Sticky Fingers (restaurant) - History

History

Sticky Fingers was founded by lifelong friends Jeff Goldstein, Todd Eischeid, and Chad Walldorf who met in seventh grade in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The three friends went their separate ways after high school, each attending a different college. After college Jeff moved to Memphis to work for his father at the famous Public Eye restaurant where he gained a love for ribs and barbecue. Jeff's parents then moved to Charleston, South Carolina where they complained there was no good barbecue. Jeff proceeded to contact Todd and Chad who were busy being ski bums in Colorado and ask them how they felt about opening a restaurant in Charleston. The three opened the first Sticky Fingers in the Charleston suburb of Mt. Pleasant. Originally Jeff ran the kitchen, Chad was on the floor, and Todd did the accounting and helped where he was needed. The three rotated jobs every six months.

July 10, 2002
Red, Hot & Blue Alleges Trade Secrets Stolen
The Red Hot & Blue restaurant chain filed a lawsuit in Arlington County Circuit Court against Gary Price, its former vice president, and Sticky Fingers Restaurant Group. The suit accuses Price of proffering confidential company information to win a job offer. It also alleges that Sticky Fingers actively sought and now possesses trade secrets—specifically, recipes—that might cost Red Hot & Blue's franchised and company-owned eateries business.

Complicating the sorting out of stolen-recipe claims is a connection both chains have to Memphis, Tenn.-based Corky's Old-Fashioned Bar-B-Q, an 18-unit chain with restaurants in five states. At Red Hot & Blue's founding, the chain had an agreement to use Corky's recipes. But before that, according to Walldorf, Corky's was owned by Sticky Fingers co-founder Jeff Goldstein's father, who also operated another Memphis barbecue, The Public Eye." Herb Goldstein had sold his interest and came to Charleston to help us get Sticky Fingers going," Walldorf said.

December 12, 2002
Barbecue Restaurant Chain Drops Suit against Charleston, S.C.-Based Rival
Red Hot & Blue Inc., based in Arlington, Va., dismissed the lawsuit it filed earlier against Sticky Fingers and former Red Hot & Blue executive Gary Price.

2006
Chain investor Quad-C buys Sticky Fingers stake
In another indication that private-equity firms are eager to invest in smaller restaurant companies, Charlottesville, Va.-based Quad-C Management bought an undisclosed stake in Sticky Fingers Corp.

2008
Sticky Fingers ended its partnership with Quad-C in 2008. Quad-C is no longer affiliated with Sticky Fingers RibHouse.

2009
Sticky Fingers closes four locations (Hixson, TN; Columbia, SC; Hilton Head, SC; North Charleston, SC). Company also moves the restaurant headquarters' from a 6,500-square-foot (600 m2) office in Mount Pleasant to a smaller new 3,500-square-foot (330 m2) office site.

2010
September 5, 2010 Sticky Fingers closes in Wilmington,NC.

September 6, 2010 Sticky Fingers headquarters moving to Atlanta, GA
Frank Sbordone, chief executive officer of Sticky RibHouse LLC, said that the move puts them closer to its Southeastern scattering of restaurants. "We needed better access to our current markets," he said. "Our new headquarters offers proximity to major expressways and the Atlanta airport, and is also convenient for the majority of our Atlanta-based administrative and restaurant support team. In addition, we believe metro Atlanta presents a great opportunity for future restaurant growth."

2011
April 2011 Sticky Fingers closes in atlantic Beach, FL