You might say this company is into neighborhood casual dining. Apple American Group is a leading franchisee of Applebee's, with more than 200 Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations in about 10 states. The largest casual dining chain in the US, Applebee's restaurants offer a full-service menu of beef, chicken, and seafood entrees, as well as a wide selection of appetizers. Most of Apple American's restaurants are found in the Midwest (Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania) and on the West Coast (California, Washington). Founded in 1998 by CEO Greg Flynn, Apple American is controlled by private equity firm Weston Presidio Service.

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc company owns and operates four- and five-star hotels primarily under the Copthorne and Millennium names. Its hotels target both business and leisure travelers and are found in major international cities or prominent business locations. In all, M&C operates some 120 hotels in nearly 20 countries throughout the world. The company's non-hotel assets include an office building in Los Angeles (the Biltmore Court & Tower). Singapore-based City Developments Limited owns 53% of M&C.

Amy's outlandish ice-cream scoopers (staff members sport unusual piercings or funky hats and are encouraged to put on a show) dish out ice cream from a rotating list of some 300 flavors, including Guinness and Shiner Bock (that's right, beer). Smoothies, malts, shakes, and other treats are all made from the rich butterfat ice cream. Amy's Ice Creams, Inc. operates more than a dozen stores in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Amy's also caters and has wholesale operations. Its ice cream is available at dozens of Austin and Houston eateries. Owner and CEO Amy Simmons founded Amy's Ice Creams in 1984.

ILX Resorts Incorporated engages in the acquisition, development, marketing, and operation of timeshare resorts in the western United States. The company also markets and sells vacation ownership interests in the timeshare resorts, which entitle the buyers to the ownership of a furnished unit for a one-week period on either an annual or an alternate year basis. In addition, it provides purchase money financing to the buyers of vacation ownership interests at its resorts. Further, the company rents the unused or unsold units at its resorts; and sells food, beverages, and other services at its resorts. As of December 31, 2009, it operated 10 resorts consisting of 577 units and held 8,135.5 unsold vacation ownership interests in its resorts, including unsold interests in Premiere vacation club. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. On March 2, 2009, ILX Resorts Incorporated, along with its affiliates, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona, Phoenix.

Italian cooking and casual dining are two things that excite this company. Fired Up operates and franchises more than 140 Carino's Italian Grill restaurants in more than 25 states. The full-service eateries offer pizza and freshly prepared pasta along with beef, chicken and pork dishes inspired by the cuisine of Southern Italy. The company owns about half the restaurants and franchises the rest; a handful of franchised Carino's units are located in Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates. Fired Up was founded in 1997 by partners and former Brinker International executives Norman Abdallah and Creed Ford. The company is backed by private equity firm Rosewood Capital.

Ice cream means cold cash for Braum's. W. H. Braum operates a chain of about 280 Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores in Oklahoma, Texas, and a handful of other states. Popular for its ice cream and other frozen treats, the chain also serves breakfast items, sandwiches, and salads. In addition, the stores sell grocery items such as milk, cheese, and other dairy products, along with baked goods. The family-owned company has more than 10,000 dairy cows and grows its own cattle feed. Family patriarch Henry Braum started the business in 1933, opening a chain of Peter Pan ice cream stores in Kansas during the 1950s. His son Bill later took over the business, sold the stores, and started his own retail chain in 1968. Bill Braum opened the first Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Store...but the Braum story actually begins long before that time, spanning three generations with over six decades of history behind it.

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK), based in San Diego, is a restaurant company that operates and franchises Jack in the Box® restaurants, one of the nation’s largest hamburger chains, with more than 2,200 restaurants in 18 states. Additionally, through a wholly owned subsidiary, the company operates and franchises Qdoba Mexican Grill®, a leader in fast-casual dining, with more than 500 restaurants in 42 states and the District of Columbia.

Arnold Palmer Golf Management tries to keep its courses out of the rough and on par with the best in the world. The company owns or manages more than 35 courses in more than a dozen states and offers services in acquisitions, franchising, joint ventures, leasing, and new course development. Golfing legend Arnold Palmer formed a company to manage golf courses in 1984. In 2005, former ClubCorp CEO Jim Hinckley acquired the Arnold Palmer Golf Management brand through Century Golf Partners, an operating partner of Chicago-based real estate investment firm Walton Street Capital.

Transplanted Texans living near the nation's capital can get a taste of home visiting Austin Grill. The company operates about 10 restaurants in and around Baltimore and Washington, DC, that offer such traditional Tex-Mex fare as burritos, enchiladas, and fajitas, as well as appetizers, sandwiches, and a weekend brunch menu. Some Austin Grill locations also feature weekly live music entertainment. Rob Wilder opened the first Austin Grill in 1988. The company was acquired by foodservice operator Thompson Hospitality in 2006.

Marriott International signs in at the top of the lodging industry. The company is one of the world's leading hoteliers with some 3,400 operated or franchised properties in more than 65 countries. Marriott's hotels include such full-service brands as Renaissance Hotels and its flagship Marriott Hotels & Resorts, as well as select-service and extended-stay brands Courtyard and Fairfield Inn. It also owns the Ritz-Carlton luxury chain and resort, and time-share properties operated by Marriott Vacation Club International. Marriott additionally provides more than 2,000 rental units for corporate housing and manages 40 golf courses. The Marriott family, including CEO J. W. Marriott Jr., owns about 30% of the firm.

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