Restaurant IPOs: To market, to marketRestaurant IPOs: To market, to market

Sarah E. Lockyer

The first three quarters of 2012 have seen more initial public offerings from restaurants than the last four years combined — a result of both Wall Street’s appetite for new growth stories and the Jumpstart Our Business Startups, or JOBS, Act, a law signed earlier this year that allows for private filings of IPOs and eases securities requirements for smaller companies. 


So far this year the restaurant sector has held IPOs for Outback Steakhouse parent Bloomin’ Brands Inc., steakhouse operator Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group Inc., Mexican casual diner Chuy’s Holdings Inc., and Joe’s Crab Shack owner Ignite Restaurant Group Inc. 


Cheddar’s Casual Café and Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Inc. are also in the pipeline. Carl’s Jr....