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Johnny Carino's

Logo: Johnny Carinos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

United States-based chain of restaurants

Johnny Carino's is a United States-based chain of Italian food casual dining restaurants. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the concept is owned by Fired Up, Inc., which was founded in 1997 by partners and former Brinker International executives Norman Abdallah and Creed Ford III. Johnny Carino's operated as Spageddies, prior to its 1997 acquisition by Fired Up.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1968Founded1

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Johnny Carino's is a United States-based chain of Italian food casual dining restaurants. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the concept is owned by Fired Up, Inc., which was founded in 1997 by partners and former Brinker International executives Norman Abdallah and Creed Ford III.2

The story

Johnny Carino's was conceived by chef Johnny Carino, who in 1994 inherited a 15-unit Italian restaurant concept from Brinker International and was tasked with revamping the menu to reflect his own Italian heritage. The chain originated in Fort Collins, Colorado.

By its peak in 2006, the chain was operating 173 company-owned and franchised locations across 30 U.S. states, and had also expanded internationally with locations in Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

From Wikipedia’s article on Johnny Carino's, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1968Founded Founded in Austin1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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