In 1972, Houlihan's first opened its doors in Kansas City with aprogressive, eclectic menu and energetic bar scene. Ferns hungthroughout, artifacts cluttered the walls and tapestries made by SanFrancisco hippies formed the ceiling. Caviar burgers, roasted duck,foot-long hot dogs and fresh carrot juice were just a few original menuitems so ahead for its time. It was hot.<p>Before long, there were a lot of 'casual dining' restaurants opening andcall us crazy, but they looked a whole lot like us. We tried to beflattered. Some grew really big, and by the '90s, the whole 'casualdining' landscape was pretty me-too. Instead of watching the consumer,the industry seemed more worried about what competitors were doing.Casual dining lost its way, and in doing so lost its edge. <p>Fast forward to 2002. That's when we had our 'Aha!' moment (as Oprahwould say). New leadership, new ideas, new inspiration. We completelyre-imagined ourselves, and got back in touch with the consumer. Newmenus. New plates. New building design, new soundtrack. Stylishuniforms. And a modern, warm restaurant design with an open kitchen andprominent bar. Today, our company is built entirely around what theprogressive consumer seeks in a restaurant + bar experience. And we planto keep it that way. <p>Forget 'casual dining.' That's an industry term so out of touch with howconsumers eat and drink today. For premium quality and style; farethat's at times familiar and other times adventurous and a laid-backmodern setting, Houlihan's is a true original.