Pat & Oscar's signs first franchise partner

SAN DIEGO — Pat & Oscar's Restaurants has announced it has unveiled its first-ever franchise partner program and has signed a deal with its first franchisee, Steve Gratz.

Gratz has more than 23 years of restaurant industry operational experience and has worked with brands such as Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Cheesecake Factory and Koo Koo Roo. Gratz began his franchising career with Pat & Oscar's by assuming operations of two existing California company locations, Glendale and Buena Park.

Joining Gratz is another restaurant-industry veteran, the Mehrens family. Family patriarch Ron Mehrens Sr. has been in the industry for nearly 40 years, spending time with concepts such as McDonald's and Round Table Pizza, and is currently a Baja Fresh Mexican Grill franchisee. Ron Mehrens Jr. has worked with his father as the backbone of the team along with brother Kevin Mehrens who focuses on operations.

Since Pat & Oscar's founding in 1991, all restaurants have been company owned and operated.