Ted's Montana Grill

What Ted's Montana Grill does

Ted's Montana Grill is an American full-service restaurant chain, founded in 2002 by media mogul Ted Turner and restaurateur George W. McKerrow, and headquartered at 133 Luckie Street in Atlanta, Georgia. The chain's defining product is what it calls the world's largest bison menu, featuring burgers, steaks, and other dishes built around bison that is sourced primarily from Ted Turner's ranches through a Turner Ranches partnership, with grass-fed then grain-finished, hormone- and steroid-free husbandry. The company operates more than 30 corporate-owned restaurants across at least 14 US states (Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia), and does not offer franchising.

The business model is straightforward full-service dine-in revenue, augmented by online ordering for pickup and delivery, a no-expiration gift card program processed via the CashStar platform, and reservations across all locations. Supporting consumer-facing technology is limited and non-AI: an interactive Nutrition Calculator, Interactive Allergen Tool, downloadable gluten-free menu, and a loyalty-style email newsletter ('Ted's Insider') offering birthday and anniversary perks. Sustainability is positioned as a differentiation lever — sub-2% food waste versus an industry 3-4% benchmark, paper straws, antibiotic-free proteins, and strategic distribution-center placement to reduce food miles.

Commercially, the chain is privately held (Ted's Montana Grill, Inc., incorporated in Georgia, no public ticker) with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or franchise owner-operator structure. Management is founder-led, with Ted Turner and George W. McKerrow as Co-Founders and George W. McKerrow currently serving as CEO per the leadership roster. The customer base is horizontal — families and individuals seeking American casual dining with a bison and sustainability angle — and the marketing mix is centered on website/email capture, organic social storytelling around sustainability, and a gift card program that doubles as a referral channel.

Name

Ted's Montana Grill

Legal name

Ted's Montana Grill, Inc.

Website

https://tedsmontanagrill.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Ted's Montana Grill is a privately held, US full-service restaurant chain founded in 2002 by Ted Turner and George W. McKerrow, operating 30+ corporate-owned locations across 14+ states and serving general consumers a bison-centered American menu sourced primarily from Turner Ranches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices32 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Traditional full-service restaurant revenue from dine-in customers, with bison as the centerpiece protein on the menu. The company operates corporate-owned locations and does not offer franchises.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ted's Montana Grill is a full-service American restaurant chain founded in 2002 that operates the world's largest bison menu across 30+ corporate-owned locations in the U.S. The chain sells bison-centered dine-in meals made from scratch, supports online ordering, reservations, and gift card sales, and emphasizes sustainability through locally sourced produce, paper straws, and food waste below industry averages.

Product overview

Ted's Montana Grill is a restaurant chain founded in 2002 by media mogul Ted Turner and George W. McKerrow. The company operates a single unified restaurant concept centered on its flagship offering—the world's largest bison menu—featuring bison burgers, steaks, and other dishes made from scratch. The core product portfolio includes the bison menu, online ordering, reservations, and gift cards. Supporting offerings include nutrition and allergen tools for dietary customization, periodic limited-time Chef Features for seasonal occasions, and a sustainability program emphasizing locally sourced ingredients, antibiotic-free proteins, and food waste reduction. The company is corporately owned with locations across multiple U.S. states, primarily in the Southeast, Colorado, and mid-Atlantic regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bison Menu The signature bison menu featuring bison burgers, steaks, and other bison-based dishes made from scratch; bison is ranch-raised on grass then finished on grain without hormones or steroids and primarily sourced from Ted Turner's ranches.
• Online Ordering Web-based food ordering service that allows guests to place pickup or delivery orders at any Ted's Montana Grill location.
• Restaurant Reservations Reservation service that lets guests book tables in advance at any Ted's Montana Grill restaurant location.
• Gift Cards Physical and electronic gift cards sold online and in restaurants, redeemable at any Ted's Montana Grill location without expiration.
• Limited-Time Chef Features Seasonal or commemorative menu offerings introduced for special occasions, featuring elevated classic American comfort food made from scratch with premium ingredients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Food waste reduced to 1.62% vs. 3-4% industry average
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Turner RanchescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Ted's Montana Grill has partnered with Turner Ranches to help restore the North American bison population to an estimated 500,000. The majority of Ted's bison supply comes from Ted Turner's ranches, creating a vertically integrated supply chain and supporting conservation efforts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Texas Roadhouse: Large US full-service steakhouse/casual dining chain with 600+ locations. Directly comparable to Ted's as a full-service American grill concept serving premium protein (steak vs. bison) in a similar price-point and dining experience category.
• Outback Steakhouse: Casual dining chain owned by Bloomin' Brands specializing in steaks and American fare. Closely comparable full-service concept competing for the same dinner occasion and protein-centric menu positioning.
• LongHorn Steakhouse: Darden-owned full-service steakhouse chain. Comparable as a casual full-service American grill with a center-of-plate protein focus and similar suburban footprint strategy.
• Bonefish Grill: Bloomin' Brands casual upscale dining concept focused on a signature protein (seafood). Directly comparable differentiated-protein positioning, full-service experience, and similar unit economics.
• The Cheesecake Factory: Iconic full-service casual dining chain with an extensive, differentiated menu. Comparable in full-service American dining experience, corporate-owned model, and broad menu positioning.
• Cracker Barrel Old Country Store: Full-service American comfort food chain with an Americana/regional heritage brand. Highly comparable to Ted's Montana Grill on American heritage dining, corporate-owned model, and broad geographic footprint.
• Saltgrass Steak House: Landry's-owned steakhouse chain with Texas heritage theme. Comparable full-service grill concept with a regional heritage narrative similar to Ted's Montana positioning.
• Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: Upscale steakhouse concept under Bloomin' Brands. Comparable in premium full-service dining, corporate-owned operations, and center-of-plate protein menu strategy.
• Black Angus Steakhouse: Western-themed steakhouse chain with American heritage branding. Closely comparable to Ted's on the Americana/Montana theme, full-service casual dining, and premium protein positioning.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House: Premium steakhouse chain, many locations company-owned. Comparable premium full-service dining experience, center-of-plate protein focus, and mix of corporate and franchised units.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tedmontanagrill
• Facebookfacebook.com/tedsmontanagrill
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/33601

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ted's Montana Grill