The Real Reason Long John Silver's Is Struggling To Stay Open

Long John Silver's isn't the fried fish superstar that it once was. Let's take a look at what went wrong with Long John Silver's, and what they're doing to try to turn the tide of this seafood institution.

Long John Silver's was founded in 1969 by Jim Patterson, who had a simple idea: Bring the sunny seaside fish and chips eating experience to families nationwide.

In 1999, though, the chain was bought by A&W, which later became part of Yum Brands. That brought a lot of changes. Gone were the traditional Cape Cod-style blue-roofed buildings filled with nautical bric-a-brac. Instead, many locations became generic fast food joints, often splitting their space with another Yum Brands chains like A&W or Taco Bell.

The overall impact to the dining experience was profound, but it took awhile for the company to right the ship. In 2018, the finally unveiled a new, modern design based on the original seaside snack shack feel. Whether or not that will turn the tide remains to be seen.

How damaging was the push to have locations split space with other brands? In 2010, a Long John Silver's franchisee filed suit against parent company Yum Brands, alleging that the company "misled" the franchisee in its determination to co-brand his 26 locations with the A&W brand. The lawsuit alleged that the A&W and Long John Silver's co-branding efforts resulted in restaurants that were not as profitable as stand-alone locations, and made cross-promotion between brands next to impossible.

There was also a 2005 class action lawsuit alleging unfair labor practices, plus other lawsuits from franchisees. The good news? Yum Brands finally gave up, and in 2011 sold Long John Silver's to an investment group that included both franchisees and chain founder Jim Patterson, who hope to right the ship.

Watch the video to find out the real reason Long John Silver's is struggling to stay open.

#LongJohnSilvers #Seafood #FastFood

Sea change | 0:11
They've been buried by lawsuits | 0:54
Old fashioned | 1:36
Seafood is expensive | 2:08
It's not always Lent | 2:37
"The Worst Meal in America" | 3:18
A potential sale in 2015 fell apart | 3:49

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