Rax (restaurant)
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{{Infobox_Company
| name = Rax
| logo = [[Image:Raxlogof.jpg|225px|Rax Restaurants logo]]
| type = Private
| genre =
| foundation = 1962 in [[Wheeling, West Virginia]]
| founder = J. Patrick Ross
| location_city = [[Ironton, Ohio]]<ref name=raxrich>[http://www.irontontribune.com/articles/2008/02/14/news/local03.txt "Donohue buys Rax trademark"] by Mark Shaffer, ''The Ironton Tribune'', February 14, 2008, retrieved February 18, 2008</ref>
| location_country =
| location =
| locations = 30 (approx.)<ref name=closed>[http://orig.thestarpress.com/blogs/ECIBizBlog/2007/07/rax_fading_into_oblivion.html "Rax fading into oblivion"] by Keith Roysdon, ''The Star Press.com'', July 5, 2007, retrieved November 23, 2007</ref>
| area_served = [[Ohio]], [[Kentucky]], [[West Virginia]], [[Indiana]], [[Illinois]], and [[Pennsylvania]]
| key_people =
| industry = [[Fast Food]]
| products = Roast beef sandwiches, [[salad bar]], shakes, baked potatoes, and other fast food products
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| owner = Rich Donohue
| num_employees =
| parent = From Rax to Rich's<ref name=raxrich/>
| divisions =
| subsid =
| slogan = ''"Gotta get back to Rax"'' <ref name=raxonline>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060511062625/www.rax-online.com/History.htm Rax Restaurants' History], ''rax-online.com''</ref>
| homepage =
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}
'''Rax''' is a small regional U.S. fast food restaurant chain specializing in [[roast beef]] sandwiches, formerly based in [[Columbus, Ohio]]. Once a big player in the fast food segment, Rax has extensively scaled down their operations since their peak in the 1980s due to poor marketing decisions and internal corporate problems within the company. Its closest rival in terms of menu offerings is [[Arby's]].
==History and operations==
Rax was founded as the Restaurant Administration Corporation (RAC) by J. Patrick Ross in 1962 with a lone [[Burger Chef]] in [[Wheeling, West Virginia]].<ref name=raxonline /> The company grew by franchising other restaurants like [[Wendy's]], [[Ponderosa/Bonanza Steakhouse|Ponderosa Steak House]], [[Long John Silver's]], and JAX Roast Beef; the first location of which was located in [[Springfield, Ohio]].<ref name=raxonline>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060103185320/www.rax-online.com/History.htm The Evolution of Great Taste], History of Rax on rax-online.com (archive)</ref>
The modern Rax began in the 1970s. In 1969 [[General Foods]] purchased the JAX concept and renamed the restaurants to RIX, but eventually spun-off the restaurants back to JAX.<ref name=raxonline /> It was at this time that RAC decided to focus on the roast beef business.<ref name=raxonline /> The JAX restaurants were renamed Rax in 1978 to be more suitable for trademarking and franchising with the first Rax branded restaurant opened in Columbus.<ref name=raxonline /> They renamed themselves Rax Systems Inc., then again to Rax Restaurants Inc. in 1982.<ref name=raxonline /> By then, Rax had grown to over 221 restaurants in 25 states.<ref name=Raxbook>[http://books.google.com/books?id=0nYcgnWKWXgC&pg=RA1-PA773&lpg=RA1-PA773&dq=rax+restaurants&source=web&ots=QB_3y2mN2W&sig=ko2KFBCHDeeQjDCtXOvTiUtLf4M ''Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age'']by John A. Jakle & Keith A. Suclle, p. 173 (1999)</ref>
[[Image:RaxLancaster2006.jpg|thumb|250px|left|An older Rax still in operation in [[Lancaster, Ohio]]]]
At its peak in the 1980s, the Rax chain had grown to 504 locations in 38 states along with two restaurants in [[Guatemala]].<ref name=Raxbook /><ref>[http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/imr-ri3.nsf/fr/gr102544f.html Franchising in Guatemala] by Raguel De Urrutia, ''U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service and U.S. Department of State'', March 29, 2000, retrieved November 21, 2007</ref> During this time, Rax began diversifying its core roast beef sales by adding baked potatoes and a dinner bar with pasta, Chinese-style food, an "Endless [[salad bar|Salad Bar]]", and many other entrees.<ref name=Raxbook /> Rax began to transform its restaurants from basic restaurant architecture into motifs of wood and [[solarium]]s desiring to become the "champagne of fast food".<ref name=Raxbook /><ref name=raxonline /> This transformation drove away its core working class customers, blurred their core business, and caused profits to plunge for Rax as others took advantage of Rax's techniques and improved on them, as [[Wendy's]] did.<ref name=Raxbook /> Also compounding the decline was a management buyout of the company in 1991 and numerous changes that occurred on the company board.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3402/is_199202/ai_n8158228 "Rax tries to rally"] by Charles Bernstien, ''Restaurants & Institutions'', February 1992, retrieved October 23, 2007</ref> The downfall eventually bottomed out when the company filed for [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] in December 1992 and the company scaled back many of its stores to its core markets, particularly [[Ohio]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[West Virginia]].<ref>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n49_v26/ai_13004241 "Struggling Rax Restaurants files for Chap. 11 protection"] by Bill Carlino, ''Nation's Restaurant News'', December 7, 1992, retrieved September 1, 2006</ref>
In 1994, Rax Restaurants Inc. merged with North Carolina-based Franchise Enterprises Inc, renaming the company Heartland Food Systems Inc., and becoming a [[Hardee's]] franchisee.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n18_v28/ai_15189735 "Alliance with Rax boosts Hardee's to 4,112 units - Rax Restaurants Inc., Hardee's Food Systems Inc"] by Theresa Howard, ''Nation's Restaurant News'', May 2, 1994, retrieved November 23, 2007</ref> Heartland planned to convert all Rax restaurants into Hardee's by 1997.<ref>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n10_v29/ai_16647351 "Heartland Food Systems to shed Rax Restaurants"] by Bill Carlino, ''Nation's Restaurant News'', March 6, 1995, retrieved September 1, 2006</ref> However, by 1996, the difficulty of converting Rax restaurants to Hardee's placed too much pressure on Heartland, and they were forced to once again file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As part of a turnaround plan, the company sold the Hardee's units it owned that were not originally Rax stores and changed the company's name back to Rax Restaurants Inc.<ref name=transformation>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n7_v30/ai_17995939 "Heartland Food returns to Rax roots - Heartland Food Systems Inc. repositions Rax Restaurants concept"] by Suzanne Kapner, ''Nation's Restaurant News'', February 12, 1996, retrieved September 1, 2006</ref>
The company was planning a revival for the Rax concept, including a new, simpler menu, a new store prototype, and a new logo and color scheme.<ref name=transformation /> However, in November 1996, [[Wendy's International]] made an offer to purchase 37 Rax restaurants, intending to convert most of them to [[Tim Hortons]]. This caused a change in strategy, and a buyer was sought for the remaining company-owned restaurants.<ref>[http://libpub.dispatch.com/cgi-bin/documentv1?DBLIST=cd96&DOCNUM=25380 "Rax Name Appears Likely To Survive Transformation"] by Debbie Gebolys, ''The Columbus Dispatch'', November 6, 1996, retrieved September 1, 2006</ref>
Since then, the Rax brand has been owned by Cassady & Associates<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/1997/08/25/story5.html "Cassady seeks investors for Dalt's, Rax expansion"] by Brian R. Ball, ''Business First of Columbus'', August 22, 1997, retrieved January 26, 2007</ref>, and more recently, Carpediem Management Company, both based around Columbus, Ohio.
As other fast food places added something for the kids, Rax also created their mascot, Uncle Alligator, who was dominant in all kid's meals and toys, always involving some sport or activity (e.g. [[skateboarding]]).<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051230123237/www.rax-online.com/Kids/KidsPages.htm Kids Pages], Kids Pages on rax-online.com</ref>
==Current status==
[[Image:RaxBellefontaine.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A newer Rax in [[Bellefontaine, Ohio]].]]
Rax locations that are still open today are franchisee-owned, with the right to use the Rax name as long as the store is in operation. Many locations have closed in the last few years, and the chain has been reduced in size to 30 restaurants.<ref name=closed />
In December 2007, Rich Donohue, a franchise owner with restaurants in [[Ironton, OH]] and [[Ashland, KY]], purchased the Rax trademark. The new company, From Rax to Rich's, purchased the name to bypass licensing costs, and plan on opening more restaurants in Ohio and Kentucky. At least three new locations are currently in the planning stages.<ref name=raxrich/>
==Slogans==
''"All the right stuff."'' <ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_v18/ai_3549316 "Rax Restaurants plans more new items despite diversity of its extensive menu"] by Joe Edwards, ''Nation's Restaurant News'', December 3, 1984, retrieved November 23, 2007</ref><br>''"Fast food with style."'' <ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n5_v22/ai_6342171 "Rax Restaurants Inc. uses inflatable gorilla in sales promotion"] by Marilyn Alva, ''Nation's Restaurant News'', February 1, 1988, retrieved November 23, 2007</ref><br>''"Nobody Stax Up To Rax"''<br>''"Gotta get back to Rax."'' <ref name=raxonline />
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://columbusrestauranthistory.com/restaurant/chains.htm Columbus Restaurant History - Chains Page] List of former Rax locations in Columbus, Ohio.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1BmydT42so Rax commercial from 1988]
[[Category:Fast-food chains of the United States]]
[[Category:Regional restaurant chains]]
[[Category:Companies based in Ohio]]
[[Category:Restaurants in Ohio]]