RISE - Menu Monitor

Carino's Italian Grill
Headquarters
7500 Rialto Blvd. Suite 250, Austin, Texas 78735 USA
Tel: (512)263-0800 Fax: (512)263-8055
www.carinos.com
Ownership: Private
Segment: Full Service Italian
System Characteristics 2006 2005 2004
U.S. Systemwide Sales ($000) 395,018 362,500 276,000
Company-owned ($000) 184,842 170,000 132,000
Franchised ($000) 210,176 192,500 144,000
U.S. Number of Units 168 160 130
Company-owned 77 75 61
Franchised 91 85 69
International Sales ($000) 8,000 5,500 10,000
International Units 9 7 5
Average Sales/Unit ($000) 2,400 2,500 2,500
Concept Positioning |
Carino's Italian Grill is a full-service Italian restaurant casual-dining concept. The chain specializes in huge portions of
traditional Italian-American favorites, including homemade ravioli, 12-layer lasagna, chicken parmigiana and spaghetti.
Units are typically freestanding and average 6,000 sq. ft. Carino's creates an inviting dining experience with a comfortable,
vibrant interior, intimate and cozy dining rooms with booth and table seating, wood and stone walls and colorful mismatched
wooden chairs. Hand-painted Italian ceramics and antique-framed family pictures enhance the warm and welcoming
atmosphere.
Creed Ford and Norman J. Abdallah founded Fired Up, Inc. in 1997 in order to acquire Kona Restaurant Group, which owned
and operated the five-unit Johnny Carino's Italian Kitchen Chain and one Kona Ranch Steakhouse. Carino's has gone through
many changes since Fired Up acquired it,including modifications to its name, menu, signage, recipies and design. The
company made an effort to distinguish the concept from its predecessor Spageddies, a former Brinker International concept.
The company has development agreements for over 490 Johnny Carino’s to be developed by 20 franchise partners
throughout nationwide, in Eygpt and ten countries in the Gulf area of the Middle East. Fired Up intends to expand 10–12
company restaurants a year and continue franchise growth of multi-unit Johnny Carino’s through strategic development
partnerships. Fired Up expects that the mature Johnny Carino’s chain will be 70% franchised and 30% company owned. In
2007, Johnny Carino's changed their name to Carino's Italian Grill to emphasize the change in concept which moved away
from Italian and is now focused more on grilled cuisine.
©Technomic Information Services 2007, CIS profiles may not be copied or distributed in any print or electronic format without a license or written consent.
Technomic believes that its sources of information are reliable, but does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy of the information
published.
122