You probably have your own memory of Bennigan's.

Maybe the broccoli bites or potato skins are your personal favorites. How about the Monte Cristo sandwich or the Death by Chocolate dessert?

Long Branch native Paul M. Mangiamele, owner, chairman and CEO of Dallas-based Legendary Restaurant Brands, is with you.

He's working to bring back Bennigan's, the Irish pub chain, and its sister restaurant chain, Steak and Ale.

There are now 15 Bennigan's restaurants in 12 states, including one in Vineland, right here in New Jersey. And Mangiamele's looking for more franchisees to open in the Garden State.

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"I want to get back to Jersey in the worst way." Another 18 restaurants are located overseas. "This is the renaissance of an iconic brand," he said.

"I loved these brands," Mangiamele said. "We bleed green. We have passion and retained a culture that made this brand so popular, 20, 25 years ago."

Mangiamele grew up in Long Branch and graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in Middletown. He remembers going to Steak and Ale in Middletown. He remembers Bennigan's, which used to dot the highways and byways of New Jersey before the restaurant chain went bankrupt in 2008.

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It was pulled out of bankruptcy by a private equity firm, which brought on Mangiamele as a turnaround expert. In early 2015, Mangiamele, 67, and his wife bought the company themselves.

Mangiamele said he emphasizes the importance of the restaurant's workers, such as training and creating a culture of "people caring about people," and instilling a passion for the brand.

"The legacy is great food at affordable prices," Mangiamele said. "We're known for the people and the execution. The portions are large. The price point is very affordable. It's completely family friendly."

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Now Bennigan's is focusing on smaller restaurants too. The old locations were 8,000 to 10,000 square feet. A new redesigned Bennigan's is 5,200 square feet, almost half the size. The Steak and Ale prototype is 6,200 square feet.

Mangiamele said the company has signed franchise agreements for 125 Bennigan's restaurants in addition to the 33 that are operating now. A Bennigan's has a $50,000 initial franchise fee. The investment to build out a Bennigan's restaurant, excluding land costs, is approximately $220 to $250 a square foot.

"What we did over the course of almost nine years is to stay true to the culture but yet reattach the emotional connections that have already existed for 50 years back to the brand (customers) know and love," Mangiamele said.

Bennigan's was one of "first dominoes to fall" in the restaurant industry before the recession hit in 2008, said Darren Tristano, chief executive officer and founder of FoodserviceResults, a Chicago-based consulting firm. "At the time, they were about 270 restaurants strong and they shut their doors because they just couldn't do it anymore."

After the chain emerged from bankruptcy, it has "weathered the storm," he said.

But casual dining restaurants, which also include big brands such as Applebee's and TGI Fridays, are struggling for relevance among smaller regional chains and independent and local restaurants, Tristano said.

"They, like everyone else, are just struggling to capture share," Tristano said. At the same time, casual dining restaurants are trying to younger customers. "They are up against the notion that this is where my parents went to eat."

Mangiamele said Bennigan's has experienced increased sales.

"The consumer never gave up on casual dining," Mangiamele said. "Casual dining gave up on the people. They failed to innovate. They failed to train. They failed to remodel their restaurants."

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