| Johnny Carino's | |
| Type: | Wholly owned subsidiary |
| Parent: | Fired Up Restaurant Concepts. |
| Location: | Austin, Texas |
| Foundation: | Austin, Texas, |
| Locations: | 37 (August 31, 2023) |
| Industry: | Restaurants |
| Genre: | Casual dining |
Johnny Carino's is a United States-based chain of Italian food casual dining restaurants. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the concept is owned by Fired Up, Inc., which was founded in 1997 by partners and former Brinker International executives Norman Abdallah and Creed Ford III.[1]
Johnny Carino's operated as Spageddies, prior to its 1997 acquisition by Fired Up.[2] [3] Spageddies, in turn, was founded in 1992 by Brinker International.[4]
The company filed for bankruptcy protection on March 31, 2014, and again declared bankruptcy in 2016.[5] The filings were concurrent with the closing of several Carino's locations; while Carino's once owned or franchised more than 170 restaurants across the United States, as of August 31, 2023, only 37 Carino's locations still operate.[6]