Napa River Grill has a new owner—a team, specifically.
And chief among its members is Junior Bridgeman, former star player for the University of Louisville Cardinals and the Milwaukee Bucks. But, Bridgeman’s success extends well outside the basketball court.
As the owner of Bridgeman Foods, he owns 162 Wendy’s and 121 Chili’s, plus other smaller ventures, that combine to generate $507 million in annual revenue. According to Forbes magazine, that makes him the 18th wealthiest African-American in the U.S. Suffice it to say, Junior is no junior when it comes to the restaurant business.So what happens to J.D. Rothberg, who sold Napa River Grill? We suspect, but have yet to verify, he’ll take cash from that company’s sale and roll it into the expansion of his second concept, Wild Eggs.And why would Bridgeman want to step into fine dining? We don’t know that as of yet, either. What we can safely suspect is his Midas touch will only benefit that Louisville favorite.
More details when we have them.
