COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 722410

Drinking Place (Alcoholic Beverages)

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

17companies1845–2003founding years17still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedFuller Smith & Turner P.L.C.
1845
FoundedThe Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, PLCFoundedYoung & Co.'s Brewery, P.L.C.
1890
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedSapporo Breweries Limited
1949
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedFlanigan's Enterprises, Inc.
1959
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedBass PLC
1967
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedAutogrill SpA
1977
FoundedJD Wetherspoon plc
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedBuffalo Wild Wings, Inc.
1982
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedSFI Group plc
1986
FoundedLuminar Plc
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedEnterprise Inns plc
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedRock Bottom Restaurants, Inc.
1994
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedRichtree Inc.
1996
FoundedPunch Taverns plc
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
FoundedThe Laurel Pub Company Limited
2001
FoundedMitchells & Butlers PLC
2003
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Fuller Smith & Turner P.L.C. →
Active · founded 1845 · United Kingdom
While its larger U.K.
The Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, PLC →
Active · founded 1890 · United Kingdom
The Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, PLC, popularly known as Wolves, is the United Kingdom's largest integrated…
Young & Co.'s Brewery, P.L.C. →
Active · founded 1890 · United Kingdom
1581: Humphrey Langridge operates the Ram Brewery.
Sapporo Breweries Limited →
Active · founded 1949 · Japan
Over the course of its more than 120-year history, Sapporo Breweries Limited has evolved from a government-owned beer…
Flanigan's Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
Flanigan operated his business under three names during the 1990s.
Bass PLC →
Active · founded 1967 · United Kingdom
Conceived as a single brewery in the late 18th century, Bass PLC was in the process of a historic transition at the…
Autogrill SpA →
Active · founded 1977 · Italy
Autogrill SpA is the world's leading operator of travel restaurant facilities.
JD Wetherspoon plc →
Active · founded 1979 · United Kingdom
JD Wetherspoon plc is one of the United Kingdom's largest and fastest growing chains of publican houses (pubs).
Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc., runs a chain of more than 200 chicken wing restaurants, which are located around the United…
SFI Group plc →
Active · founded 1986 · United Kingdom
Woking-based SFI Group plc is one of the United Kingdom's fastest-growing operators of drinking and eating…
Luminar Plc →
Active · founded 1987 · United Kingdom
Luminar Plc is the United Kingdom's leading nightclub owner and operator, with more than 250 nightclubs, bars, and…
Enterprise Inns plc →
Active · founded 1991 · United Kingdom
In the meantime, Enterprise immediately returned to the acquisition trail in April 2002, paying Morgan Grenfell £875…
Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc. →
Active · founded 1994
Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc.
Richtree Inc. →
Active · founded 1996 · Canada
Richtree Inc.
Punch Taverns plc →
Active · founded 1997 · United Kingdom
Punch Taverns plc has worked its way to the top of the United Kingdom's pub market.
The Laurel Pub Company Limited →
Active · founded 2001 · United Kingdom
The U.K.
Mitchells & Butlers PLC →
Active · founded 2003 · United Kingdom
Mitchells & Butlers PLC is one of the United Kingdom's largest operators of managed pubs, with more than 2,000 drinking…
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