Smokey Bones

Barbeque Integrated Inc. (or simply Smokey Bones and doing business as Smokey Bones Bar and Fire Grill) is an American casual dining restaurant chain. Owned by Barbeque Integrated Inc. and under the umbrella of Sun Capital Partners, Smokey Bones is headquartered in Aventura, Florida. As of April 2023, Smokey Bones has 62 restaurants[3] in 16 Eastern states.[1] Under its previous owner, Smokey Bones had as many as 128 restaurants across most of the United States before it shrank to its current core area.[4]

Barbeque Integrated Inc.
Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill
TypePrivate
IndustryRestaurant
GenreCasual dining
Founded1999 (1999) in Orlando, Florida
HeadquartersAventura, Florida
Number of locations
62 (2023)
Area served
United States
Number of employees
3,700 (2015)[1]
ParentDarden Restaurants
(1999–2007)
Barbeque Integrated Inc
(2007-Present)
Websitesmokeybones.com
Footnotes / references
[2]

History

In August 1999, Darden Restaurants, Inc. opened the first Smokey Bones restaurant in Orlando, Florida, at the site previously occupied by Red Lobster and close to Darden's headquarters.[5][6] By June 2001, Darden had opened 8 additional Smokey Bones BBQ Sports Bar restaurants in Florida, the Midwest and Northeast.[7]

On May 5, 2007, it was announced that Darden Restaurants was closing 56 Smokey Bones restaurants and planning to sell the remaining 73 in its struggling chain.[8] The closings occurred in 22 states, primarily across the southwest and north-central United States.[4]

The chain was sold to Barbeque Integrated Inc. in December 2007 for approximately $80 million.[9]

On August 4, 2015, Ryan Esko was named CEO of Smokey Bones.[1] Esko was replaced by James O’Reilly in 2019.

See also

References
  1. "Smokey Bones Names Ryan Esko as CEO" (Press release). PR Newswire. August 4, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  2. "Sun Capital Partners, Inc. | Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill". Sun Capital Partners. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  3. Cobe, Patricia (Apr 6, 2023). "Smokey Bones turns brunch into an all-day event on Sundays". Restaurant Business. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  4. "Darden restaurants to close, sell Smokey Bones locations". MarketWatch. May 6, 2007.
  5. Jackson, Jerry (July 23, 1999). "Darden Cooks Up Barbecue". Orlando Sentinel.
  6. Jackson, Jerry (September 13, 1999). "2 New Area Restaurants Open Doors In Wildly Different Style". Orlando Sentinel.
  7. "Darden Restaurants Announces National Expansion Of Smokey Bones BBQ Sports Bar" (Press release). June 21, 2001.
  8. "Darden Restaurants Sees Charge On Sale, Closure of Smokey Bones". CNBC. May 6, 2007.
  9. "Darden to sell Smokey Bones restaurant to Barbeque for $80 mln". Reuters. December 4, 2007.
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