Del Frisco's Restaurant Group Files To Go Public

SOUTHLAKE (AP) -- Del Frisco's Restaurant Group, a North Texas-based steakhouse chain, has filed regulatory papers to become a public company.

The company said Tuesday that it expects to raise up to $100 million from offering its shares to the public. It didn't say when it might go public, how many shares it might offer or how it would price the shares. It also didn't say whether it would list on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq, or what its ticker symbol would be.

Del Frisco's, based in Southlake, operates 31 restaurants in 18 states under the names Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, Sullivan's Steakhouse and Del Frisco's Grille.

Del Frisco's said in a regulatory filing that it would use the money it raised to pay down debt and make a $3 million, one-time payment to the private equity firm Lone Star Fund, an affiliate of the company's owner.

The restaurant also said it believes it can open three to five new restaurants annually, including new restaurants planned for this year in Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)