LOUISVILLE Ky. Chili's franchisee ERJ Dining of Louisville, Ky., has agreed to buy 76 additional units from franchisor Brinker International Inc. and develop 49 locations in the Midwest. Terms were not disclosed.
With the agreement, Dallas-based Brinker International Inc. said that it had already surpassed its initial goal for calendar 2007 of selling company-owned restaurants to franchisees. During the fiscal year ending June 30, domestic and international franchisees have signed agreements to buy 182 company-owned restaurants and to develop 165 to 189 locations over the next 10 years.
ERJ Dining operates 25 Chili's restaurants in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Wisconsin and has four additional units in development. Its executives include Junior Bridgeman, the former pro-basketball player who also operates franchised Wendy's units, and Greg Cloud, who operated Applebee's restaurants for local franchisee Whit-Mart Inc.
The new deal is expected to close by the end of 2007, and will make ERJ Dining one of the largest Chili's franchisees in the nation.
Besides Chili's, the 1,765-unit Brinker International owns and franchises Romano's Macaroni Grill, Maggiano's Little Italy and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina.