Houlihan's facts for kids
A Houlihan's restaurant in Holmdel Township, New Jersey.
|
|
| Wholly owned subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | 1972 in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters |
Houston, Texas
,
U.S.
|
|
Number of locations
|
34 (2023) |
| Products | |
| Owner | Landry's, Inc. |
Houlihan's is a popular American restaurant chain. It's known for its casual dining experience and bar. You can find Houlihan's restaurants all over the United States. Many of these restaurants are owned by local business people, not directly by the company. The first Houlihan's opened its doors on April 1, 1972, in Kansas City, Missouri. It was first called Houlihan's Old Place because it was located where a clothing store named Houlihan's used to be. Today, there are about 35 Houlihan's restaurants in 15 different states. The company is owned by Fertitta Entertainment, which also owns other restaurant brands.
Contents
The Story of Houlihan's
The idea for Houlihan's started with two men, Paul Robinson and Joe Gilbert. They met in 1961. Paul was managing a restaurant called the Golden Ox in Kansas City. Joe had created another restaurant called Four Winds.
Starting a Restaurant Business
Paul and Joe decided to work together. They formed a company called Gilbert-Robinson. They opened several successful restaurants. One of these was Plaza III Steakhouse, which opened in 1963.
Later, they thought about making Plaza III Steakhouse bigger. The space next door was becoming empty. It used to be a men's clothing store owned by Tom Houlihan. Instead of just expanding Plaza III, Paul and Joe decided to create a brand new, more casual restaurant.
How Houlihan's Got Its Name
While they were building the new restaurant, they couldn't think of a name. People kept calling it "Tom Houlihan's place" because of the old clothing store. So, Paul and Joe decided to name their new restaurant Houlihan's Old Place.
They asked Tom Houlihan for permission to use his name. They even promised him a special table in the middle of the dining room. This table would always be reserved just for him. It even had a brass plaque with his name on it! However, Tom Houlihan never actually visited the restaurant. Houlihan's Old Place officially opened on April 1, 1972.
Growing Across the Country
Because the first Houlihan's was so popular, Gilbert-Robinson quickly started opening more locations.
- The second Houlihan's opened in New Orleans in July 1973.
- The third location opened in Atlanta in December 1974.
- A fourth restaurant opened in Des Peres, Missouri, in March 1975.
Changes and New Designs
In November 2002, the original Houlihan's location in Kansas City closed. The building's owner decided not to renew the lease. Houlihan's then moved its Kansas City restaurant to a new spot in Fairway, Kansas, in January 2003. At that time, Houlihan's owned 48 restaurants in 15 states.
In 2006, Houlihan's introduced a new look for its restaurants. They called it the "Houlihan's of the 21st Century" design. This new design included modern architecture, updated interiors, and new uniforms for staff. They also changed the music, menu, and bar area. Houlihan's planned to open more of its own restaurants and work with experienced franchise owners. By 2007, there were 92 Houlihan's restaurants across the U.S.
Recent Times
In 2019, the company that owned Houlihan's faced some financial difficulties. Another large restaurant company, Landry's, Inc., stepped in and bought Houlihan's. Landry's owns many other well-known restaurants like Joe's Crab Shack and Rainforest Cafe. This helped Houlihan's continue to operate and serve its customers.
