In 1972, Houlihan's first opened its doors in Kansas City with a progressive, eclectic menu and energetic bar scene. Ferns hung throughout, artifacts cluttered the walls and tapestries made by San Francisco hippies formed the ceiling. Caviar burgers, roasted duck, foot-long hot dogs and fresh carrot juice were just a few original menu items so ahead for its time. It was hot.Before long, there were a lot of 'casual dining' restaurants opening and call us crazy, but they looked a whole lot like us. We tried to be flattered. Some grew really big, and by the '90s, the whole 'casual dining' landscape was pretty me-too. Instead of watching the consumer, the industry seemed more worried about what competitors were doing. Casual dining lost its way, and in doing so lost its edge. Fast forward to 2002. That's when we had our 'Aha!' moment (as Oprah would say). New leadership, new ideas, new inspiration. We completely re-imagined ourselves, and got back in touch with the consumer. New menus. New plates. New building design, new soundtrack. Stylish uniforms. And a modern, warm restaurant design with an open kitchen and prominent bar. Today, our company is built entirely around what the progressive consumer seeks in a restaurant + bar experience. And we plan to keep it that way.Forget 'casual dining.' That's an industry term so out of touch with how consumers eat and drink today. For premium quality and style; fare that's at times familiar and other times adventurous and a laid-back modern setting, Houlihan's is a true original.

W.H. Brakspear & Sons owns more than 150 leased and tenanted pubs, most of which are in the south of England. The public houses offer a variety of beers, wines, and other beverages, along with a menu of food items. The company was founded as a brewer more than 200 years ago but sold its beer business in 2003. (Brakspear beer is still made under license by Marston's-owned Refresh UK.) J. T. Davies & Sons Limited, another tenanted pub company, bought out the Brakspear family's shares in 2006, ending hundreds of years of family involvement in the company.

Adult Shop Limited operates a chain of 17 sex shops in Australia under the name Adult Shop.com, and eight New Zealand retail stores under the VideoExpo name. The shops sell adult videos and DVDs, sex toys, body jewelry, novelties, books, and other adult products. The company also sells its wares online and through mail-order catalogs. In addition, it operates online entertainment sites offering subscription-only adult content and video-on-demand. It also owns a wholesale distribution business (Calvista), which supplies adult products to other Australian and New Zealand retailers and hotel operators. In early 2010, Adult Shop rejected a takeover bid from Sexyland Pty Ltd.

Surely the Clapham House Group has something to satisfy your taste! The company operates more than 65 restaurants in the UK under such brands as The Bombay Bicycle Club, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, and The Real Greek. Its Bombay Bicycle Club, an Indian restaurant chain, offers sit-down, take-away, and home-delivery services from three restaurants and nine delivery kitchens in London. Gourmet Burger Kitchens offer a variety of sandwich options, while Real Greek features Mediterranean food and wines.

You might say this company knows to stay out of the rough. American Golf Corporation (AGC) is one of the largest golf course management firms in the world with more than 110 public, private, and resort properties in more than 25 states. Its portfolio of courses includes such country clubs as The Golf Club at Mansion Ridge (Monroe, New York), Oakhurst Country Club (Clayton, California), and Palm Valley Country Club (Palm Desert, California). The company also runs the American Golf Foundation, which helps promote the game through charity and education. AGC is owned by investment firms Goldman Sachs and Starwood Capital.American Golf Corporation is the world's largest golf course management company. The company runs over 300 golf courses across the United States and in Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Its courses include municipal and public courses as well as private courses and country clubs. About half of American Golf's courses are owned by a sister company, National Golf Properties, Inc. National Golf Properties is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT). Both companies are chaired by David G. Price. Price also owns a substantial stake in both companies. American Golf has a charitable arm as well, the American Golf Foundation. This nonprofit group endeavors to promote the game of golf particularly among women, young people, and poor or disadvantaged families. Increasing the popularity and accessibility of the sport is one of the goals of American Golf Corporation.

NexCen owns and manages seven brands covering Quick Service Restaurants ("QSR") and Retail Footwear and Accessories, generating revenue through the franchising of those brands worldwide. NexCen's franchised brands include five QSR brands: Great American Cookies, MaggieMoo's Ice Cream & Treatery, Marble Slab Creamery, Pretzelmaker and Pretzel Time and two franchised Retail concepts: TAF (The Athlete's Foot) and Shoebox New York. NexCen currently has approximately 1,700 franchised stores across its brands, located in over 35 countries worldwide. NexCen Brands, Inc. strategy is to create value for its stakeholders (including shareholders and franchisees) through the franchising and marketing of its brands. NexCen, through its advertising, marketing and public relations teams, markets its brands to drive greater consumer awareness and brand equity and to grow its presence worldwide through its network of franchised retail outlets. NexCen also recognizes that, as a royalty-based business, its success depends upon the success of its franchisees and through its franchisee support network, advanced information-technology systems, real estate and store opening support teams, continually seeks to provide a turn-key solution and create value for its business partners.

There's something fishy about these restaurants, but it's not suspicious in any way. Rubio's Restaurants operates a popular chain of more than 190 Rubio's Baja Grill fast-casual restaurants found mostly in Southern California. The eateries feature fish tacos, lobster burritos, shrimp quesadillas, and other seafood dishes from the Baja region of Mexico. Rubio's has a small number of franchised and licensed locations, including specialty units at San Diego's Petco Park Stadium (home of the San Diego Padres) and the Honda Center in Anaheim, California (home ice for the Anaheim Ducks). Investment firm Mill Road Capital is taking the company private.

Florida Gaming Corporation engages in the ownership and operation of two jai-alai frontons and inter-track pari-mutuel wagering facilities in Florida. Florida Gaming Corp. operations primarily comprise card rooms, live jai-alai performances, inter-track pari-mutuel wagering on jai-alai, horse and dog racing, and the sale of food and alcoholic beverages. The Fort Pierce location provides inter-track wagering on interstate simulcasting of horse and dog racing, and jai-alai from various tracks and frontons in the United States. The jai-alai games are played live and simulcast from the Miami facility via satellite to 62 pari-mutuel wagering locations in Florida, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, as well as in Mexico, Central America, and Austria.

With nearly 50 company and franchised locations worldwide, Damon's International, Inc., is a leading full-service, casual dining restaurant concept that emphasizes prime rib, grilled steaks, chicken, seafood, salad and Damon's award-winning ribs. Guests enjoy a quiet dining room or Damon's high-energy Clubhouse that features DTV, a proprietary, state-of-the-art multi-screen entertainment system offering sports, network programming and interactive games. Founded in 1979, Damon's International, Inc., is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Like the original pizzerias and trattorias of Italy, Bertucci's started as a place for friends, family and neighbors to gather. That was in 1981 in Somerville, Massachusetts. And now friends, family and neighbors gather in more than 90 restaurants in ten states and the District of Columbia. And that's because since 1981 we have held true to Bertucci's origins. Honesty and passion are still at the heart of every Bertucci's meal. A passion for flavors, a passion for creativity and a passion for tradition. Time-honored recipes and our imaginations are what allow us to create uncomplicated dishes that are full of flavor. Every morning we roast our own vegetables in our signature brick ovens and the rolls our guests have come to crave are baked fresh every hour. And our sauces are created daily in small batches to ensure their flavor and quality.

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