Selling the sizzle: High-end steakhouse operator Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group—which owns the Sullivan’s Steakhouse franchise—has filed registration papers to raise $100 million in an initial public offering of stock, Nation’s Restaurant News reports. The Southlake, Texas-based operator of 31 restaurants in 18 states under the Del Frisco’s, Sullivan’s and Del Frisco’s Grille brands is owned by Lone Star Fund V, a private equity fund. The group had filed for an IPO three years ago but pulled the plug because of unfavorable market conditions. At present it says a price range for the offering has not yet been determined. The announcement marks the first pending restaurant IPO of 2012. Sullivan’s has one steakhouse in Baton Rouge. Get the full story here.
Champion of the little guy: Roy Keller, director of the Louisiana Technology Transfer Office at LSU’s Louisiana Business & Technology Center, has been named the recipient of the Small Business Technology Council’s Champion of Small Business Award. The award honors those whose extraordinary contributions have led to the passage of a long-term Small Business Innovation Research reauthorization bill, which was signed into law late last year by President Barack Obama. Keller also helped organize the 2011 National SBIR/STTR Fall Conference, at which U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu was the keynote speaker.
Quality aluminum: The Abita Brewing Company is debuting three of its flagship brews in cans: Abita Amber, Purple Haze and Jockamo I.P.A. The Abita cans will appear in stores, restaurants and bars in the New Orleans area beginning today, with plans for wider distribution across the region and nation to follow. “Now our customers can take Abita to the places we love in Louisiana where glass might not be convenient or allowed … parades, fishing, tubing, golfing or the beach,” says David Blossman, Abita Brewing Co. president. “For many years people associated craft beer with glass bottles only, but the perception and the technology of the aluminum beverage can has really changed. We feel confident that today’s cans are a quality solution that will preserve and protect the flavor of Abita.” The brewer will continue packaging in glass as well.
