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Tumbleweed Tex Mex Grill & Margarita Bar facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | 1975 in New Albany, Indiana |
| Founders | George R. Keller Linda Keller |
| Headquarters |
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United States
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Area served
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Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio |
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Key people
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Mathew Higgins President and CEO |
| Products | Steak, chicken, and seafood cooked in a Southwest Mesquite style |
| Revenue | $61 million (2006) |
| $60 million (2006) | |
Tumbleweed Tex Mex Grill & Margarita Bar is a popular chain restaurant that started in Louisville, Kentucky. It serves a mix of American and Mexican cuisine. This style is often called Tex-Mex or Southwest style.
Tumbleweed's menu has many tasty options. You can find dishes like chicken and steak. They also offer Mexican-themed foods. These include burritos, chimichangas, and chili con queso. They also have fresh house salads.
The Story of Tumbleweed
Tumbleweed Tex Mex Grill & Margarita Bar serves delicious Southwest-style foods. A couple named George R. Keller and Linda Keller started the first restaurant. They opened it in 1975 in New Albany, Indiana. This first spot was right across the street from New Albany High School.
In 1978, Linda changed her parents' restaurant in Louisville into a Tumbleweed. This location became the main restaurant. Soon after, Tumbleweed began to grow. It became a chain of restaurants in the area.
Growing and Changing
In 1995, the Kellers sold their business. A group of sixty local investors bought it. The company then became a publicly traded company. This means people could buy shares of the company. This helped Tumbleweed grow even more. They expanded into the Midwest and even tried to open restaurants overseas.
Over the years, the company had new leaders. In 2007, Matthew Higgins became the new president and CEO. His twin brother, Michael Higgins, became the chief operating officer.
In 2009, Tumbleweed faced some challenges. They had to file for bankruptcy. This is a legal step when a company needs help with its money. At that time, they had 37 restaurants. These were in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Germany, and Kuwait. But Tumbleweed worked hard and got back on its feet the next year.
Tumbleweed Today
Even after getting through bankruptcy, Tumbleweed had to make some tough choices. In 2014, they closed 8 of their 32 restaurants. They also stopped their operations outside the United States.
Some locations in Illinois and Wisconsin had closed earlier in 2008. This happened when their local owner had financial problems. As of 2022, Tumbleweed has 16 restaurants. You can find them in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. These include both company-owned and franchise locations.
Tumbleweed Around the World
In 1999, Tumbleweed tried to expand internationally. By 2006, they had a few locations overseas. One restaurant was on an American Army base in Vilseck, Germany. However, all of these international locations closed before 2014.