he had sold his shares in that company when he founded Romano's) in Leon Springs, Texas (now a district of

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

), on April 19, 1988. The location would later be occupied by Burkle's The Grill at Leon Springs, which closed in May of 2021 after a fire. Brinker International, Inc. bought the franchise rights to the company on November 22, 1989. Brinker announced on August 8, 2007, that it would begin exploring a buyer for the 230 company-owned stores. On December 18, 2008, Brinker announced that a majority stake in the chain was sold to Mac Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of

Golden Gate Capital Golden Gate Capital is an American private equity firm based in San Francisco. The firm makes investments in a number of select industries, including technology, financial services, retail and industrial, through leveraged buyout transactions, as ...

. As of June 29, 2011, Brinker still holds a 15.6%

minority interest In accounting, minority interest (or non-controlling interest) is the portion of a subsidiary corporation's stock that is not owned by the parent corporation. The magnitude of the minority interest in the subsidiary company is generally less than ...

in the concept. On February 6, 2013, Ignite Restaurant Group announced the acquisition of Romano's Macaroni Grill from

through a $55.0 million all-cash transaction. Redrock Partners LLC purchased the concept from Ignite in April 2015 for $8 million. On October 18, 2017, Romano's Macaroni Grill filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On September 21, 2018, Romano's bought Sullivan's Steakhouse for $32 million. In July, 2023, Jason Kemp became President and Chief Executive Officer of Romano's Macaroni Grill. Jason Kemp was the former President & CEO & owner of multiple restaurant chains including Furr's Fresh Buffet, Ryan's Steakhouse, Old Country Buffet, Hometown Buffet, Sushi Zushi, Zio's Italian Kitchen, Tahoe Joe's and more. A large number of these brands ended up filing for bankruptcy. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006218/en/Fresh-Acquisitions-LLC-Files-for-Chapter-11-Bankruptcy On April 20, 2021, both Buffets, LLC (Hometown Buffet, Old Country Buffet, Ryan's, and Tahoe Joe's) and Fresh Acquisitions, LLC (Furr's) filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Several of the owners of VitaNova Brands and its related entities which Jason Kemp was linked to have been named in multiple lawsuits alleging serious fraud and theft of money from both their business partners and the federal government. One of these suits was filed by the bankruptcy trustee in the April 20, 2021 bankruptcy case and alleges the theft of $13M of Paycheck Protection Program Loans by Jason Kemp, and his partners.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/VitaNova_Brands In recent years, Jason Kemp has been sued by multiple investors for misuse of funds. The company is currently faced with multiple eviction lawsuits by landlords for unpaid rents too. https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/article/sushi-zushi-san-antonio-lawsuit-18565762.php https://dockets.justia.com/docket/texas/txwdce/5:2020cv00671/1098401?amp https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/article/sushi-zushi-san-antonio-lawsuit-18565762.php The company has filed bankruptcy and currently managed by the Board of Directors.

Products

Romano's Macaroni Grill menu features items found in traditional cuisine from Italy and the Mediterranean area. The menu includes a custom-assembled pasta dish, with a choice of pastas, sauces, and toppings. Meals are served with complimentary bread and olive oil. In addition to their restaurants, the brand also features a line of packaged food products based on dishes offered by the restaurant. The packages are manufactured by

General Mills General Mills, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded ultra-processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in ...

Restaurant Favorites line.

Nutrition

In 2007, ''

Men's Health ''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst Communications, Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries; it is the bestselling men's magazine on American newsstands. Started as a men's health magazin ...

'' rated Romano's Macaroni Grill one of the unhealthiest restaurant chains, giving it an 'F' on its "Restaurant Report Card." According to the report, an average meal from the chain contains over 1,000 calories. Three years later, however, the magazine rated Macaroni Grill as the healthiest Italian chain, noting that a number of entrees had significantly decreased in calorie count. This was attributed to the hiring of a new CEO with a "multiphase plan to improve the nutritional quality."

Gallery

File:Macaroni Grill, Burlington MA (2864284742).jpg, A Romano's in Burlington, MA in September, 2008 (closed in February 2017, now Eddie V's) File:Macaroni Grill spaghetti with meatballs.jpg, One of many Italian-themed dishes at Romano's

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Companies based in Denver Restaurants established in 1988 Restaurant chains in the United States Restaurant franchises Italian-American culture in Texas Italian restaurants in the United States 1988 establishments in Texas 2013 mergers and acquisitions 2015 mergers and acquisitions Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017 Italian-American cuisine