

In 1980, Red Robin opened a restaurant in Portland, Oregon. In 1979, Kingen sold Michael and Steve Snyder the rights to open a Red Robin in Yakima, Washington, and The Snyder Group Company became Red Robin's first franchisee. Kingen's association with the company he founded later ended, but the franchising system endured, creating disciples of the gourmet burger format that extended the physical presence and geographic reach of the enterprise far beyond the efforts of its creator. The chain drew its strength through franchising and through one franchisee in particular. Kingen continued to operate the location as a tavern for a few years, but later added hamburgers to the menu, eventually giving fans 28 different burgers to choose from, and sales increased.Īfter ten years of building the Red Robin concept, Kingen decided to franchise it, which proved to be significant in the development of the chain. It was a favored hangout for University of Washington students. The first restaurant was 1,200 sq ft (110 m 2). The business dropped the "Sam's" and became Red Robin. In 1969, local Seattle restaurant entrepreneur Gerry Kingen bought and expanded the restaurant. A Red Robin restaurant in 2015 Red Robin's Gourmet Bacon Cheeseburger The owner, Sam, sang in a barbershop quartet and could frequently be heard singing the song " When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)." He liked the song so much that he eventually changed the name to Sam's Red Robin. This building dated from 1940 and was first called Sam's Tavern. in Seattle, at the southern end of the University Bridge. The first Red Robin was located at the corner of Furhman and Eastlake Avenues E. ( May 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. This section contains content that is written like an advertisement.
