In the early 1990s, Long John Silver's had been taken private by Castle Harlan, a private equity firm. Senior Management were significant shareholders in the new entity. Since its founding in 1969, Long John's was somewhat of a hybrid concept, falling between the casual diners, like Red Lobster, and the fast food fish sandwiches from places like McDonald's. One factor was working against Long John's in this hybrid positioning, namely LJS was not configured or even patronized for takeout, especially drive-thru. We undertook a comprehensive program, involving packaging, advertising, merchandising, and even facility configuration to boast the percent of off-premise sales from low 30% to over 55%.
Long John Silver's