"The Last Great Hamburger Stand" |
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| Type | Wholly owned subsidiary, Public (OTCBB: FCCG) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fast food restaurants |
| Founded | Los Angeles, California, U.S. (1952) |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Number of locations | 96 + Worldwide |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Andrew Wiederhorn (Chairman & CEO) |
| Products | Burgers, french fries, soft drinks, milkshakes |
| Employees | 896 |
| Parent | Fog Cutter Capital Group |
| Website | fatburger.com |
Fatburger is a fast casual restaurant chain. It uses the slogan The Last Great Hamburger Stand. While it is a fast food restaurant, the food is cooked and made to order and the restaurant has a liquor license. Its headquarters are in Santa Monica, California.[1]
In addition to the United States, the chain operates in Canada, China, the UAE, Indonesia and various other countries.[2]
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Fatburger was founded by Lovie Yancey on Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California in 1947. Originally called "Mr. Fatburger", Yancy dropped the "Mr." in 1952. At that time she bought out her start-up partners and retained ownership until 1990, keeping only the original store for herself.[3]
Fatburger remained mostly a California chain until the late 1990s, when it began an expansion in North America. There are currently 95 Fatburger restaurants, including five outlets in Asia, three in the United Arab Emirates, one in The Kingdom of Bahrain and one in Indonesia.
Forbes Magazine published an article on 15 October 2007 titled "Celebrities love Fatburger - Juicy Tale" promoting all the Hollywood celebrities who have bought into the global giant.[4]
In 2008, Fatburger opened its first restaurant in a sports stadium, the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field.[5]
Former professional basketball player Magic Johnson, through Johnson Development Corporation, was one of the owners of the parent company.[6] Former talk show host Montel Williams co-owns several Fatburger restaurants in Colorado.[7] Bay Area rapper E-40 also had a stake in the company as a franchise owner, by opening the first San Francisco Bay Area Fatburger restaurant in Pleasant Hill, which is now closed.[8] Queen Latifah also at one point partnered with Fatburger.[9]
On August 15, 2003, Fog Cutter Capital Group completed a $6 million investment and financing package for the company. As of 2011[update] Fatburger operates or franchises 101 restaurants, and Fog Cutter has announced the company will open 30 more in 2011.[10]
Rapper Kanye West's restaurant company has opened Fatburger restaurants in Chicago.[11] In February 2011, West shut down the Fatburger located in Orland Park.[12] Hip-hop musician Pharrell, in partnership with Fatburger, opened several Fatburger restaurants in China in 2007 and 2008.[13] Former All Pro Offensive Tackle Willie Anderson owns three Fatburger restaurants. Former Browns and Ravens OT Orlando Brown owned a Fatburger in Maryland.