<P> The first restaurant was opened on August 18, 1969, in Lexington, Kentucky . The original location, on 301 Southland Drive just off Nicholasville Road, was previously a seafood carry out restaurant named the Cape Codder . The original Cape Codder concrete block building was redesigned by Architect Druce Henn, who created the New England style of LJS's early chain restaurants . That original location is now a styling salon . </P> <P> Earlier restaurants were known for their Cape Cod style buildings, blue roofs with square cupolas, wood benches / tables, lobster pots, and ship's wheels . Later, more nautically themed decorations were added such as seats made to look like nautical flags . </P> <P> Those early restaurants also featured separate entrance and exit doors, a corridor like waiting line area, deep fryer with food heaters that were transparent so customers could see the food waiting to be served, and wrought iron' sword' door handles . A major exterior theme of these buildings had dock - like walkways lined with pilings and thick ropes . Somewhat newer restaurants retained the basic structural design and theme but eliminated most of the interior features . </P> <P> The chain was acquired by Yum! Brands in 2002, but by January 2011 Yum! announced it was looking for a buyer for its Long John Silver's and A&W All - American Restaurants divisions, citing poor sales and a desire to transfer more of its focus to international expansion . In September 2011, Yum! announced the impending sale of Long John Silver's to LJS Partners LLC--a group consisting of franchisees and other private investors . </P>

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