More Trouble at Brinker

One begins to wonder how much longer Brinker International can survive.

Norman Brinker, the founder, was a god in the restaurant world. He's reputed to have invented the salad bar, but he's best known for helming a variety of chains when he was in charge of Pillsbury's restaurant division in the 70s and 80s, including Burger King, Bennigan's and Steak & Ale. When he passed away last June, the era of the entrepreneurial restaurant magnate seemed to come to an end.

Brinker built his empire from Chili's, a small burger joint he purchased in the 80s, adding other brands along they way, including On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina, Maggiano's Little Italy, and Romano's Macaroni Grill. They were once the second largest casual dining chain in the world (based on locations) behind Darden Restaurants. With more than 1,900 restaurant locations in 25 countries, they were a force in the industry.

After a serious polo injury in 1993, Norman Brinker became more of a figurehead than a functioning executive, and the chain evolved in other directions. The trend has been unfortunate in many respects. The first casualty for Brinker was the loss of Romano's Macaroni Grill, sold to Golden Gate Capital in 2008. Now comes word that the Mexican concept chain On the Border is going to be sold to Golden Gate as well. Like a homeowner behind on his mortgage payments, the company has been selling off its assets to keep afloat.

But do they look at food brand licensing? You can probably guess the answer.

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