Furr's

Furr's
Fast casual restaurant
Industry Food
Founded 1946
Headquarters San Antonio, Texas
Parent Food Management Partners
Website www.furrs.net
Furr's sign after demolition of the last Colorado location

Furr's (also known as Furr's Cafeteria, Furr's Family Dining or Furr's Fresh Buffet) is a chain of family restaurants in the United States started by Roy Furr. The first location opened in 1946 in Hobbs, New Mexico. For many decades Furr's was known for cafeteria-style dining, but has since redeveloped into buffet-style dining.

As of October 2016, there were twenty-five Furr's Fresh Buffets located throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Arizona, and Oklahoma.[1]

History

In 1946, brothers Roy and Key Furr founded the first Furr's restaurant, opened in Hobbs in southeastern New Mexico. A second location was opened in Odessa, Texas in 1947.

Furr's was purchased by the Kmart Corp. in 1980,[2] and subsequently sold by Kmart to Michael Levenson's Limited National Partnership in 1988.

In 1998 its corporate history is notable for having its board of directors ousted by an institutional investor TIAA-CREF.[3]

In 2000 the company established a new name, Furr's Restaurant Group.[4] In December 2002, Furr's closed its two locations in Las Vegas as part of a corporate downsizing plan to close 11 under-performing restaurants across the United States by the end of the year.[5][6] The company reorganized under Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2003.[7] Shortly afterward, the company was sold to a private investment firm, CIC-Buffet Partners, an affiliate of Cardinal Investment Co.[8]

In January 2014 Furr's closed several locations, including Las Cruces, New Mexico,[9] Big Spring, Texas, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and Wichita, Kansas.[10] "We are closed for business," says assistant general manager Tim Arnoldussen. "It’s just a corporate decision."[11]

In June 2014, Furr's Fresh Buffet was sold to a San Antonio company (Food Management Partners), which planned to begin opening new sites.[12]

References

  1. http://www.furrs.net/locations/ Furr's Fresh Buffet locations
  2. Yoshihara, Nancy (January 28, 1985). "K mart Breaks Away From Its Pattern of 1960s". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  3. http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/WTC/TIAA-CREF.html
  4. "Furr's Restaurant Group, Inc". IGHRM. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  5. "Two Vegas cafeterias close". Las Vegas Sun. December 20, 2002. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  6. Smith, John L. (December 20, 2002). "Closure of Furr's cafeterias leaves longtime workers, clientele in the lurch". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on March 20, 2005.
  7. "Furr's files reorganization plan". Dallas Business Journal. April 4, 2003. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  8. "Furr's Restaurant Group to sell 54 restaurants". Amarillo Globe-News. 2003-07-15. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  9. Stockberger, Brook. "Furr's Fresh Buffet in Las Cruces closes". Sun-News report. The Las Cruces Sun-News. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  10. Calhoun, Patricia. "Furr's could be gone for good from Colorado". Denver Westword, LLC.
  11. Rengers, Carrie. "Last Furr's Family Dining restaurant closes WICHITA — The last remaining Furr's Family Dining restaurant in Wichita has closed". The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on 19 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  12. http://www.dallasnews.com/business/restaurants-hotels/20140623-furrs-fresh-buffet-sold-to-san-antonio-company.ece


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