Accounting

Running head: INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS

Brinker International

In this project, I will provide a brief description of my Session Long Project (SLP) “Company”, Brinker International. I will provide its main business and operational activities as well as provide some key developments of this company over the past few years. Some of the materials that will also be presented include financial information, stock prices, profitability, and my personal interest in this company. One of the main purposes of this project is to discuss the Initial Public Offering or IPO and the unique challenges this company took in its process of development and some of its financial information linked to its corporate history.

Restaurateur Norman Brinker, who bridged the gap between fast food and fine dining, purchased 40 percent shares of Chili's Bar and Grill in 1983 and in 1984 Brinker International was formed. It now has over 1,500 restaurants worldwide with over 100,000 employees and system-wide sales exceeding $4 billion annually. Brinker International was listed among the top 400 companies by Forbes magazine. Based in Dallas, Texas, it is the largest employer based company in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. According to the New York Stock Exchange, the stock price listed on 20 January 2012 was $27.53. The mainstay of the Brinker International INC., company is Chili's, a chain of more than 1,000 eateries featuring Southwest decor and inexpensive meals. In 1984, Chili's 23 restaurants were generating $40 million in sales from their menu of gourmet burgers, french fries, and margaritas. Brinker started conducting market surveys and talking to his customers about their level of satisfaction at Chili’s. On the basis of this feedback, he began to shift the focus of Chili's menu away from burgers to include a broader array of salads and chicken and fish entrees. By the late 1980s, the company was ready...