Biglari Holdings
Biglari Holdings is a San Antonio-based American holding company with operating businesses and investments spanning restaurants, publishing, insurance, energy, and public-company securities.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Biglari Holdings Inc. is an American holding company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is associated with entrepreneur Sardar Biglari, who founded and controls the enterprise and has used it as a platform for acquiring businesses in unrelated industries. Rather than operating as a single-category consumer brand, Biglari Holdings functions as a concentrated investment and operating group whose portfolio has included restaurants, publishing, insurance, and oil and gas assets. The company’s most visible operating investment has been Steak 'n Shake, the American restaurant chain that Biglari took over in August 2008. Under Biglari’s stewardship, the chain was presented as a turnaround: company commentary cited a shift from losing more than $100,000 per day in 2009 to generating more than $100,000 per day in 2010. By 2015, Steak 'n Shake had recorded 24 consecutive quarters of same-store sales increases. The restaurant business subsequently faced renewed pressure, with same-store sales contracting in fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Biglari Holdings later promoted a franchise-oriented model under which investors contributed capital and profits were intended to be divided equally between the franchisee and the company. Biglari Holdings expanded beyond restaurants through the acquisition of Maxim magazine on February 27, 2014. Sardar Biglari became Maxim’s editor-in-chief in January 2016, reflecting his direct involvement in the publication’s editorial and creative direction. Gilles Bensimon joined the business as a special creative director in January 2016. The Maxim investment illustrated Biglari Holdings’ willingness to own lifestyle media assets as well as operating companies. Insurance became another important portfolio area. On March 19, 2014, Biglari Holdings acquired First Guard Insurance Company, a Florida-based insurer. In 2020, it acquired Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty Insurance Company from the Hyneman family, which continued to operate the business. These transactions broadened the group into property-and-casualty insurance and complemented its existing operating-company structure. The company also entered oil and gas. In September 2019, it acquired Southern Oil of Louisiana for $51.5 million. In 2022, Biglari Holdings acquired 90% of the voting power of San Antonio-based Abraxas Petroleum for $80 million. Its publicly disclosed investment portfolio has additionally included shares of Jack in the Box and Ferrari, demonstrating that the group combines controlled operating subsidiaries with minority positions in publicly traded companies. Biglari Holdings’ identity is therefore defined less by a unified product range than by an owner-led, diversified holding-company model. Its businesses have included Steak 'n Shake, Maxim, First Guard Insurance, Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty Insurance, Southern Oil, Abraxas Petroleum, and Western Sizzlin'. The group’s strategy has emphasized direct control, concentrated ownership, and the acquisition or restructuring of established businesses. Because its portfolio changes over time, individual subsidiaries and investments should be distinguished from the Biglari Holdings corporate entity itself.
History
Biglari Holdings developed under the leadership of Sardar Biglari as an owner-controlled holding company rather than as a conventional single-industry corporation. Its portfolio approach has combined the operation of controlled subsidiaries with investments in public companies. The group is based in San Antonio, Texas, and has built its identity around acquiring established businesses and exercising direct influence over their strategy and management. The company’s most significant early operating transaction was the takeover of Steak 'n Shake in August 2008. The restaurant chain became the principal platform through which Biglari demonstrated his turnaround and operating philosophy. In a 2010 shareholder communication, Biglari described a change from Steak 'n Shake losing more than $100,000 per day in 2009 to making more than $100,000 per day in 2010. The chain subsequently achieved 24 consecutive quarters of same-store sales increases by 2015. That performance later weakened, and same-store sales contracted during fiscal years 2017 and 2018. In response to continuing pressure, the company promoted a franchise model in which outside investors supplied capital and profits were intended to be shared equally with the company. Biglari Holdings broadened its activities in 2014. On February 27 it acquired Maxim magazine, adding a media and lifestyle brand to its restaurant holdings. Biglari later became Maxim’s editor-in-chief in January 2016. The appointment formalized his direct role in the publication’s editorial direction. In the same period, Gilles Bensimon joined Maxim as a special creative director. The magazine acquisition was significant because it showed that Biglari Holdings was willing to manage a consumer-facing media property, not merely restaurants and service businesses. Insurance became a second major diversification area. On March 19, 2014, Biglari Holdings purchased First Guard Insurance Company, a Florida-based insurer. First Guard’s founder and chief executive, Ed Campbell, publicly characterized the transaction as a suitable ownership fit. In 2020, Biglari Holdings acquired Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty Insurance Company from the Hyneman family. The family continued operating the insurer after the transaction. Southern Pioneer had grown substantially from its 1981 beginnings, providing Biglari Holdings with another established insurance platform. The group then expanded into energy. In September 2019, it acquired Southern Oil of Louisiana for $51.5 million. In 2022, it obtained 90% of the voting power of Abraxas Petroleum, a San Antonio-based oil and gas company, for $80 million. These deals extended the portfolio beyond consumer and financial services into resource-related assets. Biglari Holdings has also held minority stakes in other public companies. Its disclosed investments included approximately 1.1 million shares of Jack in the Box in 2023. It also acquired 360,000 Ferrari shares in 2022, with the reported holding increasing to 402,000 shares and a stated market value of $135 million in 2023. These positions illustrate the difference between the company’s controlled operating subsidiaries and its minority investment portfolio. Across its history, Biglari Holdings has therefore remained a diversified, owner-led enterprise. Its associated businesses have included Steak 'n Shake, Maxim, First Guard Insurance, Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty, Southern Oil, Abraxas Petroleum, and Western Sizzlin'. The portfolio has changed through acquisitions, operating restructurings, and investment decisions. Its defining characteristic is not a common product or customer segment, but a centralized ownership and capital-allocation model directed by Sardar Biglari.
- 2022
Acquisition of voting control of Abraxas Petroleum
[1]Biglari Holdings acquired 90% of the voting power of Abraxas Petroleum for $80 million.
- 2020
Acquisition of Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty
[1]The company acquired Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty Insurance Company from the Hyneman family, which continued to operate the insurer.
- 2019
Acquisition of Southern Oil of Louisiana
[1]Biglari Holdings acquired Southern Oil of Louisiana for $51.5 million in September 2019, entering a more direct oil and gas operating role.
- 2016
Biglari assumes Maxim editor-in-chief role
[1]Sardar Biglari formally became editor-in-chief of Maxim in January 2016, while Gilles Bensimon joined as special creative director.
- 2015
Steak 'n Shake reaches 24 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth
[1]By 2015, Steak 'n Shake had recorded 24 consecutive quarters of same-store sales increases under Biglari's control.
- 2014
Acquisition of Maxim
[1]Biglari Holdings acquired Maxim magazine on February 27, 2014, adding publishing and lifestyle media to its portfolio.
- 2014
Acquisition of First Guard Insurance
[1]The company purchased Florida-based First Guard Insurance Company on March 19, 2014.
- 2010
Reported Steak 'n Shake turnaround
[1]Sardar Biglari's shareholder letter described a shift in Steak 'n Shake's daily performance from a loss of more than $100,000 in 2009 to a gain of more than $100,000 in 2010.
- 2008
Takeover of Steak 'n Shake
[1]Biglari Holdings took over the Steak 'n Shake restaurant chain, making it a core operating subsidiary and the central platform for its early turnaround strategy.
Products and positioning
An owner-led, diversified holding company that acquires, controls, and restructures businesses across unrelated industries, including consumer services, media, insurance, energy, and selected public-company investments.
Restaurant chain
Steak 'n Shake
Steak 'n Shake is Biglari Holdings' principal restaurant business and its most prominent consumer-facing operating company. The chain serves American diner-style food and has operated through company restaurants and franchising. Under Biglari's control it became the subject of a turnaround program, followed by a franchise-oriented model designed to bring in outside capital and share profits between franchisees and the company. Steak ’n Shake is an American full-service restaurant chain and the most prominent consumer-facing operating business associated with Biglari Holdings. Biglari took control in 2008 and pursued a turnaround based on restaurant performance, same-store sales improvement, and later franchising. The chain’s results improved substantially during the early part of Biglari’s ownership but subsequently experienced same-store sales contraction in fiscal 2017 and 2018.
Magazine and lifestyle media
Maxim
Maxim is a lifestyle magazine and media brand acquired by Biglari Holdings on February 27, 2014. The title broadened the group beyond restaurants into publishing and entertainment-oriented media. Sardar Biglari later became editor-in-chief, giving the holding-company leader a direct role in editorial direction. Gilles Bensimon joined the publication as a special creative director in January 2016. Maxim is a lifestyle magazine and media brand acquired by Biglari Holdings in 2014. The title broadened the group beyond restaurants and industrial businesses into publishing and entertainment-oriented media. Sardar Biglari became editor-in-chief in 2016, and Gilles Bensimon joined as special creative director, reflecting direct ownership involvement in the brand’s editorial and visual direction.
Property and casualty insurance
First Guard Insurance
First Guard Insurance is a Florida-based insurance company acquired by Biglari Holdings in 2014. It represents the group’s expansion into regulated financial services and insurance operations. First Guard Insurance Company is a Florida-based insurance business acquired by Biglari Holdings in March 2014. It expanded the group into insurance and added an operating company with its own established management and underwriting activities. First Guard Insurance is a Florida-based insurance company acquired by Biglari Holdings on March 19, 2014. It represents the group's expansion into regulated financial services and insurance operations, adding an operating company with its own established management and underwriting activities. First Guard's founder and chief executive, Ed Campbell, publicly characterized the transaction as a suitable ownership fit.
Property and casualty insurance · 1981
Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty Insurance
Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty Insurance is an insurer acquired by Biglari Holdings in 2020 from the Hyneman family. The former owners continued to operate the company after the acquisition. Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty Insurance Company became part of Biglari Holdings in 2020 through an acquisition from the Hyneman family. The former owners continued operating the company, providing management continuity after the transaction. Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty Insurance is an insurer acquired by Biglari Holdings in 2020 from the Hyneman family. The former owners continued to operate the company after the acquisition, providing management continuity. Southern Pioneer had grown substantially from its 1981 beginnings.
Oil and gas
Southern Oil of Louisiana
Southern Oil of Louisiana is an energy business acquired by Biglari Holdings in September 2019. The transaction added oil and gas operations to a portfolio previously identified mainly with restaurants, media, and insurance. Southern Oil of Louisiana is an oil and gas business acquired by Biglari Holdings in September 2019 for $51.5 million. Its addition diversified the group into energy-related operations, extending the portfolio beyond restaurants, media, and insurance.
Oil and gas exploration and production
Abraxas Petroleum
Abraxas Petroleum is a San Antonio-based oil and gas company in which Biglari Holdings acquired 90% of the voting power in 2022. The transaction gave Biglari control of an energy-sector operating asset. Abraxas Petroleum is a San Antonio-based oil and gas company in which Biglari Holdings acquired 90% of the voting power in 2022 for $80 million. It forms part of the group's controlled energy portfolio and gave Biglari control of an energy-sector operating asset.
Restaurant chain
Western Sizzlin'
Western Sizzlin' is a restaurant brand listed among the businesses associated with Biglari Holdings. Available reference material identifies the brand as part of the group's restaurant interests but provides limited additional operating detail.
Brand decisions
2022
Acquire voting control of Abraxas PetroleumM&ABackground
Biglari Holdings pursued greater exposure to energy operations and acquired control of a San Antonio oil and gas company. Biglari Holdings expanded its controlled energy portfolio through a transaction involving a San Antonio-based petroleum company.
Action taken
The company acquired 90% of Abraxas Petroleum’s voting power for $80 million.
Aftermath
Abraxas Petroleum became part of the group’s controlled oil and gas interests. Biglari Holdings obtained voting control of Abraxas Petroleum and increased its direct exposure to oil and gas operations.
Acquisition price. $80 million (2022)
2020
Acquire Southern Pioneer Property & CasualtyM&ABackground
The acquisition expanded Biglari Holdings’ insurance activities through the purchase of an established insurer.
Action taken
Biglari Holdings acquired Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty Insurance Company from the Hyneman family.
Aftermath
The Hyneman family continued to operate the insurer after the transaction.
2019
Acquire Southern Oil of LouisianaM&ABackground
Biglari Holdings continued diversifying into energy-related businesses.
Action taken
The company acquired Southern Oil of Louisiana for $51.5 million in September 2019.
Aftermath
The transaction added a controlled oil and gas business to the holding-company portfolio.
Acquisition price. $51.5 million (September 2019)
2019
Expand into Southern OilM&ABackground
The holding company continued diversifying into businesses outside restaurants and media.
Action taken
Biglari Holdings acquired Southern Oil of Louisiana in September 2019.
Aftermath
The transaction added oil and gas operations to the group.
Acquisition price. $51.5 million (September 2019 acquisition)
2014
Enter lifestyle media through MaximM&ABackground
Biglari Holdings sought to diversify beyond restaurants and add a consumer media property to its portfolio.
Action taken
The company acquired Maxim magazine on February 27, 2014.
Aftermath
Sardar Biglari later assumed the editor-in-chief role, while Gilles Bensimon joined as special creative director.
2014
Expand into insurance with First GuardM&ABackground
The acquisition extended Biglari Holdings into insurance and added a regulated financial-services operating company.
Action taken
Biglari Holdings purchased First Guard Insurance Company on March 19, 2014.
Aftermath
First Guard became part of the group’s insurance portfolio.
2008
Acquire control of Steak 'n ShakeM&ABackground
Steak 'n Shake was a major restaurant operating opportunity for Biglari Holdings and became the central platform for its early turnaround strategy. Steak ’n Shake was experiencing serious operating difficulties when Biglari took control in August 2008.
Action taken
Biglari Holdings took over the restaurant chain in August 2008. Biglari Holdings assumed control and pursued an operating turnaround that was later associated with improved daily profitability and a long run of same-store sales gains.
Aftermath
The company later reported a significant improvement in daily performance and 24 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth by 2015, followed by contractions in fiscal years 2017 and 2018.
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