The company is liquidating. Are there any cafeteria chains left once it is gone? I suppose Furr's. Is that it?

PartyBear said:

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The company is liquidating. Are there any cafeteria chains left once it is gone? I suppose Furr's. Is that it?

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Not only shuttering but shutting. I also see where Fuddrucker chain is doing the same thing.

Covid kills all buffets.

Sad.

I didnt realize until yesterday that Fuddruckers was owned by Luby's or the company that owns Luby's. But yes Fuddruckers as well. Fuddruckers has to be the second longest existing chain in Waco (opened in 84) with Red Lobster being the oldest. Just thinking off the top of my head.

Per their Facebook page, the Waco Fuddruckers is a franchise and not affected.

If the company closes can an actual franchise actually exist anymore? There is no longer a supplier of the supplies and products to serve that are consistent with the "brand". In other words the franchisee can still perhaps run a burger place called Fuddruckers (although I'm not sure it can keep the name) with the current interior theme until it becomes completely run down but fries and burgers will be different from the old Fuddruckers chain's burgers etc.

Does Pappa's chains still own Luby's and Fuddruckers?

I don't think Luby's was ever the same after Pappas bought them and put everything on a fancy white plate instead of a serving pan and raised the price on everything.

I'd be ticked if Fuddruckers left. That's the only place you can put nacho cheese and pico de gallo on a burger.

PartyBear said:

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If the company closes can an actual franchise actually exist anymore? There is no longer a supplier of the supplies and products to serve that are consistent with the "brand". In other words the franchisee can still perhaps run a burger place called Fuddruckers (although I'm not sure it can keep the name) with the current interior theme until it becomes completely run down but fries and burgers will be different from the old Fuddruckers chain's burgers etc.

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Considering they likely get their product from Ben E. Keith or Sysco, I'm sure they can continue ordering the same product and utilize the decades old recipes and keep things consistent, so long as the franchisee sticks to the standards of care.

hodedofome said:

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I'd be ticked if Fuddruckers left. That's the only place you can put nacho cheese and pico de gallo on a burger.

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havent tried it but whataburger is advertising for a pico de gallo burger

https://stories.whataburger.com/fresh-for-summer-the-new-pico-de-gallo-burger-is-here/

PartyBear said:

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I didnt realize until yesterday that Fuddruckers was owned by Luby's or the company that owns Luby's. But yes Fuddruckers as well. Fuddruckers has to be the second longest existing chain in Waco (opened in 84) with Red Lobster being the oldest. Just thinking off the top of my head.

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Not to derail this thread, but you may be right. Red Lobster was originally on Bosque from the late 1970s but was torn down when HEB converted the old Handy Dan in 1998. I can't recall if it moved directly into the old China Coast (quite possibly the worst chain restaurant I have ever visited) at Richland Mall, or if it was shut down for a time during the transition. China Coast came in around 1995 and was deepsixed nationwide by about 1997 or so.

Fudd's opened in 1986 when that center was built (Po Folks was the other anchor at the other end, which became Johnny Carino's and now Express ER), so it may be the longest non-fast food chain location in existence in town. El Chico had it beat by 20-25 years until I-35 expansion took it.

The one remaining Luby's in Bellmead opened in 1988 or 1989.

I'm guessing all the other chains that were in town in the 1970s and 1980s are gone, most with good riddance: Bonanza, Pancho's, Piccadilly, JT McCord's, etc.

Unless you count the Denny's near Baylor that was built in the mid 70's. Or Pizza Hut from the same era.

hodedofome said:

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I'd be ticked if Fuddruckers left. That's the only place you can put nacho cheese and pico de gallo on a burger.

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You could add pico or queso or both at damn near any locally owned spot that serves good burgers and a full menu. I know for a fact you could at George's, Salty Dog, and a couple others.

whitetrash said:

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Not to derail this thread, but you may be right. Red Lobster was originally on Bosque from the late 1970s but was torn down when HEB converted the old Handy Dan in 1998. I can't recall if it moved directly into the old China Coast (quite possibly the worst chain restaurant I have ever visited) at Richland Mall, or if it was shut down for a time during the transition. China Coast came in around 1995 and was deepsixed nationwide by about 1997 or so.

Fudd's opened in 1986 when that center was built (Po Folks was the other anchor at the other end, which became Johnny Carino's and now Express ER), so it may be the longest non-fast food chain location in existence in town. El Chico had it beat by 20-25 years until I-35 expansion took it.

The one remaining Luby's in Bellmead opened in 1988 or 1989.

I'm guessing all the other chains that were in town in the 1970s and 1980s are gone, most with good riddance: Bonanza, Pancho's, Piccadilly, JT McCord's, etc.

Unless you count the Denny's near Baylor that was built in the mid 70's. Or Pizza Hut from the same era.

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Not long after the Bellmead Luby's opened, I asked Ted Gonzalez how adversely Luby's was affecting El Conquistador right behind it. He said it had increased their business at least 15 percent.

White trash. I'm pretty sure Fuddruckers came in over the summer of 84. I recall it being there in the fall of 84 my freshman year.

I actually liked China Coast I only went twice though. It opened in Dec of 94 and the national chain went out of business in summer of 95. The Waco one wasn't here long literally about 6 months. The building sat vacant for a year and half or so before Red Lobster (having the same parent company as China Coast and Olive Garden as well among others) renovated it and moved in during latter part of Spring of 97. I can't remember if there was any down time for Red Lobster in between locations.

I'm cool with derailing the thread about matters like this btw.

Fuddruckers onion rings were very good. RIP

I so miss shrimp skillitini from Carino's

Old300Bear said:

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I so miss shrimp skillitini from Carino's

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I ate at Carino's about 2 times. There were items at Fazoli's that were better than Carino's. Couldn't do it.

I only ate that and occasionally a shrimp Caesar salad. But I really liked the Skilitini.

Old300Bear said:

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I only ate that and occasionally a shrimp Caesar salad. But I really liked the Skilitini.

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When they opened, they had a dish call Chicken & Shrimp Spaghetti Primavera. It was a very spicy dish. It might still be the best dish I've ever found at an Italian restaurant. Naturally, it didn't take them all that long to stop making it. Never found anything else I liked that much there--especially not at the price point.

I've come pretty close to replicating that dish, but can't quite make it as consistently good as they did.

trey3216 said:

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hodedofome said:

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I'd be ticked if Fuddruckers left. That's the only place you can put nacho cheese and pico de gallo on a burger.

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You could add pico or queso or both at damn near any locally owned spot that serves good burgers and a full menu. I know for a fact you could at George's, Salty Dog, and a couple others.

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Once you've made the genius move of throwing queso onto a burger, I can't imagine why you'd screw it up with pico.

But to the original point of this thread, this is tantamount to banning my family from eating lunch on Sunday in the 1980s. Thank goodness we experience time in a linear fashion.

Wasnt there a Picadilly in the building that previously housed Underwoods for a while? It seems I remember something else being there around 2000 before the building ceased being used as a restaurant I think. I just remember about 20 years ago there was something there that had retro looking sign with a fish and chicken leg on it. Perhaps that was signage that Picadilly was using at that time--Im not sure. But I thought there was a Picadilly there and perhaps something briefly there after that. I did not go to anything in that building other than Underwoods btw. Whatever it was 20 years ago it wasnt there long.

PartyBear said:

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Wasnt there a Picadilly in the building that previously housed Underwoods for a while? It seems I remember something else being there around 2000 before the building ceased being used as a restaurant I think. I just remember about 20 years ago there was something there that had retro looking sign with a fish and chicken leg on it. Perhaps that was signage that Picadilly was using at that time--Im not sure. But I thought there was a Picadilly there and perhaps something briefly there after that. I did not go to anything in that building other than Underwoods btw. Whatever it was 20 years ago it wasnt there long.

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Yep. I think something else was in the Underwoods building after they pulled up stakes in the early 90s but before Lake Air Mall was shuttered and torn down in about 1997 or so. Piccadilly relocated to the Underwoods building until it shut down some time in the mid 2000s.

There are still a few Piccadilly locations scattered throughout Louisiana. I found one in Baton Rouge on the way to the Sugar Bowl. My first smothered steak and carrot souffle in 15 years.

PartyBear said:

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Wasnt there a Picadilly in the building that previously housed Underwoods for a while? It seems I remember something else being there around 2000 before the building ceased being used as a restaurant I think. I just remember about 20 years ago there was something there that had retro looking sign with a fish and chicken leg on it. Perhaps that was signage that Picadilly was using at that time--Im not sure. But I thought there was a Picadilly there and perhaps something briefly there after that. I did not go to anything in that building other than Underwoods btw. Whatever it was 20 years ago it wasnt there long.

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When Leo Underwood closed up and moved back to Brownwood, he leased the building to some Chinese people who remodeled it and put in a Chinese buffet. It didn't last six months and sat vacant for a long time till a Bank moved in with a mortgage facility. I always loved Underwoods. Great rolls.

Luby's gone, Fudd's staying:

https://wacotrib.com/business/local/lubys-to-go-fuddruckers-to-remain-in-waco-amid-corporate-shakeup/article_c7e9e1f8-f2f8-11ea-9b49-bbf536b5fdd8.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Waco_Tribune-Herald&fbclid=IwAR1FlswYhZQVb0VvGPF8eDLSDyOq7hKDZYjEaIPXx6yrVbbzwuyZm90aHWQ

Quote:

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The Luby's cafeteria in Bellmead will close as the Houston-based chain liquidates amid COVID-19-aggravated financial woes, but its corporate relative, Fuddruckers, will remain open on Valley Mills Drive, according to local managers.
Meanwhile, tax records show the Oklahoma-based QuikTrip convenience store chain has bought the building Luby's occupies near North Loop 340 and the Interstate 35 frontage road in Bellmead, near the epicenter of the $341 million widening of I-35.
Luby's manager Merle Rossow said it remains business as usual for now.
"I've not been told anything about when we will close," Rossow said. "We will continue to operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day."

Yes, he said, Luby's has announced it will liquidate all locations as its shuts down the well-known cafeteria chain founded in San Antonio in 1947 by Bob Luby. The chain for many Texans is synonymous with Sunday lunch and family meals and known for its LuAnn platter. For fans, dishes like golden fried chicken and creamy macaroni and cheese are the stuff of nostalgia.

Popular culture even recognized Luby's place in society. The character of LuAnne Platter on Mike Judge's animated comedy "King of the Hill" was named after portions at Luby's, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

"People still like our food. It's fresh every day," said Rossow, a restaurant veteran with time spent at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Ryan's Family Steakhouse, among others.



He has spent eight years at Luby's in Bellmead.
"Yes, they are going to liquidate, but they have to find people to buy what they're liquidating," Rossow said. "Until they actually tell us we're closed, we will continue to do our job and go home. It's the same everywhere, a sign of the times. I talk to other operators, other restaurants, and they're in the same boat, primarily due to COVID-19. We rope off tables, place things on tables or take tables out to ensure everybody is 6 feet apart."
He said almost 50 people are employed at Luby's in Bellmead.


Luby's also sells some favorite dishes, including macaroni and cheese and fried fish, in frozen food aisles at local grocery stores.

"The assets to be sold include operating divisions Luby's Cafeterias, Fuddruckers, and the Company's Culinary Contract Services business, as well as the Company's real estate," according to a Luby's Inc. press release.
The company estimates it would use proceeds of the same to distribute between $92 million and $123 million in cash to stockholders, or $3 to $4 per share, after fulfilling other financial obligations, according to the press release. Luby's Inc. has $57.3 million in long-term debt and $22.8 million in lease liabilities, according to its latest financial filings.
Luby's once had two locations in Greater Waco, but now does business only at 951 N. Loop 340, an area in transition as I-35 changes shape. A Whataburger restaurant in the area has been demolished, and work is progressing on a new Whataburger.



Fuddruckers, meanwhile, operates at 1411-A N. Valley Mills Drive. It is not going anywhere, manager Alisha Alvarado said Wednesday.

"We have no fear of shutting down, I can promise you that," Alvarado said.
She said the Waco location is owned by Daniel Stanton, a franchisee based in Lubbock.
"Attention Fudds fans: The recent news about Fuddruckers and Lubys does not affect our Fuddruckers franchise location," according to a post on the Waco Fuddruckers Facebook page. "We will still be here cooking the World's Greatest Burgers for you!"
A post on Stanton's page with the same line states he has a total of 11 Fuddruckers that will remain open.

QuikTrip's purchase of the Luby's building on the interstate represents at least a second foray into the Waco area.
It recently secured a permit to build at New Road and I-35, just down the road from a mixed-use development under construction, where plans have been announced for a 14-screen Cinemark theater, a Topgolf and a Main Event.

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That seems like an odd location for a QT, that Bellmead location is off from the interstate. Those are usually right on the access road. It also seems odd that there would be two about 5 miles apart.

I have a feeling this guy's 11 Fuddruckers aren't going to be the same as the chain Fuddruckers in terms of the actual food served.

I'm nobody's corporate attorney (or any other type for that matter), but I believe a franchisee buys a set of right to the parent company's intellectual property.

He likely purchased the right to use the "Fuddrucker's" logos and branding, as well as the corporate sources for ingredients and the playbook for how to run a restaurant. He probably owns the buildings and the hardware outright in his own name.

Fuddrucker's holding company says they intend to liquidate. That means, basically, sell whatever you can and return the cash to the stockholders. That's opposed to reorganization or arranging a sale of the corporation to another entity. If Fuddrucker's is liquidated as stated, I believe they'd sell off everything of value. If someone, somehow, bought the rights to the Fuddrucker's intellectual property, they'd have to honor the terms of the franchise agreement. Obviously, in this case, nothing would change for the franchisee.

The other possibility is that the Fuddrucker's franchising agreements just die off. With no corporate holder, the franchisee is no longer bound by the agreements, so they can just keep doing what they were doing. They'd likely need to negotiate with the suppliers for an uninterrupted supply of their usual ingredients, but provided the owner keeps a close eye on his assets, he should be able to ensure the previous processes continue as usual.

My understanding of franchise agreements in general is about as deep as my understanding of medieval architecture - in that I know it exists and I know what it's for. I wouldn't be shocked to learn I was way off base (or not even playing the same ****ing sport).

whitetrash said:

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Luby's gone, Fudd's staying:

https://wacotrib.com/business/local/lubys-to-go-fuddruckers-to-remain-in-waco-amid-corporate-shakeup/article_c7e9e1f8-f2f8-11ea-9b49-bbf536b5fdd8.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Waco_Tribune-Herald&fbclid=IwAR1FlswYhZQVb0VvGPF8eDLSDyOq7hKDZYjEaIPXx6yrVbbzwuyZm90aHWQ

Quote:

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The Luby's cafeteria in Bellmead will close as the Houston-based chain liquidates amid COVID-19-aggravated financial woes, but its corporate relative, Fuddruckers, will remain open on Valley Mills Drive, according to local managers.
Meanwhile, tax records show the Oklahoma-based QuikTrip convenience store chain has bought the building Luby's occupies near North Loop 340 and the Interstate 35 frontage road in Bellmead, near the epicenter of the $341 million widening of I-35.
Luby's manager Merle Rossow said it remains business as usual for now.
"I've not been told anything about when we will close," Rossow said. "We will continue to operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day."

Yes, he said, Luby's has announced it will liquidate all locations as its shuts down the well-known cafeteria chain founded in San Antonio in 1947 by Bob Luby. The chain for many Texans is synonymous with Sunday lunch and family meals and known for its LuAnn platter. For fans, dishes like golden fried chicken and creamy macaroni and cheese are the stuff of nostalgia.

Popular culture even recognized Luby's place in society. The character of LuAnne Platter on Mike Judge's animated comedy "King of the Hill" was named after portions at Luby's, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

"People still like our food. It's fresh every day," said Rossow, a restaurant veteran with time spent at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Ryan's Family Steakhouse, among others.



He has spent eight years at Luby's in Bellmead.
"Yes, they are going to liquidate, but they have to find people to buy what they're liquidating," Rossow said. "Until they actually tell us we're closed, we will continue to do our job and go home. It's the same everywhere, a sign of the times. I talk to other operators, other restaurants, and they're in the same boat, primarily due to COVID-19. We rope off tables, place things on tables or take tables out to ensure everybody is 6 feet apart."
He said almost 50 people are employed at Luby's in Bellmead.


Luby's also sells some favorite dishes, including macaroni and cheese and fried fish, in frozen food aisles at local grocery stores.

"The assets to be sold include operating divisions Luby's Cafeterias, Fuddruckers, and the Company's Culinary Contract Services business, as well as the Company's real estate," according to a Luby's Inc. press release.
The company estimates it would use proceeds of the same to distribute between $92 million and $123 million in cash to stockholders, or $3 to $4 per share, after fulfilling other financial obligations, according to the press release. Luby's Inc. has $57.3 million in long-term debt and $22.8 million in lease liabilities, according to its latest financial filings.
Luby's once had two locations in Greater Waco, but now does business only at 951 N. Loop 340, an area in transition as I-35 changes shape. A Whataburger restaurant in the area has been demolished, and work is progressing on a new Whataburger.



Fuddruckers, meanwhile, operates at 1411-A N. Valley Mills Drive. It is not going anywhere, manager Alisha Alvarado said Wednesday.

"We have no fear of shutting down, I can promise you that," Alvarado said.
She said the Waco location is owned by Daniel Stanton, a franchisee based in Lubbock.
"Attention Fudds fans: The recent news about Fuddruckers and Lubys does not affect our Fuddruckers franchise location," according to a post on the Waco Fuddruckers Facebook page. "We will still be here cooking the World's Greatest Burgers for you!"
A post on Stanton's page with the same line states he has a total of 11 Fuddruckers that will remain open.

QuikTrip's purchase of the Luby's building on the interstate represents at least a second foray into the Waco area.
It recently secured a permit to build at New Road and I-35, just down the road from a mixed-use development under construction, where plans have been announced for a 14-screen Cinemark theater, a Topgolf and a Main Event.

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Boo, I'd much rather have Luby's than Fuddruckers.

Mr Tulip said:

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I'm nobody's corporate attorney (or any other type for that matter), but I believe a franchisee buys a set of right to the parent company's intellectual property.

He likely purchased the right to use the "Fuddrucker's" logos and branding, as well as the corporate sources for ingredients and the playbook for how to run a restaurant. He probably owns the buildings and the hardware outright in his own name.

Fuddrucker's holding company says they intend to liquidate. That means, basically, sell whatever you can and return the cash to the stockholders. That's opposed to reorganization or arranging a sale of the corporation to another entity. If Fuddrucker's is liquidated as stated, I believe they'd sell off everything of value. If someone, somehow, bought the rights to the Fuddrucker's intellectual property, they'd have to honor the terms of the franchise agreement. Obviously, in this case, nothing would change for the franchisee.

The other possibility is that the Fuddrucker's franchising agreements just die off. With no corporate holder, the franchisee is no longer bound by the agreements, so they can just keep doing what they were doing. They'd likely need to negotiate with the suppliers for an uninterrupted supply of their usual ingredients, but provided the owner keeps a close eye on his assets, he should be able to ensure the previous processes continue as usual.

My understanding of franchise agreements in general is about as deep as my understanding of medieval architecture - in that I know it exists and I know what it's for. I wouldn't be shocked to learn I was way off base (or not even playing the same ****ing sport).

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I agree if someone buys "Fudruckers" with the intent of keeping everything going. My assumption was with your paragraph 3 though.