Nostalgic Restaurant Series #3 - GROUND ROUND GRILL & BAR
Founded by Howard Johnson's (aka Ho-Jo's) in 1969 in Massachusetts, Ground Round is (not was as you shall see) a casual dining chain that was created as a "support" concept to offset the poorly performing Ho-Jo's chain. The intent was to convert the Ho-Jo's locations as well as launch Ground Round as a standalone expansion vehicle.
Growing to 215 locations by 1989, "Ground Round had four owners in a 22-year span; Imperial Group retained Ground Round when Howard Johnson was sold to the Marriott Corporation in 1985; Hanson Group USA purchased Imperial in 1986; three years later, International Proteins Corporation acquired Ground Round for $93 million..." [Wikipedia]
Outdated menus and locations, as well as significant competition for "share of stomach" by other casual chains such as Chili's, Applebees's, and T.G.I. Friday's, made it difficult for Ground Round. The chain was sold again to Boston Ventures Management (BVM) in 1997 and a re-launch with a new prototype and more narrowly-focused menu began in 2000.
Continued poor financial performance (in other words, the re-launch didn't work) caused BVM to terminate their credit facilities in early 2004 with all corporate-owned locations closing. The Franchisor for Ground Round filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a few days later.
Nation's Restaurant News reported that "the mass layoffs and hasty restaurant lockups on that Friday afternoon, catching scores of diners in the middle of unfinished meals, were of a scale not seen in the restaurant industry in recent memory." Franchise locations remained open and a cooperative of franchisees bought the now 71 unit chain.
"As of August 2024, there were four Ground Rounds in the U.S., three in North Dakota and one in Ohio. That year, Joseph and Nachi Shea acquired the rights to the Ground Round name, with the existing locations continuing as licensed units, and announced plans to open a location in January 2025, in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. A previous location there operated until 2004, and Joseph Shea often visited it as a child." [Wikipedia]
With only 4 locations, down from its peak of 215, Ground Round is now a Nostalgic Restaurant Concept that continues to struggle for brand survival.
