Luby's

File:LubysHQ.JPG and in Houston, 2011]]

Bob Luby’s father, Harry, opened his first cafeteria called the New England Dairy Lunch in 1911, after a business trip in Chicago. By the time Bob was 40, he became successful, with his cafeterias spreading several states, and retired to pass the business to his son. Bob worked many jobs in the cafeteria industry before founding Luby’s. After graduating from the University of Texas, he ran cafeterias in San Francisco and Corpus Christi. He moved back to Texas after a satisfied customer, Georgina Wenglein and her husband convinced him. Bob opened his first Luby's Cafeteria in 1947, focusing on fresh food and customer service.{{Cite web|last=Hlavaty|first=Craig|date=2018-09-19|title=The story of how Luby's became a Texas comfort food staple|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/food/article/The-story-of-how-Luby-s-became-a-Texas-staple-12499448.php|access-date=2020-09-01|website=HoustonChronicle.com|language=en-US}} Luby's soon expanded outside of San Antonio to Tyler, Harlingen, El Paso, and Beaumont.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

In 1959, the original partners formed Cafeterias, Inc. Luby's continued to expand, entering other Texas cities and locations in contiguous states.{{cn|date=May 2023}} Luby's entered Houston for the first time when it opened Romana Cafeteria in 1965.{{cn|date=May 2023}} Locations opened in New Mexico in 1966 and in Oklahoma in 1980.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

In 1973, Cafeterias, Inc., became a publicly traded company. To honor Bob Luby, Cafeterias, Inc., was renamed Luby's Cafeterias, Inc., in 1981. One year later, Luby's shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange. By 1987, Luby's had reached 100 locations.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}.

The company operated in 11 states in 1996, having over 200 restaurants at that time.{{cite web|author=Valdez, Andrea|url=https://www.texasobserver.org/a-chain-reaction/|title=A Chain Reaction|newspaper=Texas Observer|date=2019-11-25|access-date=2020-06-21}}

In 2001, Chris and Harris Pappas of Houston's Pappas Restaurants (owners of Pappasito's Cantina, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, etc.) joined the Luby's management team. Three years later, Luby's moved its corporate headquarters from San Antonio to Houston.{{cite news|last=Aldridge|first=James|title=San Antonio Business Journal|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2004/07/12/daily33.html|publisher=San Antonio Business Journal|access-date=24 June 2011|date=July 16, 2004}} The addition of the Pappas management team saw several Luby's restaurants begin to transition from traditional cafeteria-style establishments to hybrid cafeteria/fine dining.{{cite news|last=Wollam|first=Allison|title=Luby's to dish out new design with Post Oak remodel|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2006/12/04/story5.html|publisher=Houston Business Journal|date=December 3, 2006}}

Luby's celebrated its 60th anniversary in December 2006 with publishing Luby’s Recipes & Memories: A Collection of our Favorite Dishes and Heartwarming Stories.{{cite web|last=Oelrich|first=Shannon|title=Where Texans Go To Eat|url=http://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/food/where-texans-go-to-eat|publisher=Texas Co-op Power|access-date=24 June 2011}} In 2008, Luby's published a special edition of the cookbook that included 12 additional recipes.{{cite web|title=Luby's Cafeteria Recipes|url=http://www.food.com/cookbook/lubys-cafeteria-80013|publisher=Food.com|access-date=24 June 2011}}

In 2009, due to the economic recession, Luby's closed 25 stores and laid off staff as a cost-cutting measure."[https://abc13.com/archive/7068874/ Luby's closes 25 stores]." KTRK-TV. Monday November 16, 2009. Retrieved on February 26, 2010. In 2010, Luby's Culinary Services introduced "What's Brewing?", a coffeehouse concept store in downtown Houston."[http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/03/15/daily35.html?ed=2010-03-18&ana=e_du_pub Luby’s posts 2Q net loss as sales slide]." Houston Business Journal. Thursday March 18, 2010. The same year, on June 18, Luby's announced it was buying Fuddruckers and Koo Koo Roo for $61 million after parent company Magic Brands LLC went bankrupt.{{cite news|title=UPDATE 1-Luby's buys Fuddruckers for $61 million|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/fuddruckers-lubys-idUSN1816499820100618|access-date=24 June 2011|newspaper=Reuters|first=Lisa|last=Baertlein|date=June 18, 2010}} On June 13, 2011, Luby's opened its first company-owned Fuddruckers restaurant in downtown Houston's tunnel system.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} In 2013, Luby's acquired Cheeseburger in Paradise.

In August 2015, 93 Luby's were operating, and this declined to 78 in 2019. Technomic consumer insights senior manager Robert Byrne stated that the fast casual restaurants reduced Luby's market share.

During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, Luby's, Inc. furloughed more than half of its corporate staff and cut the pay of remaining salaried employees by 50%. Luby's Inc also applied for and received a loan of US$10 million as part of the Paycheck Protection Program.{{cite web |last1=Pulsinelli |first1=Olivia |title=Luby's receives PPP loan, delisting warning |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2020/04/24/lubys-receives-ppp-loan-delisting-warning.html |work=Houston Business Journal |access-date=28 April 2020}}

On June 3, 2020, Luby's board of directors announced plans to sell all its operating divisions and assets, including real estate assets.{{cite web|title=Luby's Announces it will Pursue Sale of its Operations and Assets and Distribute Net Proceeds to Stockholders|url=http://www.lubysinc.com/investors/news/files/LubysPressRelease-6-3-2020-Final.pdf|publisher=Luby's|access-date=7 June 2020}} This decision was influenced in part by circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Net proceeds from transactions were to benefit Luby's stockholders. The company did not have a definitive timeline for future transactions, but expected to eventually wind down remaining operations.

On September 8, 2020, Luby's further announced it has adopted a plan to liquidate all of its existing assets, as opposed to operating in the current form or merely selling off divisions.{{cite web|url=https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/lubys-announces-plans-to-liquidate-dissolve-company |title=Loyal customers saddened as Luby's announces plans to dissolve company |quote="This Plan of Liquidation is the next logical step in the Company's previously announced plan to maximize value of the Company through the sale of its operations and assets," Gerald Bodzy and Randolph Read, co-chairmen of the special committee responsible for the decision, said in a statement. "Our stockholders have expressed their support for seeking alternatives to continuing to operate the Company's restaurants in their current form, and we believe the Plan of Liquidation will allow the Company to accomplish that task in the most efficient manner." |last=Price |first=Robert |date=September 8, 2020 |work=WOAI-TV |access-date=September 8, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/lubys-liquidating-assets-dissolving-company/ |last=Solomon |first=Dan |date=September 8, 2020 |title=Luby's Is Liquidating Its Assets and Dissolving the Company |work=Texas Monthly |access-date=September 9, 2020}}

As of September 11, 2020, 80 Luby's and Fuddruckers were still in operation.{{cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/food/article/Luby-s-executive-assures-fans-that-the-Texas-icon-15559453.php |last=Rosenthal |first=Abigail |date=September 11, 2020 |title=Luby's executive assures fans that the Texas icon is still open |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=October 3, 2020}}

About 99% of Luby's stockholders voted for dissolution in November 2020.{{cite web|last=Drane|first=Amanda|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Luby-s-shareholders-approve-liquidation-15734747.php|title=Luby's shareholders vote overwhelmingly in favor of liquidation, dissolving the business|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|date=2020-11-17|access-date=2020-11-22}}

On June 21, 2021, Calvin Gin, founder of Flying Food Group, agreed to buy 32 Luby's locations for $28.7 million, a week after Nicholas Perkins of North Carolina agreed to buy Luby's Fuddruckers brand for $18.5 million.{{cite news |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/lubys-32-texas-locations-restaurants-food-16262553.php |title=Luby's to sell 32 cafeteria locations around Texas for $28.7 million, signaling afterlife for icon |first=Amanda |last=Drane |date=June 21, 2021 |newspaper=Houston Chronicle}} Prior to the announcement of Gin's acquisition, Luby's had planned to close all locations by August 2021.{{Cite web|title=Texas' beloved Luby's Cafeteria chain reveals timeline for shuttering all remaining locations|url=https://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/02-03-21-lubys-cafeteria-restaurant-fuddruckers-closing-liquidation/|website=CultureMap Houston|language=en}}

In July 2004, Luby's announced that it would move its headquarters from San Antonio to Houston, where Pappas Restaurants has its headquarters. At that time Luby's did not yet state to where it would be moving; the company stated that it would most likely move to a suburb in Greater Houston; 80 jobs were transferred to Houston.Athavaley, Anjali. "[http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2004_3782090 CAFETERIA STYLE / Home is where the CEO is / Luby's will move its headquarters to Houston, bringing 80 jobs along]." {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604121341/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2004_3782090 |date=2011-06-04 }} Houston Chronicle. Saturday July 17, 2004. Business 1. Retrieved on February 26, 2010.Aldridge, James. "[http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2004/07/12/daily33.html Luby's relocating corporate headquarters to Houston]." San Antonio Business Journal. Friday July 16, 2004. Retrieved on February 26, 2010. Luby's has its headquarters in Suite 600 of the 13111 Northwest Freeway building in the Near Northwest district in Houston."[http://www.nearnorthwestdistrict.com/Uploads/area_map.gif Area Map] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714162355/http://www.nearnorthwestdistrict.com/Uploads/area_map.gif |date=2011-07-14 }}." Near Northwest. Retrieved on February 8, 2011."[http://www.lubys.com/en/Contacts.asp Contact]." Luby's. Retrieved on February 8, 2011. "Office 13111 Northwest Freeway, Suite 600 Houston, Texas 77040."

The LuAnn Platter, a popular combination platter served at Luby's, inspired the name of the character Luanne Platter on the animated television series King of the Hill.{{cite book|author1=Anita Belles Porterfield|author2=John Porterfield|title=Death on Base: The Fort Hood Massacre|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aTxdCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA19|date=15 May 2015|publisher=University of North Texas Press|isbn=978-1-57441-596-4|pages=19–}} The cafeteria itself is characterized as "Luly's" on the show.{{Cite web|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/hill-bent/|title=Hill Bent|date=February 1, 1997|website=Texas Monthly}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Portal|Companies|Food|Texas}}

• [http://www.lubys.com Luby's website]
• [http://www.pappas.com Pappas Restaurants website]
• [http://www.fuddruckers.com Fuddruckers Website]
• Business data for Luby's: [https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/LUB Yahoo Finance] | [https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/LUB MarketWatch] | [https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/LUB WSJ] |[https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=LUB SEC Filings]

{{Restaurants in Houston}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange

Category:Restaurants established in 1947

Category:Regional restaurant chains in the United States

Category:Companies based in Houston

Category:Restaurants in Texas

Category:Restaurants in San Antonio

Category:Restaurants in Houston

Category:Cafeteria-style restaurants

Category:1947 establishments in Texas