BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Robert L. Johnson, Founder and Chairman of the RLJ Companies and Founder of Black Entertainment Television, announced today a joint venture with the Boston-based restaurant group Legal Sea Foods to open smaller-scale versions of the famed restaurant within airports across the country.
Johnson became the first African-American majority club owner of a major American sports league team with his 2002 purchase of the Charlotte Bobcats. In 2010, Johnson sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats to Michael Jordan.
In making this announcement, Johnson said, “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. 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 has a proven track record of highly successful airport restaurants at Logan International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Reagan National Airport. The joint venture will lead to a marked increase in new 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.”
“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.”
About The RLJ Companies: The RLJ Companies, founded by Robert L. Johnson, is an innovative business network that provides strategic investments in a diverse portfolio of companies. Within The RLJ Companies portfolio, Johnson owns or holds interests in businesses operating in a publicly traded hotel real estate investment trust (REIT); private equity; 401k financial services; automobile dealerships; content streaming; and video lottery terminal (VLT) gaming. The RLJ Companies is headquartered in Bethesda, MD. Prior to founding The RLJ Companies, Johnson founded Black Entertainment Television (BET). For more information visit: www.rljcompanies.com.
About Legal Sea Foods: Seventy years ago, Legal Sea Foods opened as a fish market in Cambridge, MA and has since cast a wider net – now operating about thirty restaurants along the east coast as well as its own fish processing plant on Boston Harbor. Legal Sea Foods’ iconic tagline, “If it isn’t fresh, it isn’t Legal!” speaks to its legendary fanaticism for seafood quality and safety. The restaurants serve over 40 varieties of fresh fish and shellfish throughout the year; the menu highlights quintessential New England fare, including its famous New England Clam Chowder that has been served at every Presidential Inauguration since 1981. At the helm of the family owned restaurant group is Roger Berkowitz, a 2017 James Beard Award winner. For more information about Legal Sea Foods and its locations, please visit www.legalseafoods.com.
Our Story
The brand Legal Sea Foods was born in 1950 with the Berkowitz family opening of a fish market in the Inman Square neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts. At that time there was also a related family business adjacent to the market, a grocery store, known as Legal Cash Market, where customers were given “Legal Stamps” (forerunners of S&H green stamps) with their purchases. It’s here that the “Legal” name became synonymous with quality and freshness.
In 1968, the first Legal Sea Foods restaurant opened, right next to the fish market. The fish was simply prepared, either broiled or fried, and served on paper plates at communal picnic tables. Despite the low-key trappings, the food was second to none and word quickly spread. This early success led to further expansion; and, ultimately led PPX Hospitality Brands (another Boston-based restaurant company and the parent company to Legal Sea Foods Restaurant Group Inc.) to acquire the corporate facility (Quality Control Center) and 23 restaurants as of December 2020.
Today, the Company maintains its commitment to quality standards, freshness, and the integrity behind the entire pier-to-plate process. We continue to reach for higher standards to set the brand apart from the competition by focusing on people (our employees and guests) and excellence in all that we do. So, when we say, “If it isn’t fresh, it isn’t Legal!,” we renew a commitment that has sustained the brand for over a half-century.
Commitment to Quality
We are “fanatics for freshness”®
And quality – so much so, that we have a state-of-the-art food safety laboratory where we test all seafood products prior to guest/consumer consumption.
We look for cold-water fish that is either “top of catch” (hauled onboard just before landing) or caught from day boat operators (fisherman who go to sea for just a single pass before returning to shore).
We impose the very highest standards for quality, sanitation, and safety at every step – from purchase, to processing, to shipping and finally to preparation in our restaurants. This has been part of our DNA for years and will continue with more exacting standards as the brand continues to grow and prosper.
Robert L. Johnson
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Robert L. Johnson
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 Johnson in 2018
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Robert Louis Johnson
April 8, 1946 Hickory, Mississippi, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (BA) Princeton University (MPA) |
| Known for | Co-founder of BET |
| Spouse(s) | Sheila Johnson (1969 – div. 2001) Lauren Wooden (m. 2016) |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | Official website |
Robert Louis Johnson (born April 8, 1946) is an American entrepreneur, media magnate, executive, philanthropist, and investor. He is the co-founder of BET, which was acquired by Viacom in 2001. He also founded RLJ Companies, a holding company that invests in various business sectors. Johnson is the former majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. He became the first black American billionaire in 2001. Johnson’s companies have counted among the most prominent African-American businesses in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
CONTACT:
Michelle Curtis
(301) 280-7701
michelle@rljcompanies.com
SOURCE The RLJ Companies
