Yum brands to sell off Long John Silver's, A&W

[Robin Garr]

Looks like consolidation time on the old Yum ranch, according to Nation's Restaurant News, which indicates that the Louisville-based fast-food corporation had announced plans earlier this year to unload the chains ...

Yum! to sell Long John Silver’s, A&W to franchisees
Nation's Restaurant News
September 22, 2011 | By Bret Thorn

Yum! Brands Inc. has signed definitive agreements to sell Long John Silver’s Inc. and A&W Restaurants Inc. to two separate groups of franchisees, the company said Thursday.

Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

The Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands, which also franchises KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, said Long John Silver’s would be sold to LJS Partners, a consortium of franchisees and other investors. A&W Restaurants will be sold to A Great American Brand, which Yum described as a “franchisee leader with substantial interest in A&W restaurants.”



Read more: http://nrn.com/article/yum-sell-long-jo ... z1Yk5wAb8q

I know it's death on a platter, but I still love LJS. Always have, ever since the childhood days when I had to beg Mom & Dad to take us there against their better judgment.

As long as they keep the A&W keg in their stores, they can call it Poopy's Crap Shack and I'll still go there.

Perhaps A&W/LJS do not have the same level of appeal in overseas markets as other YUM! brands (which has been their major area of growth) and may have been a factor in cutting them loose.

That's it entirely, John. KFC is huge overseas; LJS and A&W not so much.

Dan Ulmer is part of the group that bought Long John Silver's. Not a franchisee but one of the main money men.

I was talking with him last night and found that one of his first business ventures was with H Salt Fish and Chips. He opened a franchise 30 plus years ago in New Mexico, which ended as a "miserable failure". He had opened them in prime locations on street corners (in which he bought the real estate rather than leasing) but he said no one in New Mexico wanted London style fish and chips. Being that they were located on some prime spots he ended up selling the properties to a Bank and made "bank".

He went on to become Chairman and CEO of PNC Bank. He was instrumental in bringing baseball back to Louisville in 1982 and building Slugger Field, is the Chairman and part owner of the Louisville Bats, and was on the Arena Committee for the Yum! Center.

He said that the franchisees of LJS have been held back by YUM! for years in trying to upgrade facilities, batter recipes, and menus in general as they were focused intently on overseas growth of their flagship brands.

Interesting that after all of his success he is back in the Fish and Chips business with LJS, which he said that YUM originally started as a copy of H Salt Fish and Chips.

Probably way too much info but it was a very interesting conversation.

I remember H. Salt Fish n Chips in the early 70s. There was one in J-town that lasted only a very short time and another in St. Matthews on the corner of Brown's Lane at Shelbyville Road that hung on for quite a while. I thought it was good at the time.

[Robin Garr]

I remember H. Salt Fish n Chips in the early 70s. There was one in J-town that lasted only a very short time and another in St. Matthews on the corner of Brown's Lane at Shelbyville Road that hung on for quite a while. I thought it was good at the time.

Yeah, I had forgotten Dan Ulmer's connection. Kind of makes you wonder why they don't have better food service at Bats games.

Interesting that after all of his success he is back in the Fish and Chips business with LJS, which he said that YUM originally started as a copy of H Salt Fish and Chips.

Probably way too much info but it was a very interesting conversation.

If they will take it back to fish n' chips and just make the most incredible fast food fish n' chips out there, they can resuscitate this brand. No more lobster bites or shrimp tacos please. Remember your roots!

I worked for Long John Silver's for many years and think the group that is buying it is pretty interesting and talented . I will be really interesting to watch what they do to refocus the brand . If they can just recapture over time the customers they have lost over the last few years they can do well . Popeyes Fried Chicken has done well over the last few years and part of their success was focusing on fried seafood ( shrimp three sales events a year and one sale event on crawfish ) so done right you can sell fried seafood . I wish the new owners well !

Yeah, I had forgotten Dan Ulmer's connection. Kind of makes you wonder why they don't have better food service at Bats games.

Don't get me started on that. But isn't Gary Ulmer the hands-on Bats guy these days?

[Robin Garr]

Don't get me started on that. But isn't Gary Ulmer the hands-on Bats guy these days?

Yeah, probably so, now that you mention it. And come to think of it, in Dan's day, at Cardinal Stadium at the fairgrounds, they had pretty good concessions. Of course I credited A. Ray Smith with that. And as for the beer, let's not talk about the beer.

Don't get me started on that. But isn't Gary Ulmer the hands-on Bats guy these days?

Gary is more hands on as President, Dan is Chairman and still very active.

Roger you might find it interesting that my wife has been talking with (pestering) Dan about a beer/music festival at Slugger Field. He has been very keen on the idea she is putting together a proposal. She is a huge craft beer lover and has pressed him on the beer offerings at Slugger for quite some time. I know as she moves forward she'll be seeking help/ideas.

Don't get me started on that. But isn't Gary Ulmer the hands-on Bats guy these days?

Gary is more hands on as President, Dan is Chairman and still very active.

Roger you might find it interesting that my wife has been talking with (pestering) Dan about a beer/music festival at Slugger Field. He has been very keen on the idea she is putting together a proposal. She is a huge craft beer lover and has pressed him on the beer offerings at Slugger for quite some time. I know as she moves forward she'll be seeking help/ideas.

That's great news, and I'm always interested in helping.

At the same time, the fact remains that as long as the Bats/Ulmers and Centerplate, their chosen concessionaire, dance the shadowy tithe-for-placement gavotte, there'll never be substantive progress with craft beer in the ballpark. The Ulmers could alter the paradigm any time they wish; after all, Centerplate works for them, and not the other way around. There's no reason why Louisville Slugger Field could not be a showplace for craft beer just as it is for minor league baseball in general. Regrettably, addiction to A-B's myriad favors has a way of precluding progress. Sermon over.

[Robin Garr]

... dance the shadowy tithe-for-placement gavotte ...

You're one hell of a wordsmith!