Gene Stathas left after eating at the very first Long John Silver’s on June 8, 1981, at 301 Southland Drive in Lexington. It originally was called the Cape Codder, and Jerrico Inc. renamed it Long John Silver’s and opened for business on Aug. 18, 1969. Lexington-based Jerrico also operated Jerry’s restaurants and founded Fazoli’s. Jerrico was taken private in 1989 in a $626 million leveraged buyout, leaving Long John Silver’s with $275 million in high-interest debt. The company struggled with the debt, and Long John Silver’s sought bankruptcy protection in June 1998. A year later, A&W bought the chain for $220 million and then was bought by Louisville-based Yum Brands several years later. Private investors made a successful bid to buy the LJS Brand in September 2011. Currently, there are more than 1,100 Long John Silver’s restaurants worldwide, but the restaurant above closed on July 3, 1991, and the property is now a styling salon. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff