Who Actually Owns Texas Roadhouse?

If Texas Roadhouse is among your favorite steak joints, you may already know how it went from a napkin and a dream to be the chain we know today. You may also know that Texas Roadhouses's roots aren't in Texas, but Indiana; and, as of 2025, it is the largest casual-dining chain in the United States. But who actually owns Texas Roadhouse? It turns out, lots of folks do. The steakhouse chain with a net worth of billions is a publicly traded company owned by Texas Roadhouse, Inc.

The restaurant was founded by Kent Taylor in 1993 in Clarkesville, Indiana, and two years later the first franchise opened in Kentucky. In 2004, Texas Roadhouse initiated its first public offering, and it's now owned by shareholders, with the majority of shares being held by institutional investors like Vanguard Group, Inc. Texas Roadhouse is governed by a board of directors, including CEO Gerald R. Morgan, who took over with the passing of Taylor.

More than 700 Texas Roadhouse restaurants are operating worldwide, and Texas Roadhouse Inc. also owns and operates the chains Bubba's 33 and Jagger's. Taylor's plan for growth focused strongly on leadership development, and franchisees were eventually known as managing partners who shared in profits and were afforded extensive training, coaching, and support. This business model, along with Taylor's other commitments to consistency and quality, proved highly successful for the restaurant group, and although independent franchise ownership is no longer offered in the U.S., the managing partner model is still used.

Taylor's idea for a simple Texas-style steakhouse offering hand-cut steaks, ribs, and a scratch-made menu took some time to realize. When the restaurateur finally found investors in three Kentucky physicians (and famously sketched out his design of the first restaurant on a cocktail napkin), he had a goal of opening 10 steakhouses in 10 years. Unfortunately, three of the first five restaurants didn't survive. Taylor didn't throw in the towel, and with an emphasis on improved quality and employee training, he was eventually able to take the company public.

Today, the successful chain operates on more than just an idea for good steaks and cold beer. Some things you should know about Texas Roadhouse are some of the reasons it remains so prosperous. The restaurant doesn't sacrifice quality, despite being a competitively priced steakhouse. All of the beef offered at Texas Roadhouse is USDA choice, and each location has its own butcher. The iconic rolls are baked fresh every five minutes. Sustainability and animal welfare are paramount to the company, as are its employees, known as Roadies. Texas Roadhouse has an employee-assistance fund known as Andy's Outreach that exists to help any staffer who is undergoing financial hardship. Prior to his death in 2021, Taylor himself put his employees first during the pandemic when in 2020 he decided to forego his annual salary and bonus to help fund frontline Texas Roadhouse employees.