Houlihan's
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHoulihan's is an American casual-dining restaurant and bar chain founded in Kansas City in 1972.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Houlihan's is an American casual-dining restaurant and bar brand whose identity combines broadly accessible American food, a full-service bar, and a more polished atmosphere than a typical fast-casual outlet. The first restaurant opened on April 1, 1972, at Kansas City's Country Club Plaza under the name Houlihan's Old Place. The concept was created by Gilbert-Robinson, a restaurant partnership associated with Kansas City restaurateurs Paul Robinson and Joe Gilbert. Rather than expanding the neighboring Plaza III Steakhouse into an available retail space, the partners used the location to develop a new, less formal restaurant concept. The name came from the space's previous occupant, Tom Houlihan's men's clothing store. During construction, people informally referred to the future restaurant as Houlihan's place. The partners obtained permission to use the name and opened the restaurant with a brass-plaque table reserved in Tom Houlihan's honor, although he reportedly never visited the location. The business soon shortened its operating name to Houlihan's and used the original restaurant's early success as the basis for expansion. The chain's first growth phase was regional and then national. A second restaurant opened in New Orleans in July 1973, followed by locations in Atlanta in December 1974 and Des Peres, Missouri, in March 1975. Over time, the brand developed a mix of company-operated and franchised restaurants across the United States. Its menu and format centered on American cuisine in a casual full-service setting, with a spacious bar and an environment intended to support both meals and social occasions. Houlihan's also pursued high-visibility brand exposure. In the late 1990s, it briefly held the naming rights to Tampa Stadium, then the home of the National Football League's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The brand later undertook a substantial redesign program. In 2006, it introduced the “Houlihan's of the 21st Century” prototype, covering architecture, interiors, uniforms, music, menu presentation, patio seating, and the bar area. At the same time, the company announced a strategy emphasizing additional corporate restaurants and more selective franchise development. The original Country Club Plaza restaurant closed after its landlord declined to renew the lease. The closure was announced in November 2002, and the Plaza operation moved to nearby Fairway, Kansas, in January 2003. At the time of the relocation, Houlihan's Restaurants, Inc. operated 48 restaurants across 15 states, including 34 under the Houlihan's name. The chain later reached 92 United States restaurants in 2007, with 31 corporate-owned and 61 franchised units. By 2012, it retained 31 company-owned Houlihan's restaurants while the number of franchised locations had declined to 48. The business experienced financial pressure in the late 2010s. On November 14, 2019, HRI Holding Corp. and 38 affiliated companies sought protection under Chapter 11 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Company restructuring officer Matthew Manning attributed the difficulties to labor-market changes, unfavorable leases, and the cost of third-party delivery platforms. The stated objective was an orderly sale of the restaurants, and Landry's offered $40 million in an effort to acquire the business and keep it out of liquidation. Houlihan's is now privately owned by Fertitta Entertainment, which acquired HRI, the restaurant group that developed and owned Houlihan's and related concepts including Bristol Seafood Grill, Devon Seafood Grill, and J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks. The brand continues to operate in the United States, with a substantial franchise component; the referenced account describes 35 restaurants in 15 states and approximately 60 percent of locations as franchised. The last reported Houlihan's location on Long Island, in Farmingdale, New York, closed on December 31, 2025.
History
Houlihan's developed from the Kansas City restaurant partnership Gilbert-Robinson. Paul Robinson and Joe Gilbert had met in 1961 while operating separate restaurant businesses in the Kansas City area. Robinson managed the Golden Ox and had created the Inn at the Landing, while Gilbert was associated with the Four Winds restaurant at the downtown airport. Together they opened additional concepts, including Plaza III Steakhouse at the Country Club Plaza in 1963 and a restaurant on 103rd Street in Overland Park that was later known as Sam Wilson's. When retail space next to Plaza III became available because of the departure of Tom Houlihan's clothing store, the partners initially considered expanding the steakhouse. They instead chose to create a new casual restaurant. The future concept did not have a settled name during construction, and local references to “Houlihan's place” ultimately led the partners to seek permission to use the clothing store's name. The result was Houlihan's Old Place, which opened at the Country Club Plaza on April 1, 1972. The restaurant's founders commemorated the namesake with a reserved table bearing Tom Houlihan's name, although he never reportedly used it. The first restaurant's performance encouraged rapid expansion. The second unit opened in New Orleans' French Quarter in July 1973. Atlanta followed in December 1974, and Des Peres, Missouri, in March 1975. These openings established a model that could be reproduced beyond Kansas City while retaining the brand's American casual-food and bar identity. The chain subsequently expanded throughout the United States through a combination of corporate and franchised restaurants. The brand's public profile extended beyond restaurant locations. In the late 1990s, Houlihan's briefly held naming rights to Tampa Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played before leaving the stadium. In the early 2000s, the company faced a significant property transition when Highwoods Realty LP chose not to renew the lease for the original Country Club Plaza unit. Houlihan's announced the closure in November 2002 and transferred the Plaza-area operation to Fairway, Kansas, in January 2003. At that point, the broader restaurant company owned 48 restaurants in 15 states, including 34 Houlihan's-branded restaurants. In January 2006, private-equity firm Goldner Hawn Johnson Morrison held a majority interest in Houlihan's Restaurants, Inc. That year the company introduced a new prototype called “Houlihan's of the 21st Century.” The initiative updated the physical environment, uniforms, music, menu organization, patio seating, and bar design. Management also described a growth plan that favored more corporate units and restricted franchising to highly experienced market developers. The system reached 92 United States restaurants in 2007, including 31 corporate-owned and 61 franchised Houlihan's locations. By 2012, the company still owned 31 Houlihan's restaurants, while the number of franchised units had fallen to 48. The restaurant group encountered financial strain later in the decade. On November 14, 2019, HRI Holding Corp. and 38 related companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware. Chief restructuring officer Matthew Manning cited a changing labor market, unfavorable lease obligations, and costly delivery arrangements involving services such as Postmates. HRI sought to use the proceeding to arrange an orderly sale, and Landry's offered $40 million. The brand is now privately owned by Fertitta Entertainment, which owns HRI and related restaurant concepts such as Bristol Seafood Grill, Devon Seafood Grill, and J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks. The referenced account describes Houlihan's as operating 35 restaurants in 15 states, with about 60 percent franchised. A final reported Long Island unit, in Farmingdale, New York, closed on December 31, 2025.
- 2025
Farmingdale location closes
[1]The last reported Houlihan's location on Long Island closed on December 31.
- 2019
HRI files for Chapter 11 protection
[1]HRI Holding Corp. and affiliated companies entered bankruptcy proceedings while pursuing an orderly sale.
- 2007
System reaches 92 United States restaurants
[1]The reported system included 31 corporate-owned and 61 franchised Houlihan's restaurants.
- 2006
New restaurant prototype launched
[1]The company introduced the “Houlihan's of the 21st Century” design and announced a more selective franchise-growth strategy.
- 2003
Plaza operation relocates to Fairway
[1]The Kansas City-area Houlihan's moved to a vacant space on 53rd Street in nearby Fairway, Kansas.
- 2002
Original Country Club Plaza site slated to close
[1]The landlord declined to renew the lease for the original restaurant, leading to a planned closure.
- 1975
Des Peres location opens
[1]The fourth reported location opened in Des Peres, Missouri, in March.
- 1974
Atlanta location opens
[1]Houlihan's expanded into Atlanta in December.
- 1973
New Orleans location opens
[1]The chain opened its second restaurant in New Orleans' French Quarter in July.
- 1972
First Houlihan's opens in Kansas City
[1]Houlihan's Old Place opened on April 1 at Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, establishing the casual restaurant and bar concept.
Products and positioning
A full-service American casual-dining and bar concept positioned between conventional family restaurants and more formal dining, with emphasis on a sociable bar environment, broad menu appeal, and adaptable company-operated and franchised locations.
Casual dining · 1972
Houlihan's casual-dining restaurants
The core offering is a full-service American casual-dining restaurant format. Locations combine a broad meal service with a substantial bar, informal social atmosphere, and, in the redesigned prototype, patio-style seating. The model was deployed through both company-owned and franchised restaurants in United States markets.
Restaurant and bar · 1972
Houlihan's bar service
Bar service is a central part of the Houlihan's format rather than an ancillary feature. The company has emphasized spacious bar areas and social dining, making the brand suitable for customers seeking drinks, informal meals, or a combined restaurant-and-nightlife experience.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006Houlihan's of the 21st Century
United States
Houlihan's introduced a prototype redesign intended to refresh the brand across architecture, interior design, uniforms, music, menu presentation, patios, and bar areas.
Outcome. The redesign was paired with a strategy to add corporate locations and limit franchise agreements to highly experienced developers.
Brand decisions
2019
Seek Chapter 11 protection and pursue an orderly saleOtherBackground
HRI cited labor-market changes, unfavorable leases, and high third-party delivery costs as pressures on the restaurant group.
Action taken
HRI Holding Corp. and 38 affiliated companies filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware and pursued a sale process.
Aftermath
Landry's offered $40 million, and Houlihan's subsequently became privately owned by Fertitta Entertainment.
Landry's acquisition offer. $40 million offer (2019 bankruptcy proceedings)
- Landry's — Landry's offered $40 million to acquire the restaurant business during the bankruptcy process.
2006
Adopt a refreshed restaurant prototype and selective franchise planStrategyBackground
Management sought to modernize the physical and service presentation while shaping future expansion.
Action taken
The company launched the “Houlihan's of the 21st Century” prototype and said it would emphasize corporate openings while limiting franchises to highly experienced developers.
Aftermath
The system reported 92 restaurants in 2007, including 61 franchised and 31 corporate-owned locations.
2002
Relocate the original Plaza restaurantStrategyBackground
The landlord of the Country Club Plaza property chose not to renew Houlihan's lease.
Action taken
Houlihan's closed the original site and moved the Kansas City-area operation to Fairway, Kansas, in January 2003.
Aftermath
The move preserved a nearby Kansas City presence but ended the brand's tenure at its founding location.
Recent events
Reported
Landry’s agrees to bid for Houlihan’s assets[2]
Landry’s agreed to pay $40 million in cash for substantially all of Houlihan’s assets, subject to adjustments, and would act as the stalking-horse bidder in a court-supervised auction where rival purchasers could submit better offers.
Reported
Houlihan’s files for bankruptcy protection[2]
Houlihan’s filed for bankruptcy protection in U.S. bankruptcy court, citing limited liquidity and high rents. The article reports that its restaurants were expected to remain open during the restructuring.
Sources2 sources
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