Who Owns Red Robin?

The brand's roots go back to a 1940s Seattle tavern called Sam's Red Robin Tavern near the University of Washington. Entrepreneur Gerry Kingen bought the property in 1969, added burgers to the bar menu, and effectively created the modern Red Robin, adding a second location and franchising the gourmet burger concept through the 1970s and 1980s.

Kingen's company merged with a franchisee group in the 1990s to form Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., which went public on Nasdaq in 2002. The chain expanded to more than 500 restaurants across the United States and Canada, marketing bottomless steak fries and a family-friendly burger positioning.

The 2010s brought declining traffic as fast-casual better-burger chains grew and delivery shifted demand. Management churned through CEOs, and by 2022 the company carried significant losses. G.J. Hart, formerly of Texas Roadhouse and California Pizza Kitchen, arrived in 2023 and launched the North Star plan, overhauling most of the menu, adding flat-top grills, and restoring service labor.

Hart's departure in 2025 brought Dave Pace to the CEO role. His First Choice plan, introduced in July 2025, extends the turnaround through five pillars: hold serve, drive traffic, find money, fix restaurants, and win together. Fiscal 2025 delivered 53 percent adjusted EBITDA growth to $69.7 million despite a net loss of $23.3 million, and the estate ended the year at 475 restaurants after tactical closures and refranchising.