BURNSVILLE, Minn. — Create-your-own stir-fry restaurant chain bd’s Mongolian Grill has acquired fast-casual Asian chain Flat Top Grill. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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| Joe Phraner, president and COO of bd’s Mongolian Grill |
“Asian concepts are one of the fastest growing segments in the restaurant industry, especially those that allow guests to customize, create and be in control of their dining experience,” said Joe Phraner, president and COO of bd’s Mongolian Grill. “Bringing together these two great brands creates a new synergy with tremendous opportunity, which we look forward to developing in the coming months.”
Phraner, who took over as president of bd’s Mongolian Grill in 2012, will lead both companies. The two companies will maintain their names and individual concepts, and bd’s operations and marketing teams will now support both restaurants.
“bd’s Mongolian Grill and Flat Top Grill have more than 40 years of collective restaurant experience throughout the Midwest and we are confident the two concepts can look to each other’s strengths and best practices,” Phraner said. “We believe this acquisition will lead to strong top-line sales, increased guest satisfaction and future growth for the restaurants.”
Founded in 1992 in Royal Oak, Mich., bd’s Mongolian Grill encourages customers to “Stir It Up, Your Way,” allowing customers to build their own stir-fry with a variety of meats and seafood, vegetables and sauces, all freshly cooked (Mongolian-style) on a large, flat-top grill. The chain has 28 restaurants. Twenty-seven locations are based domestically in 11 states, including 11 company-owned and 16 franchise restaurants.
Flat Top Grill opened its first location on the north side of Chicago in September 1995, and now operates eight restaurants in Illinois and Indiana. Customers choose from a selection of fresh vegetables and protein, and their meals are prepared to their preferences.
