Charlie Brown's Fresh Grill (formerly known as Charlie Brown's Steakhouse and simply called Charlie Brown's) is a regional American casual dining restaurant chain based in Washington Township, New Jersey. The remaining locations are located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey and Woodbury, New Jersey.
History
Charlie Brown's Steakhouse was founded in 1966 in Warren Township, New Jersey, by three businessmen. The first and flagship location was opened on Valley Road in Warren Township, next to Watchung. The signature dish was prime rib and the house salad topped with egg, shrimp and catalane dressing. A salad bar was an option vs. the house salad. The business became successful enough to open various Charlie Brown locations throughout New Jersey, as well as expanding to the bordering states of New York and Pennsylvania. The restaurant was originally owned by CB Holding Corp. In 1997, Charlie Brown's was sold to Castle Harlan, and then acquired in 2005 by Trimaran Capital Partners.[1] As of April 2011, Charlie Brown's Steakhouse is currently owned by Praesidian Capital, a private equity company.[2]
Menu
Charlie Brown's offers steak, seafood, sandwiches, salads, chicken, BBQ ribs, pasta, burgers and raisin bread. There is also a salad bar.
Bankruptcy
The restaurant's parent company filed for bankruptcy in November 2010, as part of a restructuring that included the closing of 47 restaurants, including 29 Charlie Brown's locations.[3][1] In 2011, a New York private-equity company agreed to pay $9.5 million to buy Charlie Brown's Steakhouse. CB Restaurants Inc. took over 20 Charlie Brown's restaurants, including 17 locations in New Jersey and The Office Beer Bar & Grill chain was sold to Villa Restaurant Group for $4.7 million.[1][4] Multiple locations closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and one of its final restaurants is located in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.[5] The Woodbury location reopened on April 18, 2022.[6]
References
- ^ a b c Diamond, Michael L. (April 7, 2011). "Bankrupt Charlie Brown's steakhouse chain sold for $9.5 million". Daily Record. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
- ^ Zanki, Tom (April 11, 2011). "Praesidian Capital acquires Charlie Brown's Steakhouse restaurants". lehighvalleylive.com. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Kwoh, Leslie (November 19, 2010). "Company that owns Charlie Brown's steakhouse files for bankruptcy". The Star-Ledger.
- ^ Kwoh, Leslie (January 22, 2011). "Owner of Charlie Brown's steakhouses to sell Office Beer Bar & Grill chain for $4.7 million". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ Accardi, Nicolette (November 19, 2020). "Charlie Brown's restaurant chain is down to 1 location. It started the year with 14 in N.J." The Star-Ledger. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Charlie Brown's Fresh Grill sets reopening date for N.J. spot". NJ.COM. April 5, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.