Village Inn facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurant Bakery |
| Genre | casual dining |
| Predecessor | Village Inn Pancake House (1958-1989) |
| Founded | 1958 Denver, Colorado |
| Founder | James Mola Merton Anderson |
| Headquarters | Minnetonka, Minnesota, United States |
| Products | Breakfast foods, steaks, chicken, seafood, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, beverages |
| Revenue | $37,000,000 |
| Parent | BBQ Holdings |
Village Inn is a popular restaurant chain in the United States. It's known for its delicious breakfast foods. You can also find a variety of salads, sandwiches, burgers, and dinner items there. Their pies have even won many awards!
As of April 2024, Village Inn has 116 restaurants. You can find them in states like Colorado, Florida, Texas, and many others across the country. In 2015, there were more than 200 locations. However, after some changes, the company was sold in 2021 to BBQ Holdings, Inc.
Contents
The Story of Village Inn
Village Inn was started by two friends, James Mola and Merton Anderson. They opened the very first "Village Inn Pancake House" in Denver, Colorado, in 1958.
Growing the Restaurant Chain
In 1961, Village Inn began to franchise. This meant other people could open their own Village Inn restaurants. The first franchised locations opened in Tampa, Florida.
Later, in 1982, the company became known as Vicorp Restaurants, Inc. Vicorp also bought another restaurant chain called Poppin' Fresh Pies in 1983, which they renamed Bakers Square.
Changes and New Menus
During the 1980s, Village Inn bought more restaurants. Some of these were changed into Village Inn or Bakers Square locations. By the end of the 1980s, the name "Pancake House" was removed from Village Inn. This was because they started serving lunch and dinner, not just breakfast!
In the early 1990s, all Village Inn restaurants got a fresh new look. They added green roofs and bright neon signs. In 2001, some investment companies bought Vicorp, and it became a privately owned company.
Challenges and New Ownership
In 2008, Vicorp faced some financial difficulties. They had to close some restaurants. However, in 2009, a new company called American Blue Ribbon Holdings bought Village Inn and Bakers Square.
In 2010, Village Inn restaurants started updating their logo to a new design.
In January 2020, Village Inn closed 24 locations suddenly. This meant employees sometimes arrived at work to find the doors locked. A few days later, the parent company, American Blue Ribbon Holdings, also faced financial challenges.
However, Village Inn bounced back! By September 2020, it had 140 locations and became a part of a new company called VIBSQ Holdings LLC. Then, in July 2021, VIBSQ Holdings was sold to BBQ Holdings. BBQ Holdings also owns the Famous Dave's barbecue restaurants.
See also
- List of pancake houses
