Luby's history

By 1958, Luby and Johnston had opened 11 cafeterias, each of which had a different configuration of investors.

The new corporation launched its first cafeteria in March 1960 in a strip shopping center in Corpus Christi and two others followed within 60 days.

When Hurricane Carla crashed into the Texas Gulf Coast in September 1961, the Corpus Christi Luby's served as an outpost for the National Guard and scores of emergency workers.

Luby's entered Houston for the first time when it opened Romana Cafeteria in 1965.

1966: First non-Texas location opens in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The corporation forged a link with the original Luby's cafeterias in 1969 when it agreed to manage those units for the next 15 years, bringing the number of corporate-managed units to 26, of which 17 were company-owned.

Luby and Johnston passed their executive management reins to George Wenglein and to Norwood Jones, respectively, in 1971.

In 1973, Cafeterias, Inc., became a publicly traded company.

Or Paul Konecny, who has eaten at Luby’s almost every day since 1974.

The year 1980 saw corporate revenues surpass the $100 million mark, and the company adopted a new name, Luby's Cafeterias, Inc.

To honor Bob Luby, Cafeterias, Inc., was renamed Luby's Cafeterias, Inc., in 1981.

1982: Company stock begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Luby's successful strategy was widely recognized by the press. "Why They're Lining Up at Luby's" was the headline for an article by the New York Times in the August 18, 1985, issue describing the company's recipe for success.

By 1987 Luby's had reached 100 locations.

The Luby's Story, a history of the company published in 1988, explained that trainees were schooled in the theory and practice of running a cafeteria.

An October 19, 1990 article in the Wall Street Journal examined how the company maintained its profitability during an economic recession.

A deadly mass shooting occurred at a Luby's restaurant at 1705 East Central Texas Expressway in Killeen, Texas, on October 16, 1991, when George Hennard gunned down 23 people before committing suicide.

When the Killeen Luby's reopened on March 12, 1992, hundreds of people, including some of the survivors, came to the cafeteria to eat freshly prepared jalapeno corn bread, pan-grilled catfish, and Jefferson Davis pie.

Although the results for fiscal 1997 showed another increase in sales, they also brought an end to a streak of 28 consecutive years of increased earnings per share, as net income fell from $39.2 million to $28.4 million.

In 1998, the year that founder Bob Luby died, the new Luby's management team took steps aimed at sparking a turnaround.

1999: Company is renamed Luby's, Inc.

The news grew bleaker by December 2000.

In 2001, Chris and Harris Pappas of Houston's Pappas Restaurants (owners of Pappasito's Cantina, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, etc.) joined the Luby's management team.

In 2009, due to the economic recession, Luby's closed 25 stores and laid off staff as a cost-cutting measure.

In 2010 Luby's Culinary Services introduced "What's Brewing?", a coffeehouse concept store in Downtown Houston.

On June 13, 2011, Luby's opened its first company-owned Fuddruckers restaurant in downtown Houston's seven-mile (11 km) tunnel system.

In 2013, Luby's acquired Cheeseburger in Paradise.

In 2017 they sold nearly 3 million orders of the cod planks.

On June 3, 2020, Luby's Board of Directors announced plans to sell all its operating divisions and assets, including real estate assets.