Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.

Who owns Red Robin?

Red Robin is owned by public shareholders of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (Nasdaq: RRGB). No single entity controls the company.

Is Red Robin publicly traded?

Yes. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. trades on Nasdaq under the ticker RRGB.

How many Red Robin locations are there?

Red Robin operates and franchises roughly 475 restaurants across the United States and Canada.

What is the First Choice plan?

First Choice is the turnaround strategy launched by CEO Dave Pace in 2023, built on five pillars: hospitality, food quality, unit economics, marketing, and financial discipline.

Who is the CEO of Red Robin?

Dave Pace has served as CEO since April 2023, leading the company's First Choice turnaround.

Does Red Robin franchise?

Yes. A minority of Red Robin restaurants are franchised, primarily in Western US and Canadian markets, while the majority are company-operated.

Red Robin began in 1969 when Gerry Kingen bought a Seattle tavern called Sam's Red Robin and transformed it into a burger-focused restaurant. The gourmet burger concept, with bottomless steak fries and a family-friendly atmosphere, built a following through the 1970s and began franchising in 1979.

The company expanded through the 1980s and 1990s under franchise and company development, establishing itself in casual dining as the burger specialist between fast food and full-service chains. It went public on Nasdaq in 2002 under ticker RRGB.

The 2010s brought sustained pressure from fast-casual burger competitors, delivery economics, and casual dining traffic decline, compressing margins and triggering multiple leadership transitions and restructuring efforts.

Dave Pace, a former Bloomin' Brands and Jamba Juice executive, became CEO in April 2023 and launched the First Choice plan later that year. The turnaround has produced sequential improvement in guest satisfaction, operations, and profitability through fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025, though the company continues to operate below historical peak performance.

Red Robin maintains responsible sourcing policies covering animal welfare and antibiotic use, plus community programs through its foundation and local restaurant-level giving.

The company is not B Corp certified and publishes self-reported sustainability disclosures rather than independently audited reporting.