Romano's Macaroni Grill is a

casual dining Restaurants fall into several industry classifications, based upon menu style, preparation methods and pricing, as well as the means by which the food is served to the customer. This article mainly describes the situation in the USA, while categ ...

restaurant chain A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many pa ...

specializing in

Italian-American cuisine Italian-American cuisine is a style of Italian cuisine adapted throughout the United States. Italian-American food has been shaped throughout history by various waves of immigrants and their descendants, called Italian Americans. As immigrants ...

. The company claims 41 locations in the U.S. and is headquartered in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

History

Romano's first restaurant was founded by restaurateur

Philip J. Romano Philip (Phil) J. Romano is an American restaurateur and entrepreneur. He is best known as the founder of the restaurant chains Fuddruckers and Romano's Macaroni Grill. Early life Romano grew up in Auburn, New York. He moved to Florida in ...

Leon Springs, Texas Leon Springs is an unincorporated community in Bexar County, Texas, now partially within the city limits of San Antonio. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 137 in 2000. It is located within the San Antonio Met ...

(now a district of

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

), on April 19, 1988. The location would later be occupied by Burkle's The Grill at Leon Springs, which closed in May of 2021 after a fire. Brinker International, Inc. bought the franchise rights to the company on November 22, 1989. Brinker announced on August 8, 2007, that it would begin exploring a buyer for the 230 company-owned stores. On December 18, 2008, Brinker announced that a majority stake in the chain was sold to Mac Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of

Golden Gate Capital Golden Gate Capital is an American private equity firm based in San Francisco. The firm makes investments in a number of select industries, including technology, financial services, retail and industrial, through leveraged buyout transactions, as ...

. As of June 29, 2011, Brinker still holds a 15.6%

minority interest In accounting, minority interest (or non-controlling interest) is the portion of a subsidiary corporation's stock that is not owned by the parent corporation. The magnitude of the minority interest in the subsidiary company is generally less than ...

in the concept. On February 6, 2013, Ignite Restaurant Group announced the acquisition of Romano's Macaroni Grill from

through a $55.0 million all-cash transaction. Redrock Partners LLC purchased the concept from Ignite in April 2015 for $8 million. On October 18, 2017, Romano's Macaroni Grill filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On September 21, 2018, Romano's bought Sullivan's Steakhouse for $32 million.

Products

Romano's Macaroni Grill menu features items found in traditional cuisine from Italy and the Mediterranean area. The menu includes a custom-assembled pasta dish, with a choice of pastas, sauces, and toppings. Meals are served with complimentary bread and olive oil. The chain touts its sourcing of various ingredients directly from family-owned businesses in Italy for quality, flavor, and business transparency. In addition to their restaurants, the brand also features a line of packaged food products based on dishes offered by the restaurant. The packages are manufactured by

General Mills General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company ori ...

Restaurant Favorites line.

Nutrition

In 2007, ''

Men's Health ''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst Communications, Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands. Started as a men's health maga ...

'' rated Romano's Macaroni Grill one of the unhealthiest restaurant chains, giving it an 'F' on its "Restaurant Report Card." According to the report, an average meal from the chain contains over 1,000 calories. Three years later, however, the magazine rated Macaroni Grill as the healthiest Italian chain, noting that a number of entrees had significantly decreased in calorie count. This was attributed to the hiring of a new CEO with a "multiphase plan to improve the nutritional quality."

Gallery

File:Macaroni Grill.jpg, A Romano's Macaroni Grill in

Anaheim Hills, CA Anaheim Hills is a planned community encompassing the eastern portions of the city of Anaheim, in Orange County, California. History Prior to the development, a few scattered low-density neighborhoods existed in the area, including Peralta Hills ...

in March 2010 (closed by early 2020). File:Macaroni Grill, Burlington MA (2864284742).jpg, A Romano's in Burlington, MA in September, 2008 (closed in February 2017, now Eddie V's) File:Macaroni Grill spaghetti with meatballs.jpg, One of many Italian-themed dishes at Romano's

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Companies based in Dallas Companies based in Denver Restaurants established in 1988 Restaurant chains in the United States Italian-American culture in Texas 1988 establishments in Texas 2013 mergers and acquisitions 2015 mergers and acquisitions Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017 Italian-American cuisine