Luby's facts for kids
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Trade name
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Luby's |
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Formerly
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Genre | Cafeteria |
| Fate | Acquired by Calvin Gin |
| Founded | 1947 (as Luby's Cafeterias, Inc.) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Founder | Robert M. "Bob" Luby |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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38 (January 2025) |
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Key people
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| Products | Homestyle food, cafeteria, American |
| Revenue |  US$323.47 million (2019) |
 −US$15.226 million (2019) |
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| Owner | Calvin Gin |
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Number of employees
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6133 (2019) |
| Parent | Flying Food Group |
| Subsidiaries | Koo Koo Roo (defunct) Cheeseburger in Paradise (defunct) Fuddruckers (2011–2020) |
Luby’s Restaurant Corporation is a well-known chain of cafeteria-style restaurants. These restaurants are mostly found in Texas. In the past, Luby's also owned other restaurant chains like Fuddruckers, Koo Koo Roo, and Cheeseburger in Paradise.
As of April 2024, there are 38 Luby's locations operating in Texas. The company's main office is in Houston, Texas. The very first Luby's restaurant opened in 1947 in San Antonio, Texas. It was started by a man named Robert Luby.
Luby's also has a special service called Luby's Culinary Services. This service manages food for places like hospitals, colleges, and company dining rooms. They work with places such as Texas Children's Hospital and Lone Star College.
Contents
The Story of Luby's Restaurants
The story of Luby's began with Robert "Bob" Luby. His father, Harry, opened his first cafeteria way back in 1911. Bob learned a lot about the cafeteria business from a young age. After finishing college, he worked in cafeterias in different cities.
In 1947, Bob Luby opened his very first Luby's Cafeteria. He wanted to serve fresh, tasty food and make sure customers were happy. His idea was a big success! Soon, Luby's started to open in other Texas cities like Tyler and El Paso.
Growing Across the States
In 1959, the original partners formed a new company called Cafeterias, Inc. Luby's kept growing and opened restaurants in more Texas cities. They also expanded into nearby states. In 1965, Luby's opened its first restaurant in Houston. By 1966, you could find Luby's in New Mexico, and by 1980, they were in Oklahoma.
In 1973, Cafeterias, Inc. became a company whose shares could be bought and sold by the public. This meant more people could invest in the company. To honor Bob Luby, the company changed its name to Luby's Cafeterias, Inc. in 1981. Just one year later, Luby's shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange, a very important stock market. By 1987, Luby's had grown to 100 locations!
Challenges and Changes
In 1996, Luby's had over 200 restaurants in 11 different states. However, the company faced some tough times. In 2001, Chris and Harris Pappas, who owned other popular restaurants in Houston, joined the Luby's management team. Three years later, Luby's moved its main office from San Antonio to Houston. With the Pappas team, some Luby's restaurants started to offer more than just cafeteria food, adding a touch of fine dining.
In December 2006, Luby's celebrated its 60th birthday! They even published a cookbook called Luby’s Recipes & Memories. This book shared many of their favorite dishes and heartwarming stories.
Around 2009, during a time when the economy was struggling, Luby's had to close 25 stores. They also had to let some staff go to save money. But Luby's kept trying new things. In 2010, they opened a coffee shop concept called "What's Brewing?" in downtown Houston.
New Brands and Ownership
In 2010, Luby's announced exciting news: they were buying Fuddruckers and Koo Koo Roo! These were two other restaurant chains. This deal cost $61 million. In 2011, Luby's opened its first Fuddruckers restaurant that the company owned. Later, in 2013, Luby's also bought Cheeseburger in Paradise.
By 2015, there were 93 Luby's restaurants. However, this number went down to 78 by 2019. Experts said that the rise of "fast casual" restaurants, which offer quick and tasty food, made it harder for Luby's to keep its market share.
During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, Luby's, like many businesses, faced big challenges. They had to reduce their staff and cut pay for some employees. The company also received a special loan to help them during this difficult time.
Selling Off and New Beginnings
In June 2020, Luby's decided to sell all its restaurants and other assets. This decision was partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The money from these sales would go to the people who owned shares in Luby's.
By September 2020, Luby's announced they would sell off all their assets. This meant they would no longer operate as they had before. As of September 11, 2020, there were still 80 Luby's and Fuddruckers restaurants open. Most of Luby's shareholders voted to sell everything in November 2020.
In June 2021, a new chapter began for Luby's. Calvin Gin, who started Flying Food Group, agreed to buy 32 Luby's locations for $28.7 million. This happened just a week after another person, Nicholas Perkins, agreed to buy the Fuddruckers brand from Luby's. Before Gin's purchase, Luby's had planned to close all its locations.
Where Luby's is Located
In July 2004, Luby's announced it would move its main office from San Antonio to Houston. This was where Pappas Restaurants also had its headquarters. About 80 jobs were moved to Houston. Today, Luby's main office is in a building on Northwest Freeway in the Near Northwest area of Houston.
