By the early 1980s Bennigan's had become one of the best known of the new style mid-range casual dining franchised "fern bar" eating and drinking establishments in the United States.

In 1983, Brinker led an exodus of senior management from the S&A and Bennigan's division, purchasing a small regional restaurant concept that focused on gourmet hamburgers, Chili's.

[3] John Owens, a Morningstar analyst, was quoted by the Boston Herald as saying: "Bennigan’s was the weakest of the major players" and Bob Goldin, an executive vice president of the restaurant industry consulting group Technomic was quoted by The New York Times as saying:“All these bar and grill concepts are very, very similar, [...] They have the same kind of menu, décor, appeal,” This translated into a lack of customer loyalties.

In a statement by the firm, it was stated that the company planned to reposition the brand by re-establishing its place in the high-margin bar segment and by focusing on sandwiches and appetizers.

The company planned to introduce a new logo, store prototype, financial and franchise models, an updated menu, improved marketing, adding a catering operation and a new attitude.

[9] On February 11, 2015, CEO Paul Mangiamele and his wife, Gwen, closed on a Management Buy Out (MBO) of the company from its parent private equity firm, for an undisclosed price.