After months of financial turmoil caused by pre-existing money troubles and exacerbated by the loss of sales during the pandemic, Luby’s Inc., the parent company of Luby’s Cafeteria and Fuddruckers, is going out of business.
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The company announced this week that it will be selling off its real estate and other assets and dissolving the company, in a process that will likely take several months. According to CultureMap Houston, while a slim possibility exists that a suitable buyer could swoop in and save the iconic chain restaurants, the more likely scenario is that the company will be closing all of their restaurant locations and retiring the Fuddruckers and Luby’s Cafeteria brands.
The Luby’s Cafeteria chain includes 77 locations in Texas, all of which are owned by Luby’s Inc. The chain was founded in San Antonio in 1947 by Bob Luby, and the company acquired Fuddruckers about a decade ago, according to Restaurant Business. Luby’s owns about 50 Fuddruckers restaurants and franchises about 100 more in 25 states and Puerto Rico. It is unclear what kind of fate awaits the franchises of Luby’s Inc. as their parent company goes through a dissolution.
For many, Luby’s Cafeterias are synonymous with family meals, particularly on Sundays. Some nostalgic menu favorites include comfort foods like golden fried fish, mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken fried steak, meatloaf, and fried okra. Their LuAnne platter, a combo meal that includes a main dish, two sides, and a roll, was maybe their most significant contribution to fast food pop culture.
Fuddruckers, on the other hand, specializes in “the world’s greatest hamburgers.” The meat for all of their burgers is ground on site, and the burger buns are baked in house as well. Add-ons like lettuce, tomato, onions, and the chain’s signature cheese sauce are displayed in a buffet-style self-serve bar for easy customizability.
You can probably still squeeze in a visit or two before the chains close their doors for good, as select locations are still open.
