Long John Silver's Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Long John Silver's LLC
Current logo
Trade name	Long John Silver's
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Restaurants
Genre	Fast-food restaurant
Founded	August 18, 1969; 55 years ago (August 18, 1969) Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Founder	Jim Patterson
Headquarters	Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Number of locations	568 (as of June 17, 2023)
Area served	United States Singapore Indonesia New Zealand Malaysia Philippines (Planned) Thailand (Planned) Vietnam (Planned) Kuwait (Planned) Japan (Planned) Myanmar (Planned) Brunei (Planned) Laos (Planned)
Key people	Nate Fowler (President) Edmond Heelan (COO) Craig Daniel (CFO)
Products	Seafood
Number of employees	10,000+
Parent	Independent (1969–1988) Jerrico Inc. (1988–1999) Yorkshire Global Restaurants (1999–2002) Yum! Brands (2002–2011) LJS Partners (2011–2022) Four Oaks Partners & Bob Jenkins (2022–present)

Fish, Chicken, and Shrimp Meal at Long John Silver's

Long John Silver's, also known as LJS, is a popular American fast-food restaurant chain. They are famous for their delicious seafood. The name comes from a character in the adventure novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

In late 2022, a group of investors called Four Oaks Partners bought Long John Silver's. This group was led by Bob Jenkins, who already owned some Long John Silver's restaurants.

History of Long John Silver's

The very first Long John Silver's restaurant opened on August 18, 1969. It was located in Lexington, Kentucky. This spot used to be a seafood take-out place called Cape Codder. The building was redesigned to look like the New England style that became famous for early Long John Silver's restaurants. Today, that first location is a styling salon.

Restaurant Design Over Time

Early Long John Silver's restaurants were known for their special look. They had a Cape Cod style building with blue roofs and small towers called cupolas. Inside, you would find wooden benches and tables. Decorations included lobster pots and ship's wheels. Later, more sea-themed items were added, like seats that looked like nautical flags.

These older restaurants also had separate doors for entering and exiting. There was a special waiting area for customers. You could even see the food being cooked in deep fryers through clear heaters. The door handles were made of wrought iron and looked like swords. Outside, the buildings had walkways that looked like docks, complete with pilings and thick ropes.

Changes in Ownership

The company that owned Long John Silver's, Jerrico, became a private company in 1989. A year later, they sold off their other restaurant brands to focus only on Long John Silver's.

After facing financial difficulties, Jerrico Inc. had to file for a type of business protection in June 1998. In September 1999, another company called A&W decided to buy Long John Silver's. This led to the creation of a new company called Yorkshire Global Restaurants.

In 2000, Yorkshire Global Restaurants started testing restaurants that combined their brands with others. They worked with Tricon Global, a company based in Louisville, Kentucky. Tricon Global owned famous chains like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell.

In May 2002, Tricon Global bought Yorkshire, the parent company of Long John Silver's and A&W. Tricon Global then changed its name to Yum! Brands, Inc. By January 2011, Yum! Brands announced they wanted to sell Long John Silver's and A&W. They wanted to focus more on growing their other brands around the world.

In September 2011, Yum! Brands announced they would sell Long John Silver's to a group called LJS Partners. This group included people who owned Long John Silver's restaurants and other private investors.

Focus on Healthier Options

In July 2013, a group that studies nutrition and health, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, pointed out some concerns about a meal called "Big Catch." The company then announced that by January 2014, they had removed trans fats from their entire menu.

In March 2015, James O'Reilly became the new CEO of Long John Silver's. He planned for the chain to keep its many stores and improve its marketing. He also looked into the possibility of expanding the company in the future.

On May 22, 2018, Long John Silver's announced they had bought 76 franchised restaurants. These were mainly in Indiana and had been updated by a company called ServUS. On October 19, 2019, Warren W. Rosenthal passed away at age 96. He was a former president of Jerrico and helped develop many Long John Silver's restaurants.

Long John Silver's Locations

United States Restaurants

Long John Silver's has hundreds of restaurants across more than 35 states in the United States.

International Presence

Long John Silver's has expanded to many countries over the years.

Canada

Long John Silver's opened in Canada in the 1970s but did not stay long. It returned in 2003 with one restaurant in Peterborough, Ontario, but that location closed in 2006.

Singapore

Singapore has been the most successful international market for Long John Silver's. They have had restaurants there continuously since 1983.

Indonesia

The first Long John Silver's restaurant in Indonesia opened in May 2023. The company plans to open more locations there. Indonesia is the first country in Asia to have the chain as part of its new expansion plans.

New Zealand

The chain opened a restaurant at the LynnMall in New Zealand.

Malaysia

Long John Silver's used to operate in Malaysia but closed down due to low sales. However, as part of the chain's new Asian expansion, it is planning to return. A new location opened in Putrajaya in February 2024.

Taiwan

Long John Silver's operated in Taiwan for some time but closed by 2009.

United Kingdom

A Long John Silver's restaurant opened in Walsall in the United Kingdom in 2004.

Philippines

Long John Silver's used to be in the Philippines at SM City Manila. It closed in 2019 because of low sales. The chain is planning to return as part of its Asian expansion.

Saudi Arabia

Long John Silver's was in Saudi Arabia for a while. However, it was not very popular and eventually closed there.

Thailand

Long John Silver's existed in Thailand for some time but closed by 2020. It is planning to return as part of the chain's Asian expansion.

United Arab Emirates

Long John Silver's closed in the United Arab Emirates due to low sales.

Other Countries with LJS

The chain also used to have restaurants in Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Australia, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Hong Kong. It is planning to return to Kuwait and Japan as part of its Asian expansion. It will also soon come to Myanmar, Brunei, and Laos.