Boston Market

Infobox company
company_
company_name = Boston Market Corp.
parent = Sun Capital Partners Inc.
company_type = Wholly owned subsidiary
slogan = Time For Something Good
foundation = 1985
location = Golden, Colorado
key_people = Richard K. Aras, President & CEO
industry = Fast-casual restaurant
num_employees = 14,000 (2007)
homepage = [http://www.bostonmarket.com/ bostonmarket.com]

Boston Market (known before 1995 as Boston Chicken), headquartered in Golden, Colorado, is a chain of American fast casual restaurants. Founded in December 1985 in Newton, Massachusetts, the chain grew rapidly in the early and mid-1990s, filed bankruptcy in the late 1990s, and was purchased by McDonald's Corporation in May 2000. McDonald's initially purchased the company for its real estate, but found the brand serviceable and therefore continued to operate and expand the chain. In 2007, McDonald's announced that it was "exploring strategic options" for the subsidiary. [cite web |url=http://today.reuters.com/news/articlebusiness.aspx?type=consumerProducts&storyID=nN12429716&from=business |title=McDonald's exploring options for Boston Market |publisher=Reuters |date=2006-01-12 |accessdate=2007-08-28] On 6 August 2007, McDonald's announced plans to sell the chain to Sun Capital Partners, [cite web |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a3GSyfJgvgX4&refer=home |title=McDonald's to Sell Boston Market to Sun Capital |author=Chris Burritt |publisher=Bloomberg.com |date=2007-08-07 |accessdate=2007-08-28] a transaction that was completed on August 27, 2007. [cite web |url=http://www.smartmoney.com/bn/ON/index.cfm?story=ON-20070827-000332-1731&hpadref=1 |title=McDonald's Wraps Up Boston Market Sale |author= |publisher=Dow Jones & Company, Inc. News Services |date=2007-08-27 |accessdate=2007-08-28]

Boston Market has its greatest presence in the Northeastern United States. As of|2007|8, the chain has 630 company-owned restaurants locations in 28 states, [cite web |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/mcdonalds-sells-boston-market-restaurant/story.aspx?guid=%7B0E4F9037-EB23-4603-9B8A-78047E031CE3%7D|title=McDonald's Sells Boston Market Restaurant|author=Kevin Kingsbury|publisher=MarketWatch.com|date=2007-08-06|accessdate=2007-09-12] with 14,000 employees. At one point in the early 2000s, Boston Market operated two locations in Toronto. In early 2002, Boston Market entered the Australian market, opening nine stores in the Sydney metropolitan area by 2004, before quietly exiting the Australian market later that year due to competitive pressures.

When still known as Boston Chicken, stores specialized in rotisserie chicken and a variety of side dishes, but in 1995 the chain expanded its menu to include turkey, meatloaf, ham, and sandwiches, and changed the name to Boston Market to reflect this. The chain later added roasted sirloin and made ham a seasonal offering.

A selection of the Boston Market branded items has been available since April 1999 in many supermarkets across the U.S.Fact|date=June 2007 In April 2004, Boston Market introduced chilled menu items to be sold at supermarkets. As of|2005|12, these chilled menu items are available in 700 supermarkets.Fact|date=October 2007 Frozen meals and side dishes are sold nationally under the Boston Market brand name, although they are made by H. J. Heinz Company. Boston Market also caters, providing hot lunch buffets and sandwiches for office parties, meetings, family gatherings, picnics, and weddings.

References

ee also

*Chicken Out Rotisserie
*Kenny Rogers Roasters

External links

* [http://www.bostonmarket.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.100meals.com/ 100 Meals: Boston Market Home Video Contest Winner Personal Documentary]