FAT Brands

FAT Brands Inc. is an American multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in Beverly Hills, California.

History
FAT Brands began as a holding company for Fatburger in 2017, gaining a chairman in Ed Rensi. On August 13, 2020, Johnny Rockets was acquired by FAT Brands for $25 million.

In July 2021, FAT purchased Global Franchise Group, now owning Round Table Pizza, Hot Dog on a Stick, Great American Cookies, Pretzelmaker and Marble Slab Creamery. On September 1, 2021, FAT Brands announced that it would acquire Twin Peaks, for $300 million. The acquisition was completed on October 1.

In May 2022, it was announced FAT Brands had acquired the franchised chain, Nestlé Toll House Café for an undisclosed sum, and plans to convert all 86 locations to Great American Cookies locations.

In 2024, Andrew Wiederhorn, ex-CEO, current controlling shareholder, and Chairman of the Board of FAT Brands, was indicted on federal criminal charges, accused of taking $47 million in shareholder loans for his personal benefit which were then never paid back, also concealing millions of dollars in reportable compensation and taxable income from the Internal Revenue Service. Former CFO Rebecca D. Hershinger was also accused of assisting Wiederhorn in the scheme. The Board of Directors was never informed about the "loans", Fat Brands never disclosed them as related party transactions to investors, and they were written off after the company merged with its largest shareholder, Fog Cutter Capital Group (also majority-owned by Wiederhorn), in 2020. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorneys Office for California had previously opened investigations into the company and Wiederhorn in 2021, and Wiederhorn had resigned as CEO in 2023 as a result of the investigation, later restructuring the Board of Directors with members under his control.

Brands
As of May 2022, FAT Brands own the following chains:


 * Buffalo's Café
 * Elevation Burger
 * Fatburger
 * Fazoli's
 * Great American Cookies
 * Hot Dog on a Stick
 * Hurricane Grill & Wings
 * Johnny Rockets
 * Marble Slab Creamery
 * Native Grill & Wings
 * Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses
 * Pretzelmaker
 * Round Table Pizza
 * Twin Peaks
 * Yalla Mediterranean