Leawood, KS - Restaurant chain Houlihan's announced Thursday it is filing for bankruptcy protection and is expected to sell itself to rival Landry's at auction.
According to Reuters news service, Houlihan’s said it owns or franchises 69 restaurants including its namesake Houlihan’s Restaurant + Bar, J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steak + Seafood and Devon Seafood Grill, mainly in the U.S. Midwest and mid-Atlantic states.
Reuters further reports the Leawood, Kansas-based company employs about 3,450 people, and its restaurants are expected to stay open during the bankruptcy restructuring.
The first Houlihan's opened on April 1, 1972 at the Kansas City's Country Club Plaza.