Iconic Austin restaurant Chuy's moves HQ from Texas to Florida following acquisition
Chuy's, one of Austin's most iconic restaurants, will no longer call the Lone Star State home after Draden Restaraunts Inc. announced the beloved eatery will move its HQ to Orlando to be closer to other operations.
"For Chuy's to benefit from Darden's competitive advantages, we will need to consolidate the support functions at their home office in Austin and transfer them to our Restaurant Support Center in Orlando," said a spokesperson from the company.
Darden has not clarified a timeline or any kind of impact on the current workforce, however, the company did say all employees at Chuy's HQ will remain in their current role until at least February 2025.
As of July 16, Chuy's has 101 restaurants in 15 states and, in the 12 months ending March 31, 2024, generated total revenues of over $450 million and average annual restaurant volumes of $4.5 million.
HQ move comes just months after Chuy's acquisition
In July, Darden Restaurants Inc., the company that owns the Olive Garden chain, among other restaurants, and Chuy's Holdings jointly announced that the former would acquire all the outstanding shares of Chuy's for $37.50 per share.
According to a release from Darden, the agreement was made as an all-cash transaction with an enterprise value of approximately $605 million. Chuy's will be the latest addition to Darden's portfolio of familiar American food brands, which currently houses Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V's and Bahama Breeze.
"Chuy's is a differentiated brand within the full-service dining industry with strong performance and growth potential," said Darden's president and CEO, Rick Cardenas. "Based on our criteria for adding a brand to the Darden portfolio, we believe Chuy's is an excellent fit that supports our winning strategy. I am excited to welcome their 7,400 team members to Darden and diversify the Darden portfolio into a new dining category."
Austin favorite leaves home
Founded in Austin in 1982, Chuy's quickly became a fan favorite for its creative dips, cheap drinks and authentic, made-from-scratch, Tex-Mex-inspired dishes. Chuy's is also known for its maximalist and gaudy interior design and atmosphere.
In 2012, Chuy's completed an $87.2 million initial public offering of common stock on the Nasdaq and has been a public and growing company ever since. Darden is no stranger to Austin dining classics since, in 2011, it agreed to purchase the Eddie V's Prime Seafood and Wildfish Seafood Grille restaurant brands and all related assets for $59 million.
A big loss came for Chuy's in 2023 as Mike Young, co-founder of Chuy's, Hula Hut and Shady Grove, died of pancreatic cancer in Austin at the age of 74.
Beck Andrew Salgado covers trending topics in the Austin business ecosystem for the American-Statesman. To share additional tips or insights with Salgado, email
