January 8, 2020
BET Founder Bob Johnson Partners With Legal Sea Foods on Airport Expansion
The RLJ Cos. and Legal Sea Foods are joining forces to open smaller versions of the upscale restaurant chain at major airport hubs.
Robert L. Johnson, the founder and chairman of The RLJ Cos. and the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), announced a joint venture with the Boston-based restaurant group to open smaller-scale versions of the famed restaurant within airport terminals all across the country.
“I am very excited about the RLJ Companies joining with Legal Sea Foods and its CEO and President Roger S. Berkowitz, to expand the Legal Sea Foods dining experience to millions more airport travelers,” Johnson said in a written statement. Roger’s family founded Legal Sea Foods, whose roots in the food business go back almost 100 years, and has established an exceptional reputation and loyal following for its unparalleled quality.”
Legal Sea Foods opened restaurants at other airports that proved to be successful such as Logan International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, and Reagan National Airport. The expected joint venture will lead to an increase in new airport locations across the country.
“As two entrepreneurial owners, Roger and I are both enthusiastic about what our brand combination can successfully achieve in meeting the dining needs of consumers who are seeking first-class food in locations long underserved by great restaurants,” Johnson continues.
“As a family-owned and operated company, we feel we have a kindred spirit in Bob who has achieved phenomenal success through smarts, tenacity and a strong sense of what people want,” said Roger Berkowitz, president, and CEO of Legal Sea Foods. “Our venture will enable us to bring the freshest, highest quality food from the sea to those traveling by air.”
The RLJ Cos. is a portfolio of companies with holdings in several industries, including the RLJ McLarty Landers Holdings L.L.C., the highest-earning black-owned auto company with revenues of $1.8 billion and ranked No.1 on the 2019 BE Auto 40 list of the nation’s largest black-owned businesses, Black Enterprise‘s annual “BE 100s” list.