Norman Brinker, the restaurant mogul who brought us the salad bar, died this morning while on vacation in Colorado Springs.
Brinker, who turned 78 last Wednesday, built a worldwide casual dining empire that includes Chili’s – which became the foundation for brand names such as On the Border, Maggiono’s and Macaroni Grill.
A former Jack in the Box general partner and the man behind Steak & Ale and Bennigans, Brinker “is responsible for a lot of what we take for granted today across the casual dining category,” wrote former Brinker International exec Lane Cardwell.
Brinker started with a coffee shop in Dallas in the 1960s. He retired as chairman of Dallas-based Brinker International in 2000. The company now has 1,700 retaurants in 27 countries.